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Beit Midrash
- Family and Society
- The Jewish Household
- Modesty - Tznius
Modesty means recognizing that the main thing is inner world, and not the outer one. Extraversion can be physical or possessive, and may also be an exaggerated attitude towards publicity at the expense of the truth.
Singers are people with a beautiful voice (and in exceptional cases, if they are also the writer, then they have lyrical talent) - and nothing more. They are not halachic adjudicators, nor experts about security or relationships, nor a standard of moral behavior or the quality of the air conditioner we bought. Today’s culture advocates that if someone is famous, then we should seriously consider their opinions in every field. I wish the singers and all the other celebs all the best in the world, but forgive me, they are not the standard in the issues noted above; I suggest that we all leave them alone.
The reason we mourn the destruction of the Temple during this time is not because of the destruction of a magnificent building that was in Jerusalem, but because people thought that external splendor could cover internal decay; that is why our Sages describe what the Divine Voice said to the destroyer of the Temple: "you burned a Sanctuary that was already burned, you ground flour that was already ground" - burning the physical Temple was meaningless since it had already been destroyed in the hearts of the Jewish people.
A newly religious woman approached me a while ago and said that she had gone to pray at the grave of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov. While praying at the tomb, a famous model entered the compound, and then - she said - everyone present left the grave site and went to ask for a 'selfie' with the celebrity. The same woman was unable to accurately articulate her mixed feelings about the incident, and hesitantly asked: "Is it acceptable from a religious point of view that I did not go to ask for a selfie?"
I replied, "You've made it".
Ein Aya How Unclean Thoughts, Speech & Pornography Bring Depression & Loneliness
Ein Aya, Shabbat 2, 234
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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Israel and the Nations A Few Minutes & Many Innovative Ideas on Antisemitism & What to do About It
As we approach the High Holidays, this short lecture (18 minutes) deals with the unfortunate situation of how Israel and the Jewish People stand against antisemitism, analyzing its cause according to Rav Kook, and how to deal with the issue pragmatically & via our prayers.
Ha'azinu PURSUIT is PERFECTION
p. Ha'azinu, Shabbat Shuva
Rav Kook deals with the question of the seemingly hopeless nature of Tshuva. For G-d Himself knows that He created us with free will, which inevitably means we will sometimes make mistakes and choose wrong. This can easily be frustrating, freezing us into inaction and ye'ush (loss of hope). If one sins even once, does he chalila have no choice but suicide?! Moreover, our Godly conscience demands justice, righteousness and perfection, but we all know this is impossible, so what's the solution? Rav Kook's innovative thinking, strongly based on chazal (our sages), offers an inciteful and important aspect to this topic, especially this time of year!
Sukkot Bug-Free Sukkah: Essential Halachic and Practical Schach Guide
How to inspect, clean, and store bamboo mats and palm branches to protect your mitzvah and holiday meals.
