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Beit Midrash
- Shabbat and Holidays
- Jewish Holidays
- The Holidays of Tishrei
- Shabbat and Holidays
- The High Holidays
- The Fast of Gedaliah
The Torah study is dedicatedin the memory of
Yaakov Ben Behora
After the King of Babylon destroyed Jerusalem and the Holy Temple, there remained a small number of Jews in the Judea region. The King then appointed Gedaliah ben Achikam to rule over them, and those Jews who had previously fled to neighboring countries began to gather around him. This small group managed to persevere in the land until, on the third of Tishrei, Yishmael ben Natanya came and murdered Gedaliah ben Achikam. At that point, the remaining Jews were scattered and the demise of Jerusalem was complete.
The sages teach that the day of Gedaliah ben Achikam's assassination was declared a national day of mourning "in order to teach us that the death of a righteous person is tantamount to the destruction of the House of God" (Rosh Hashanah 18b). Certainly the death of this particular saint, who was then the central pillar of the land's small Jewish vestige, together with the fact that a Jew was involved in this act, made the destruction all the more unbearable.
This event occurred during the Ten Day of Repentance. Zachariah the Prophet foresaw that in the future these days would become occasion for celebration and rejoicing: "Thus says the Lord of Hosts: The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall become times of joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts to the House of Judah; therefore, love the truth and peace" (Zachariah 8:19).
Some days possess special intensity. Such days, if we are worthy, are capable of being transformed into holidays. Yet if, Heaven forbid, we are not worthy, they can become days of extreme trial. When worthy, these Ten Days of Repentance are days of rectification and refinement; when not, as was the case in the time of Gedaliah ben Achikam, they occasion severe ruin. But the possibility of rectification is there, it remains, and this, of all days, possesses the unique capacity for being transformed into a day of positive construction and revitalization, new life and sanctity. May it be God's will that this be a year of redemption and salvation, and that the light of faith and Torah shine upon the entire nation of Israel.
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The translated scriptural verse in this article was based upon The Jerusalem Bible (Koren Publishers)
Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: Twin Foundations
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Realtor’s Fee on Large Commercial Building – part I
(based on ruling 85031 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Realtor’s Fee on Large Commercial Building – part I
(based on ruling 85031 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
(based on ruling 85031 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: The Goal of an Agricultural Yeshiva – part I
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 263 (address at the laying of the cornerstone of the Yeshiva Chakla’it in Kfar Haroeh)
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 263 (address at the laying of the cornerstone of the Yeshiva Chakla’it in Kfar Haroeh)
Re'e NEVER EXTREME EXCEPT ISRAEL
Parshat Re'eh
Judaism is against extremism, so how can we understand the seemingly extreme statements found in our sages in favor of living in the Land of Israel and against living in Chutz laAretz? The article deals with the seeming contradiction between the strength of Free-Will and the strength of being influenced by our surroundings.
Ekev DANCE FOR ISRAEL- FOR YOUR BENEFIT
Parshat Eikev
Description: The 7 Haftarot we read after Tisha B'Av ("Shiva D'Nichemta") surely get us excited that they're coming TRUE, and awaken us to yearn, dance & join the return to Zion! The short article also deals with the problems and solutions facing the American Jewish community as discussed at a recent panel, as well as the question why Jews come from America to Israel to help when we face problems, but Israelis don't come to aid Jews in America when they face anti-Semitism.
P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Complaints about Contractor’s Work – part II
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: Twin Foundations
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
D'varim Judaism’s Social Vision
Re’eh
Giving is more than an act of generosity—it is an essential part of human dignity that belongs to everyone, rich and poor alike. The ultimate goal of help is to empower others to stand on their own.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 9 - "Seeing is Believing" (parag. 21-30)
These paragraphs elaborate on the theme that seeing and knowing is better than any attempt to prove logically, and begins explaining the difference between Israel and gentiles.
