Daf Yomi Shevuot Daf 49

Parashat Hashavua: Did the Sinners from Gaza Convert?

Daf Yomi Sanhedrin Daf 41

Daf Yomi Bava Basra Daf 73

Daf Yomi Bava Basra Daf 26

When Must I Check for Shatnez?

פרק ו משניות ב-ג

כתובות פרק ב משניות א-ב

Orchot Tzaddikim-class 16- -Love- part v- -Hate- part l

"Love & Hate": Love is about "surrender", giving, altruism and self-sacrifice. This has been part of our love affair with Hashem since we started until the present war with Hamas. This includes improving on Lashon HaRa & the other more difficult mitzvot

יבמות ג, ט-י

יבמות ב, ג-ד

חגיגה ג, א-ב

Just Cry For Joy

Courage counts!

Bedeviled by Stirring Events – or Some Insights on the Melacha of Losh

I was recently asked the following question “My daughter was taught that we cannot make deviled eggs on Shabbos because adding mustard and shaping them is considered ‘kneading’ the yolks. But I remember my mother always mixed hard boiled eggs with minced onion and oil on Shabbos morning shortly before the meal. Could my mother have been wrong?”

How to Tell When Your Tefillin Need Adjustment

[Periodically, we re-issue our discussion on the proper position of tefillin shel rosh (last time, seven years ago). Many people do not realize that tefillin extending too far forward is a far more severe problem than being slightly off center. In Living the Halachic Process, I:G-1, we develop the halacha that the end of the tefillin must not go beyond the roots of the hair of the hairline. Upon visiting different shuls, from various elements of society, it pains me to see great numbers of fine Jews who are definitely donning their tefillin wrong and many others about whom it is hard to tell, especially when they have receding hairlines. Since even some talmidei chachamim get it wrong, I assume that knowing how to apply the halacha to one’s head is a big problem. We will focus here on tricks to figure this out.]

Dessert after Birkat Hamazon

Turning Curses into Blessings

Daily Mishna - Shabbat 12-6_13-1

Chazan Having Trouble Taking Three Steps Back

As chazan, I was unable to take three steps back after my silent Shemoneh Esrei because someone was davening close behind me even when the gabbai signaled me to start chazarat hashatz. What should I have done at that point?

Oaths and Vows

Can freedom and order coexist in the human sphere? Can there be a society which is both free and just at the same time?

Assembling Reminders

You are driving ever so slightly above the speed limit. You see a police car in your rear-view mirror. You slow down. That is precisely the psychology behind the mitzvah of tzitzit in this week’s parsha.

Daf Yomi - Yevamot 84

Jews on Cruise: Can One Sail on Shabbat?

Israel, Gentiles, & Gog U'Magog

Rav Zalman Baruch Melamed explains the relationship between Jews and Gentiles in the era of Mashiach and Gog U'Magog.

Daily Mishna - Berachot 3, 6 - 4, 1

Daily Mishna - Berachot 3, 2-3

Daily Mishna - Berachot 1,5 - 2-1

How I Became an Ambassador for Israel

In Egypt the Jewish People didn't change their names, their dress, or their language. They were a very conspicuous minority. As we began - so we continue...

Men Lighting Early in Yerushalayim

Should single men in Yerushalayim light 40 minutes before sunset like women do?

3. The Sephardic Custom

Chapter 12: Lighting the Hanuka Candles

According to Sephardic tradition, the main way of beautifying the mitzva is to light the number of candles that corresponds to the current day of Ĥanuka.

12. Going on Trips and Visiting the Western Wall

Chapter 10: The Laws of Tisha Be-Av

It is clear that one should not refrain from going to the Kotel (the Western Wall) out of concern that he might meet friends there and become happy.

4. The Transition from Shabbat to Tisha Be-Av when it Begins on Motza’ei Shabbat

Chapter 9: The Eve of Tisha Be-Av

The rule is that we do not mourn on Shabbat. Therefore, even if the ninth of Av falls out on Shabbat, we postpone the fast to Sunday. Since there is no mourning on Shabbat, we behave as usual.

2. Dancing and Music

Chapter 8: The Customs of the Three Weeks

The Aĥaronim write that it is forbidden to hold dances from 17 Tamuz through 9 Av. This prohibition includes playing and listening to instrumental music.

10. The Aneinu Prayer

Chapter 7: The Minor Fasts

The Sages prescribed the addition of a special berakha during the ĥazan’s repetition of the Amida on fast days.

6. Reciting Hallel

Chapter 4: Yom Ha-atzma’ut

It is a mitzva to recite Hallel on special occasions, in order to thank and praise God for the miracles He performs on our behalf.

4. The Three Oaths

Chapter 4: Yom Ha-atzma’ut

The verse states: “I adjure you, O maidens of Jerusalem, by gazelles or by hinds of the field: Do not wake or rouse love until it please!” ). The Sages explain that God administered three oaths: two to Israel – not to ascend to their land forcefully all together and not to rebel against the nations – and one to the gentiles – not to subjugate the Jews excessively.

Returning to the Land

The Sukkot holiday is full of mitzvot (good deeds), including the mitzvah of the lulav, the four species. Our Sages say that the four species are similar to weapons - the lulav is similar to a sword, or perhaps a rifle, the etrog maybe to a grenade. In any event, the Sages intend to tell us that there are spiritual wars and there are physical wars, and Man in this world must confront various pests and ward them off.

Hashem, Our Protector

Parashat Ha’azinu comes out a couple of days before Sukkot, and it is instructive to look for themes that are common to the two.

Conflict Resolution

One of the hardest tasks of any leader – from Prime Ministers to parents – is conflict resolution. Yet it is also the most vital. Where there is leadership, there is long-term cohesiveness within the group, whatever the short-term problems.

On Becoming a Prophet

We certainly live in dangerous and uncertain times. There is no question that previous certainties in life and society, that we once took for granted and assumed would always be part of our daily existence, have now been called into great question and clouded with doubt.

Balak - A Mouse Hole

The Talmud comments it is not the mouse that is a thief, but, rather, it is the hole in the wall that allows the mouse entry into the house that is the culprit. the villain in this week's Torah reading is Bilaam, yet, it is Balak who initiates the entire scenario.

After Corona

I certainly feel it is safe to say that for most of Israel and its citizens, the year of Corona has passed. However, we are all aware that the year of Corona has left indelible scars on the population of our country.

A Berdichever First Impression

When Reb Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev became the Rav of the well-established community in Berditchev and how he made his first impression as someone extremely and incredibly special.

At this Point, the Son Asks

So why did Hashem liberate them? The answer is: because they were his sons; children are treated differently. They are always excellent, charming, beloved, and sweet. Hashem always treats them “like a father who has mercy on his children,” as they are the “apple of his eye.”

Why Not Move the Aron? “Hineni”

We will try to look at yet another aspect of our great regard for the aron (ark) and its powerful religious significance.

Women as Leaders

Daf Yomi - Pesachim 37

Heart To Heart

The language that needs no translation.

Mayor May Not

At the Shabbat Table

The cleaning lady who became the mayor of the town.

When does Mincha Start?

Who Were the Tower Builders? – part II

Trapping and Releasing on Shabbat

A couple of weeks ago, we saw a mouse in the house and put out a cage trap. A mouse was trapped last Shabbat. Because we felt bad for the mouse, we took it (on Shabbat) to an isolated area and let it out. Did we violate anything by trapping the mouse on Shabbat, or by letting it out (like some melachot that come in pairs, like tying and untying)? Was the cage muktzeh and, if yes, did tza’ar ba’alei chayim justify taking it out?

Sharp Memory

At the Shabbat Table

At the Shabbat Table

What is the Significance of the "Sheva Minim" - the 7 Species?

Loneliness and Faith

Alone Together

How to Time Vatikin?

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?

Why Did the Rabbis Add So Many Mitzvot?

Appreciating the Minutiae and Ideals of Rabbinic Mitzvot

Rav Kook deals with the classic questions asked by any thinking practicing Jew: Why did the rabbis institute so many additional rabbinic laws, which pre-occupy us day and night? Did the Torah not command us enough obligations and restrictions?! In this famous article from Orot called "Chacham Adif miNavi", Rav Kook suggests a totally innovative approach to appreciating the minutiae and ideals of Rabbinic Mitzvot, enlightening and motivating us in their observance.

When May I Ask a Non-Jew for Help on Shabbos?

The Hatred of Those Who Did Not Get a Potential Gift

condensed from Ein Ayah, Shabbat 9:121

condensed from Ein Ayah, Shabbat 9:121

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?

Take a Bow

Understanding the Shalom Zachor

Natural Preparation to Do

Adapted from Ein Ayah, Shabbat 9:76

Adapted from Ein Ayah, Shabbat 9:76

Toveling which Utensil First

I made a beracha before toveling several utensils, primarily glass, which I started with. Then I noticed that one of the utensils was metal. Since toveling metal is a Torah obligation and for glass it is Rabbinic, could the beracha on the glass utensil count for metal? Should I have made another beracha on the metal utensil?

Taking Care of the Ill -- The Mitzvah of Bikur Cholim

Losing Miriam

Chukat 5779

Chukat 5779

Taking Care of the Ill -- The Mitzvah of Bikur Cholim

Indigestible Matzos, or Performing Mitzvos When Suffering from Food Allergies

The Type to Understand the Land

Condensed from Ein Ayah, Shabbat 9:9

What does it mean, “…that the first ones gave the boundaries” (Devarim 19:14)? Rav Shmuel bar Nachmani said: That which it says, “These are the sons of Se’ir the Chorite, the settlers of the land” – does it mean that others sit in the sky?! Rather it means that they were experts in settling the land, for they would say that the place where this measuring stick is found is good for an olive tree; the place of this stick is for grapes; the place of this stick is for a fig tree.

The Pursuit of Meaning

Vayikra 5779

Vayikra 5779

When May I Remove a Tree?

Part I

Part I

10 trials of Avraham Avinu and 10 trials in the desert

Being Above, Not Below

We have discussed in the past Bnei Yisrael’s relationship with the nation of Edom. Now we will take a look at Moav’s relationship with Edom, as portrayed by Amos: “For the three sins of Moav, and for the fourth I will not let them be – on the fact that they burned the bones of the King of Edom into lime” (Amos 2:1).

Why is Hafrashat Challah So Important

Why drink four glasses of wine? Are we sots?

Limiting Adornment

What is a “city of gold” (an ornament that it is forbidden to wear on Shabbat)? It is a golden ornament representing Yerushalayim, like the one Rabbi Akiva made for his wife.

Why Isaac? Why Jacob?

Unfulfilled Raffle Prize – part I

The plaintiff (=pl) spent 2,050 shekels on raffle tickets sold by an institution (=def); the first prize was a furnished four-room apartment. The drawing was held in Feb. 2012, and pl won the first prize and was supposed to receive the apartment within six months. However, the apartment was part of a property owned jointly by def and Reuven. They needed to have a redrawing of the property approved and then build an extra room. Due to a dispute between def and Reuven regarding stairs leading to the apartment, municipal permission def received was not usable, and as of 2015, the apartment is still not completed or transferred to pl’s name. Pl demands that def should transfer ownership to him and either build another room and provide furniture or pay their costs. Def responds that they are bound only to the raffle’s takanon (regulations), written before the drawing. Accordingly, if they are unable to complete building the apartment, they need to pay the raffle winner the amount of money they spent on the apartment or perhaps sell their portion of the property and give pl the proceeds after subtracting expenses.

The Borders: How Much is Ours

(Daf Yomi- bava kama 58 (5776

Tefillin in Pre-Dawn Hours

work at a hospital and, some days, I am unable to wear tefillin during the day, but only pre-dawn. May I then put on tefillin before its regular time? [Our staff knows the querier.]

The Jewish Thanksgiving

Remembering Amalek – When?

The Test Of Time

The Many Advantages in Not Knowing When We Will Die

Ein Aya Shabat Chapter B Paragraph 53 (p1)

G-d reveals what knowledge is detrimental morally, practically, psychologically, socially and economically.

Rosh Hashana - How Are We Different?

Semicha and Sanhedrin in the 19th - 21st Century

The Laws of Bar Metzra on Seats in Shul

Daf Yomi- Nedarim61

Why don’t we always appreciate G-d’s kindness?

Koshering the Kitchen-Part One

Chapter Eleven-Part One

Countertops The Sink Grates, Burners, and Stovetops Ovens

Attempt to Limit the Duration of a Rabbi’s Contract

Daf Yomi- Ketubot 107

Birkot HaShachar – The Morning Blessings

Chapter nine-part one

Chapter nine-part one

Do People Live in the Zoo?

A special shiur for shabat Beshalach about Eruv laws

Shabbat – Feeding the Internal to the External

Declare That You Are Not Ungrateful

The Kashrus of Raisin Juice and Wine

How can two kosher, pareve ingredients combine to become a product that can become non-kosher? A non-Jewish friend of mine makes her own raisin wine. Is this a kashrus issue like grape wine, or is it like cherry wine, which is usually kosher?

Daf Yomi - Megilah 31

Prayer for Redemption and Blessings for Mashiach

Special prayer to hasten our final redemption attributed to the Ramchal. Which blessings will we say when the Messiah comes?

Women in Synagogue

Keeping Kosher - Eating Out

The Impact of the Characteristic

HaRav Abba Berman zt”l, an appreciation

Rav Abba Berman once explained that superficial learning is like watching the hands of a clock move around its dial. In-depth learning, which he felt is the goal of all learning, is like “opening the back of the watch to see what makes it tick.”

Rising to the Occasion

Hirsch At Your Table

A brief Dvar Torah on the Parsha, based on R. Samson Raphael Hirsch’s Torah Commentary

An Unavoidable Cancellation

Rav Lazer Shach – the Transmitter of Mesorah

The Importance of Valuing Torah Teachers

Tasting Non-Kosher Wine

May I Daven in English?

People, who cannot read Hebrew at all, have no choice but to pray in the language that they can read and understand. However, anyone who can should accept the challenge of studying the prayers a bit at a time, gradually thereby developing both fluency and comprehension

The Focus of Discussions at the Seder

Writing on Shabbat

May I write my initials on a frosty window on Shabbos?, May I communicate with someone on Shabbos by making the motions of writing the letters?

“Economic Difficulty”- the Most Common Excuse for Not Making Aliya

Part I

In many cases, Aliya to Israel involves lowering the standard of living. How much does one need to lower their standard of living in order to fulfill the commandment of living in Israel?

Blessed Name of Hashem

The Wisdom of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein (4) - Vayechi

The Wisdom of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein (4) - Vayechi

Daf Yomi - Shabbos 2

Daf Yomi - Shabbos 133

Daf Yomi - Shabbos 135

Daf Yomi - Shabbos 137

Choose Life

Torah of life

Chaim in the Garden(4)

Chaim in the Garden(4)

The Importance and Limitations of Independence

Unsigned Estimates for a Contractor

part I

part I

Ki Tavo

Nothing for Naught - Including Nun

Who Can Sequester Property?

OOPS

A Claim for Severance Pay After Many Years

Finally, an understanding of Gneizah

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

The Torah’s Instructions to Non-Jews—The Laws of Bnei Noach

The 7 Noahide Laws, Non-Jews and everything in between.

Ki Tavo

Daf Yomi - Shvuos 5

Rationale for Mitzvot

Tachash Skins in the Tabernacle

Trust in God vs. Self-Reliance

Daf Yomi - Bava batra 40

"Ushemartem et HaMatzot" - The Laws of Baking Matzot

Is an “Outposts Agreement” Permissible?

Forfeitures based on practical considerations are not new to the Land of Israel. Those who today take an active role in reaching such agreements are not the first to be offered such an option. Let us not to be swept into the whirlpool of practicality.

To the Desert Once Again

Four Who Are One

Cleanliness Is Next to G-dliness

This Is the Way We Wash Our Hands

Hand washing - How, When and Why? With or Without a Bracha? All the Halachot...

When a Couple Both Want the House After Divorce

A couple who are divorcing own two apartments, which are both registered in the Land Registry as jointly owned. Each wants to live in the nicer one, in which they now live.

Letdowns after Triumphs

Pre-Chanuka Thoughts

The rise of The Saducees, eventually encouraged by Alexander Yanai, the most powerful of the Hasmonean kings, undermined the peoples’ faith in Torah and rabbinic tradition. So why is there such a big deal over the matter of Chanuka?

Parashat Lech Lecha

The Formula: Prayer + Patience

Daf yomi: Kesuvos (32)

The Power of Tefilla

Prozbul

Many Halves Make One Whole

We have seen over the last two weeks that it was important that the donations to the Beit Hamikdash be brought voluntarily, and not out of coercion. Yet, in the beginning of this week’s parasha, we find a donation that everyone is required to take part in.

Long Path for Close Nation

Great rabbis have said that “ki karov hu” refers to the fact that Hashem is close to us, not the path. Even during difficult national times, let us remember that events that seem to be to our detriment can really be for our benefit.

Parashat Bereshit

Prayer During the Ten Days of Repentance

Some people have certain prayer customs on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur which are not accurate according to Jewish law. All the same, a person should not hastily renounce a custom which has be handed down from generation to generation.

When an Enemy Turns Into a Brother

An Individual Who is a Community

The mishkan (Sanctuary) gave an opportunity for the public “display” of the Divine Presence.

Seventy Points of View

Parashat Beha'alotcha

Parashat Beha'alotcha

An Active Spectator

Parashat Bo

Parashat Bo

Growing Wiser With Age

Parashat Vayigash

Parashat Vayigash

You Are a Prince of G-d in our Midst

Parashat Chayei Sara

Parashat Chayei Sara

Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda Kook - A Biographical Overview

Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda Kook served as Head of the Merkaz HaRav Yeshiva for thirty years. During these years, an entire generation of students was nurtured upon a philosophy which combined the Torah of Israel, the nation of Israel, and the land of Israel.

41. Torah and Secular Disciplines

The Rabbi describes the breadth of wisdom possessed by Israel, particularly the Sages of Israel. The Sages had to be versed in all of the world's sciences, for all of these disciplines are needed for a proper understanding of the Torah's commandments.

A Strange Replacement

Parashat Ki Tisa

Parashat Ki Tisa

A Happy, Human Heart

Parashat Tetzave

Parashat Tetzave

Stipulations Upon the Words of Torah

According to the laws of inheritance, when a person expires, his children inherit his assets, and the firstborn receives a double portion. But what if the heir proclaims, "My firstborn shall not receive double," or, "My son shall not inherit me"?

Spiritual Sensitivity and Susceptibility

Parashat Metzora

Parashat Metzora

Where “Lech Lecha” Meets Vayera

Parashat Vayera

Parashat Vayera

The War of the Kings and its Significance

Parashat Lech Lecha

This week’s Torah portion describes at great length the war between the four and five kings, detailing their names and lands. Yet, what is so important about this particular battle that caused the Torah to describe it in such detail?

Time to Leave the Ark

Parashat Noach

Noach leaves his home and enters the ark only after the floodwaters are lapping at his door; Only after G-d directly orders him to do so, does Noah go. Was this proper behavior?; “Tzai min hateiva!”.

An Introduction to Jewish Faith Studies

In prior generations, Yeshiva study placed greatest emphasis upon the study of Talmud. We, though, the students of Rabbi A.I. Kook, follow in the ways of our master who called for greater weight to be placed upon faith-oriented studies in our age.

Human Effort

Parashat Tazri'a

Parashat Tazri'a

"Yom HaZikaron" - A Personal Note

"Despite the great differences between us - you, workers on Kibbutz Zikim; I, a student at Yeshivat Mercaz HaRav in Jerusalem - and without hiding or overlooking our differences, it seems to me that there is much more uniting us than separating us."

6. "Zerizut" - Its Practical Application

Part six of "Pathways in Character Development" Every mitzvah which presents itself must be carried out immediately. "When a mitzvah presents itself," say the sages, "don't put it off."

The Commandment to Settle the Land of Israel

Part 2

Part 2

Independence Day, Jerusalem Day, and Sefirat HaOmer

1. The Omer, Joy or Judgment? 2. Redefining 'Din' 3. The Passivity of Passover 4. The Activity of The Omer 5. Modern Israel and Sefirat HaOmer