Beit Midrash

CHAYEI SARAH

Controlling Flights, Directing Journeys

From the book The Father of Israel

The director wouldn't let it rest. "But why is someone obligated? I don't understand. Let the rabbi say whatever he says and the questioner do whatever he wants." Rabbi Eliyahu just smiled. "Wait. You'll soon understand."

Switching Chazanim at Ashrei

In my small, Ashkenazi Shacharit minyan (without a rav), we now have two aveilim. They have been switching being chazan at Ashrei, but recently some people (mainly Sephardim) raised objections. I thought it was a standard practice. Is there a problem with it?

The spirituality of listening

The Laws of Reciting Shema

Chapter Fifteen-Part Four

Chapter Fifteen-Part Four

The Significance of Tachanun

Although the importance of the tefillah of Tachanun is underappreciated by many, it should not be; it is actually based on Moshe Rabbeinu’s successful entreating of Hashem on Har Sinai to spare Klal Yisrael from punishment after their grievous sins: “Va’esnapel lifnai Hashem (Devarim 9:18, 25) - And I threw myself down in prayer before G-d,” (Tur, Orach Chayim 131).

The Blessing for Rain for those travelling to the Land of Israel

Praying for a Rainy Day When Traveling to or from Eretz Yisroel in November

Do Clothes Make the Kohen?

Halachot of the Kohanim vestments, Argaman, Tola'at Shani and Techelet today.

Who is to be blamed on damaging?

Tractate Baba Kama – 1st chapter: mishna 2

Tractate Baba Kama – 1st chapter: mishna 2

The First Rain

The word "yoreh" means to teach. According to the Talmud, the "yoreh" (first rain) teaches us to prepare for the winter, to plaster our roofs, to seal up any holes through which rain might possibly leak. This is our first warning of winter's arrival.

The Ten Tribes Beyond the Sambatyon

The road from Babylon to the Land of Israel passes through Syria, and many of the returning exiles got stuck there, beyond the Sambatyon River. Though largely unobservant, they were protected from assimilation by the observance of the Sabbath.

The Track, the Trees, and the Splendor

The process of establishing sanctity in Israel was riddled with vicissitudes, from the Shilo sanctuary in Joseph's hereditary portion, to Gibeon and Nov in the portion of Benjamin, and finally to Jerusalem. The same is true of Israel's leadership.