Parashat HashavuaSeries'LibraryPiskei Din (Hebrew)Test YourselfAfter the sin of the golden calf, Moshe appeals to Hashem to spare the people and forgive them. Hashem Himself teaches Moshe a special prayer that appeals to G-d's attribute of mercy and can be invoked at times of crisis. This tefila, known as "the Attributes of Mercy," or "Yud-Gimel Midot," is familiar to us, because we say it extensively during the 10 Days of Repentance each year (it also is said each morning in nusach S'fard). The prayer utilizes different names for Hashem, each of which is a unique aspect of Hashem's "mode" of forgiveness. It describes G-d as One who forgives both before and after we sin; who helps us avoid temptation to sin; who is patient with our mistakes; who recognizes our weaknesses and takes them into account; who is quick and loyal to reward us when we do overcome sin; who forgives us when we let our angry overcome us, and even when we want to commit sins to anger G-d; who strikes our sins from the record after we repent. He also "saves" merits from our ancestors in previous generations and applies them to us when we need saving.
Can I be mekadeish the levanah when there is just a slight cloud cover? Am I permitted to be mekadeish the levanah either before it gets fully dark or during the post-dawn, pre-sunrise morning hours? Did the Rif not write on this topic? Why not?
When minyanim closed, I started davening vatikin (starting Shemoneh Esrei (=SE) at hanetz hachama (sunrise=netz)). If I do not know precisely when netz is, is it better to err on the side of starting SE before or after netz?
Just as water has the ability to convert desolate and nonproductive desert land into a veritable Garden of Eden, so too can Torah fill the void in our hearts and souls and make us productive holy people.
What Bracha Do I Make Before Smelling the Shavuos Flowers?
My husband brought me beautiful roses for Shavuos. Should I make a
bracha before smelling them? I have noticed that sometimes there is no noticeable
fragrance.
A young engaged man and his fiancée naturally have very strong feelings for each other. It goes without saying that these will be expressed after the wedding, but what expression, if any, is permitted in the meantime? And while we're on the subject, is the attraction of men and women to each other really a good thing to begin with?
The laws relating to Jewish converts are most astounding. Despite the criticism directed at the Jewish people on the grounds that Judaism is racist, the Torah teaches us that any non-Jew who earnestly seeks to join the Jewish people may do so.
Our nation possesses the inner strength - strength which we inherited from Jacob - to take on the challenging and trying difficulties. Even if our Succah appears to be unstable, a mighty spirit fills its openings and reinforces its cracks.