16 Lessons
The Happiness in Purim What Mordechai Discovered When He Returned to Shushan
Scholars of the Bible and Rabbinic writings know that the Scroll of Esther took place at roughly the same time as the beginning of the Book of Ezra...During that period, only a small minority of the Jewish People moved back to the Land: just over 43,000 people. The others did not heed the prophetic call, and preferred to remain with the fleshpots and other enjoyments of the exile... But this raises a well-known question: Why did Mordechai HaYehudi, the great righteous man, remain in Shushan, when he had a chance to return to our Holy Land and rebuild Jerusalem and the Holy Temple? Actually, we read in the Book of Ezra (2,2), that Mordechai was one of the leaders of those who did return to the Land of Israel – which means that he later returned to Shushan! Why did he do this?...
The Happiness in Purim What Mordechai Discovered When He Returned to Shushan
Scholars of the Bible and Rabbinic writings know that the Scroll of Esther took place at roughly the same time as the beginning of the Book of Ezra...During that period, only a small minority of the Jewish People moved back to the Land: just over 43,000 people. The others did not heed the prophetic call, and preferred to remain with the fleshpots and other enjoyments of the exile... But this raises a well-known question: Why did Mordechai HaYehudi, the great righteous man, remain in Shushan, when he had a chance to return to our Holy Land and rebuild Jerusalem and the Holy Temple? Actually, we read in the Book of Ezra (2,2), that Mordechai was one of the leaders of those who did return to the Land of Israel – which means that he later returned to Shushan! Why did he do this?...
The Month of Elul Elul in Our Generation of Redemption
A man once came to his rabbi with a complaint: "Rabbi, I work very hard and make hardly any money." The rabbi said, "I can give you a higher paying job, and it's also very easy work." The man jumped with joy and said, "I'll take it!" The rabbi said, "Great. Take this hammer and swing it up and down, over and over at a set pace, and I'll pay you per hour." The man said, "Sounds both easy and profitable," and immediately got to work....
The Ninth of Av Unleash the Torah's Shackles!
...It is interesting that one particular deficiency humbly hid itself for many generations among the other things we lacked, finding its expression chiefly in allusions of the Sages of the Kabbalah. However, in our times, it appears to be peeking out and budding forth, gradually becoming a bitter, silent, but great cry...
Articles about Hanukkah The 2,200-Years War
The Jewish war against Greek culture continued with its battle against Christianity, which is a blend of Jewish and Greek-Roman ideas, and continues today as well. The leading culture today is Western culture, built on the foundations of Christian culture. And so the points of difference that exist today between Torah and Western culture are also based on the points of struggle between Greek and Jewish philosophy.
The Essence of Yom Kippur The Yom Kippur Time Tunnel
Why is it important that atonement and repentance remain outside the framework of time?And we may be like angels on the Day of Atonement, but the rest of the year, we are simply flesh and blood, so how are our sins of the year atoned for?
Repentance T'shuva - It's Not What You Think
one of the elderly Russian women asked Rav Kook's mother, "Tell me, please: We're on our way to the Holy Land to meet our god, but why would you Jews be going there? Mrs. Kook answered without hesitation: "You're going to visit a dead god, but we're going to meet the living G-d."
Repentance The Teshuva of the Treasury Minister
A short story and explanation of the power of Teshuva to transform sins into merits
Shavuot Time To Stop and Think!
Translated by Hillel Fendel
This mental process of "stopping" in order to undergo the experience in a deep and personal manner, is very important particularly for our generation, immersed as it is in externals and constant racing.
The Seventh Day of Pesach Shhh… It's a Secret (for Now)!
Translated by Hillel Fendel
[There is a] very profound story [that] alludes to a unique aspect of Shivi'i shel Pesah - an aspect that is central and fundamental to the entire process of the Final Redemption. Is concerns the Chabad tradition that the Besht instituted an afternoon meal on this last of Passover, known as the Seudat Mashiah [Feast of the Messiah]...
General Tu B'Shvat - The Power of Longing
Translated by Hillel Fendel
Jonathan Pollard had landed in Israel! First thing he bended down to the ground of the holy Land of Israel – and kissed it. Why was this moment so special?
The Meaning of Hanukkah The Hidden Candle
One year when lighting the first candle of Hanukkah with Rabbi Baruch from Mez'ibose' , the flame jumped and disappeared from the candle, with no signs of smoke. How does the flame, the darkness and the exile connect Hanukkah?