Yeshiva
Beit Midrash
- Shabbat and Holidays
- The High Holidays
- The Fast of Gedaliah
The murder of Gedaliah ben Achikam finalized the destruction of the First Temple. After the burning of the Temple, a depleted remnant of the Jewish population remained in the Land of Israel; the punishment that followed the murder uprooted the last Jews from the Land of Israel and made the exile final. A closer look reveals that it was precisely this tragic event that caused growth. Until then, the Jews toyed with the fact that the destruction was not final and, in any case, did not gather the strength for a renewed return. It was precisely the recognition that the First Temple era was over that enabled Zerubabel and his people several generations later to immigrate to the Land of Israel and start to establish the Second Temple era.
The recognition that must be internalized after Rosh Hashanah 5784 is that the era of 5783 (2022-2023) is over. That is sad because there were good things in our lives in the previous year, and therefore we fast; and it is precisely from this that we grow. We are facing the year 5784. The year 5783 will not return and it is a good thing that we will fast during the Fast of Gedaliah ben Achikam, and we will know that "Gedal-Ya" – God is raising us and "Achi-Kam" – He gives our brothers and us the strength to rise for the year 5784.
Have a good week!
Have an effective fast and Shana Tova!
Rabbi Haggai Lundin
Family and Society There Will Not Be A Civil War!
(Told to the students of the Hesder Yeshiva in Holon)
Peninei Halakha 5. Tzom Gedalia
Chapter 6: The Four Fasts Commemorating the Destruction of the Temple
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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Various Events FOR WHOM NOT TO VOTE
Rav Zvi Yehuda Kook stressed that Israeli politics is G-dly, so I have no problem answering this common question on a Torani blog. Also, Free-Will is a G-d-given right and obligation, to "destine one's fate" (R. Soloveichik, Kol Dodi Dofek, 67), so I obviously don't tell others how to vote. But once not a few (especially young) have already asked, a couple of personal words from experience and thoughts from chazal & Rav Kook which may be of help to others, mainly for whom NOT to vote.
P'ninat Mishpat Fallout from Failure to Install Elevator – part II
based on ruling 85007 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts
