Two Names - Yaakov and Yisrael (Jacob and Israel)

The 4 Who Never Sinned

Rav Kook explains the Initial - Inevitable Flawlessness of Israel .

Rav Kook's innovative explanation of this puzzling gemara/midrash reveals new light on why these 4 character's never made any mistake, and just "died because of the sin of the snake, Adam & Eve. Rav Kook deals with the difference between the 1st line of heroes who all sinned, and those before and after them, who didn't. This classic class deals with leadership, as well as how the sources claim that Israel if flawless, even though we see our shortcomings! (Ayn Aya Shabbat v, 40)

Second Zachor Readings

Netilat Yadayim in the Morning

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

A Tale of Four Cities

Why is the night of Shavuot called "Tikun Leil Shavuot?"

For Shavuot: "Rav Kook on The Necessity for Humility to Learn Torah"

Humility is always important but Rav Kook stresses here and proves it's essential necessity for Torah study.

Mechirat Chametz and Tevillat Keilim

The Uniqueness of the Jewish People

It is one of the principles of our faith that we must know and believe that the Nation of Israel is a nation of segula, a treasured people of a special nature. Another article of faith is that we must know that Israel is separate from others, different in its essence from all other peoples on the face of the earth.

Kiddush Levanah

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?

Bring On The Blessing

A Story of Commitment, Faith and Unexpected Reward will Inspire You to Bring Blessing into Your Own Life through the Power of Bentching.

Forgiveness

A Must Watch Story Before Yom Kippur about how forgiveness brings Hasem to forgive us.

When Faith is Tested

The loss of tzaddikim has an effect on the world. "Save, O Lord - for the pious are gone; for the faithful have vanished from among men" (Psalms 12,2). That is to say, when a righteous man passes away, the world suffers a loss of emuna and trust. Emuna diminishes because tzaddikim help ensure that it remains strong, and when they leave, it becomes weaker. Rav Tzvi Yehuda was a great man of emuna, and his loss left a great vacuum of emuna in the world.

Will You Throw Away Your Mask This Purim?

Sometimes rather than endangering lives, throwing away your mask can save lives. A message for Purim.

What Is Emuna & How To Get It

Translated by Hillel Fendel

Translated by Hillel Fendel

Why Pray?

How can a Jew pray three times a day with almost exactly the same words? What if I don't WANT to pray? Am I supposed to open my heart with a can opener? Am I some kind of robot? Watch this video to find out the answer.

Be Thyself

How To Be Blessed With Abundance

Israel National Torah

An explanation of the special Brakha given to the descendants of Joseph in their tribal territory in the Land of Israel - and how we too can receive that blessing even today.

Salad at Meat and Milk Meals

Sometimes I serve the same salad at a fleishig meal and again at a milchig meal. My daughter told me that her friend’s family does not do that. Is it okay?

The Kedusha of Am Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael

What is the definition of "Kedusha" in general, and in particular, how should we understand the holiness of the Jewish Nation and the Land of Israel? Is kedusha (translated: holiness) essentially inherent, or is it acquired through Torah and mitzvot? Rav Kook's harmonic approach, based upon Tanachic and rabbinic sources, helps us make sense of these most basic issues.

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?

The Story We Tell About Ourselves

Hot Ice Cream - Leadership 4

What happens when your biggest competition is about to incur a lot of losses? Are you happy or do you help? Watch this incredible story of how a company reacted to its competition's crisis.

Response Ability - Leadership 3

Mrs. Eva Neuman showed incredible inner strength on the death march in 1944 teaching us an invaluable lesson in leadership and responsibility.

The Missing Yarmulka - Leadership 2

When Boruch before going to his first interview was asked to take off his yarmulka and fit in. As a result of this story, he learned a very valuable lesson about leadership.

Understanding the Shalom Zachor

Excluding a Son from Inheritance

Are there sins that would cause a son to automatically lose his share? If a father is angry at a son, is he allowed to use a device to disinherit him?

Tefillin Retzuos, Maintenance, and Purchasing Instructions

Davening for Rain in the Southern Hemisphere

Part 2

Part 2

A Tale of Four Islands

The Halachos of Pidyon Haben

About the Kushite Woman

The Torah states that Aharon and Miriam’s negative speech about Moshe had to with the isha kushit (simple translation being, the Kushite woman) that he took (Bamidbar 12:1-3). Several years ago, we discussed the opinions in Chazal that there was nothing derogatory about her being a Kushite, and actually to the contrary. However, there are some Rishonim who see in this matter a point of contention against Moshe and his wife, who left her father’s home to follow Moshe into the desert.

For What May I Pray?

Salting on Shabbos

Melacha for the Mishkan on Shabbat?

Our parasha begins with the laws of Shabbat (Shmot 35:1-3) before beginning the description of the actual building of the Mishkan. We also find that in the previous parasha, Ki Tisa, there is mention of the mitzva of Shabbat. “Hashem said to Moshe, speak to Bnei Yisrael: You shall nevertheless keep my Shabbatot, for it is a sign between Me and you…” (Shemot 31:12-13).

Poetic Controversies

The Book of the Covenant

To Drink or Not to Drink?

A Halachic Analysis of Getting Drunk on Purim

Double Wrapping Food in a Treif Oven

I know that sometimes when warming something in a not kosher oven or a milchig food in a fleishig oven, he double wraps the food. When is this necessary and why?

How Many Eggs Should be Boiled Together?

When making hardboiled eggs, may one cook one or two eggs or must there be at least three? Also, does it make a difference if there is an even or odd number

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.]

Automatic Payment on Shabbat or Yom Tov

Days on Which Tachanun Is Not Recited

Chapter Twenty One-Part Three

Chapter Twenty One-Part Three

Mentioning Rain and Praying for It

Chapter Eighteen-Part Two

Chapter Eighteen-Part Two

Birkot HaShachar – The Morning Blessings

Chapter nine-part one

Chapter nine-part one

Ruach Ra’ah

Chapter eight-part two

Chapter eight-part two

The Language of Prayer

Chapter one- part four

Chapter one- part four

The Kavanah in the prayer

Chapter one- part three

What should I do if I can't concentrate at the prayer?

Historical View of Rav Mordechai Yaakov Breish (Chelkat Yaakov)

At What Age Should One Marry in Our Times

Torah studies and acquiring a profession take longer, so how does this affect the obligation to get married by a certain age? What about postponing having a family after marriage?

The Sin of the Spies - Today

The Land of Israel (Eretz Yisrael) is not the problem of Jewish existence – the Land of Israel is the solution.

The Israeli Flag

Making Up a Tefilla With No Net Gain

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 Torah is for all

It does recognize that there are different personality needs and differing societal mores. But the Torah was always the same Torah for all Jews. What was expressly forbidden in the Torah was forbidden to all and what was permitted was also permitted to all.

A Layman's Guide to some Halachic Aspects

What do I need to bring to a wedding? Who escorts the bride and groom down the isle? Finally, a short step by step birds eye view of the Jewish wedding.

Does a Shofar need a Hechsher?

An in-depth review of what makes a Shofar kosher and how to buy the right one.

Adjusting to the Students’ Training

Rav Kooks View of the New Middle East and the True Way to World and Family Peace

Ein Aya Shabat Chapter A Paragraph 13 Part I

Ein Aya Shabat Chapter A Paragraph 13 Part I

Expert Witnesses

part II

part II

seudat hodaya

Journey of Life

Exaggeration in Dreams

The Laws of Tumas Meis

When the Beis Hamikdash is rebuilt, bimheirah beyameinu, the laws of tumah will affect us all, since we will be required to be tahor in order to enter the Beis Hamikdash, to eat korbanos and maaser sheini, and in order to separate challah and terumah.

United by the Moon

The Great Cottage Cheese Controversy

My friend Yaakov* often travels in places where there are no kosher products available, and he has amassed a list of items that he can eat and drink wherever he finds himself. He told me that someone once told him that when traveling he may eat cottage cheese without any hechsher. What is the rationale for this psak?

Crock pot use on Shabbat

Levels of Faith

The pegs holding down the covering of the Mishkan teach us an important lesson it the levels of faith we should expect our children to gain.

The Joy of Children

Moshe's will to take the youth with him to serve Hashem comes from the will to have the happiness and joy of children with them on the holiday.

The Significance of Tachanun

Although the importance of the tefillah of Tachanun is underappreciated by many, it should not be; it is actually based on Moshe Rabbeinu’s successful entreating of Hashem on Har Sinai to spare Klal Yisrael from punishment after their grievous sins: “Va’esnapel lifnai Hashem (Devarim 9:18, 25) - And I threw myself down in prayer before G-d,” (Tur, Orach Chayim 131).

Daf Yomi - Bechorot 58

“We” Go Up

Daf Yomi - Erchin 11

Daf Yomi - Erchin 25

Daf Yomi - Bechorot 27

Parashat Vayishlach - Q & A

Parsha and Rashi Q & A for the Shabbos Table.

Daf Yomi - Bechorot 6

Daf Yomi - Bechorot 7

The Moon

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.

Daf Yomi - Chullin 88

Dealing with Tzara’at

An Appeal Ruling

Collecting from an Improperly Written Ketuba

OOPS

Conditions on a Get After it Was Given to an Agent

Pekudei

Olive Oil Concerns

All you wanted to know about Olive Oil and its Kashrut considerations.

Daf Yomi - Zvachim 71

Daf Yomi - Zvachim 26

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

Thought-Altering Actions

Daf Yomi - Maccos 23

Shlach

Daf Yomi - Sanhedrin 97

The Lesson of Mount Sinai

How Does a Heter Iska Work?

What is the prohibition of "Ribbit"? who does it apply on? How does the "Heter Iska" bypass the prohibition? and more...

B’har- B’chukotal

The Death of a Tzaddik

Seeing Sound

Jacob Did Not Die

Jacob Arrived Whole

Relationships during the Time of Engagement

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?

Conflicting Chillul and Kiddush Hashem

Interrogation of Witnesses

part I

part I

Vayetzel

Who is Obliged, and Who is Exempt from Chanukah Candles

Fulfilling the Mitzvah in the following cases, according to the Sephardic and Ashkenazi customs: lighting in the Synagogue, travelers, women, single and married children living at home and away from home, Yeshiva students, soldiers, roommates, mourners, and blind persons.

Haazinu

Fear of Sin in a Life of Activity

Daf Yomi - Bava metzia 116

The Mitzvah of “Duchening” - Birchas Kohanim

The basic Halachot of Duchening, taking off shoes and washing hands, Why Is This Mitzvah Called Duchening? The connection between Duchening and dreams...

Some Halachic Ramifications of Wills

Some Halachic Ramifications of Wills. Should a Jew write a will? Is a typical will valid in Halacha? and more...

Daf Yomi - Baba Metzia 113

No free lunch

Dvarim – Chazon

Daf Yomi - Baba Metzia 89

Daf Yomi - Baba Metzia 85

Daf Yomi - Baba Metzia 83

Universal Improvement at the Time of Mashiach

Responsibility for Giving Advice

The plaintiff (=pl) stopped renovating his home due to dissatisfaction with his contractor. The defendant (=def) introduced pl to Reuven (=Reu), whom he recommended to finish the job. Reu gave an estimate of 90,000 shekels; he ended up charging 124,000 shekels. Pl sued Reu in beit din for overcharging, but Reu won. Now, pl is suing def in a different beit din for giving damaging advice. He adds that def indicated he would negotiate Reu down from the 90,000 shekels. Not only did he not do that, but the price became even higher because pl relied on def to handle the issues. Def responded that the first beit din already rejected the claim of overpricing. He denies promising to handle monetary issues and admits only to recommending and introducing.

Jewish fear of Jewish independence

The Halachot of Pidyon Haben

Halachot of Pidyon Haben. The time of the Pidyon, Cesarean births, can you give the Cohen a check? can a Cohen return the money? and more...

Daf Yomi - Baba Metzia (22)

Daf Yomi - Baba Metzia (16)

FOUR

Parashat Vayakhel-Pekudei

Vayakhel – Pekudel

Unexpected Changes

Hatzalah and Radios

May one carry a Shabbat Radio on Shabbat when no emergency exists in order to be available if one does? The differences between kli she'me'lachto l'heter and kli she'me'lachto l'issur. Carrying the radio on shabbat where there is no Eruv.

Reciting Brachos in the Presence of Unpleasant Odors

Reciting Brachot, Benching and learning Torah in the Presence of Unpleasant Odors. May one wash for bread in a public restroom? Can one discuss Torah while walking through city streets where there are dumpsters or dog droppings? What if one cannot smell? and more.

Finding a Good Wife

Chanukah – An Illuminating Faith

The Chanukah candles teach us that Jewish faith does not lose its strength. To the contrary, despite the hardships and darkness, faith persists, and even blossoms. The refined spirituality that is revealed through the Torah is eternal, and it grows.

The Halacha and History of the Gid Hanosheh

The mitzvah of gid hanosheh forbids us from eating the sciatic nerve, a sinew that runs from the lower back over the top of the hip and down the leg. Another Mitzvah is not eating the Cheylev, some fats in an animal.

The Rights of a Copyright Holder

What is the halachic background to copyright law? Does the Torah have a concept of intellectual property rights, meaning that someone who creates or invents an item is owner of his invention? May a rav prevent people from taping his shiur? May one copy computer software or music disks?

Are We Permitted to Enjoy this World?

I recline in an armchair in the lobby of the hotel and look over the menu. After the crazy day I've had, I deserve to relax and enjoy a good meal. Suddenly, I am menaced by a disturbing thought: Am I really permitted to enjoy myself in this world?

Flying High - A Traveler’s Guide to Channukah

What does one do about Channukah candles in a hotel, while traveling and in other complicated circumstances?

Study House of Shem & Ever in a world of Lavan

The Ten Tribes Beyond the Sambatyon

The road from Babylon to the Land of Israel passes through Syria, and many of the returning exiles got stuck there, beyond the Sambatyon River. Though largely unobservant, they were protected from assimilation by the observance of the Sabbath.

The Absolute and the Conditional

Although Mishpatim follows Yitro, the two parshiyot are very different in nature.

The Laws Relating to Converts

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.

A Woman's Obligation to Pray

According to most authorities, women are no less obligated to pray than men. Therefore, they must pray “Amida” in the morning and the afternoon (“Shacharit” and “Mincha”). The evening Amida prayer (“Maariv”), on the other hand, is voluntary.

Acceptance of the Oral Tradition

The Sages say that the Almighty suspended Mount Sinai above the Israelites like an inverted cask and said, “If you accept the Torah, fine; if not, here will be your grave.” Why did God have to coerce the Children of Israel into receiving the Torah?

The Laws of Modesty

The trait of modesty, so imbedded in the Nation of Israel, has served as the foundation for all the giant spiritual advances achieved by the Jews throughout history. This is why the Torah laid so strong an emphasis on maintaining modesty and sanctity.

Jacob the Patriarch and the Succot Festival

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.

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.

And His Land Will Atone for His People

Parashat Ha'azinu

burial in the land of Israel is equivalent to burial under the altar; The first to insist on burial in the Land of Israel was our forefather, Jacob; Anyone who lives in Eretz Israel, and dies there, is destined to inherit the world to come

Concerning the "Revadim" Approach

What is known as the "Revadim" approach to Talmud study developed and was nurtured via methods of reasoning which originate in the academic world. The university, though, is a place for the development of empirical, human wisdom, not Torah wisdom.

Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk: The Pioneering Rebbe

It would appear that his thirst for closeness to God, and his great longing for the Holy Land - the land wherein the Divine Presence rests - shook his inner being so strongly that no worldly enjoyment could compare to living in the land of Israel.

The Crowns of Jerusalem

Jerusalem’s eminence stems from its being the city of the Holy Temple, the home of the kingdom of Israel, and the Torah center of the world. In liberating Jerusalem we merited advancing toward the full revelation of the greatness of the Holy City.

"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."

The Maharal of Prague: An Introduction

We might very well credit Rabbi Yehudah Liva, the legendary "Maharal of Prague," with being the first to "open the gate" and provide us with a truly penetrating look at the essence of the Sages' homiletical teachings on the Torah - the "Midrash."

Tension in the Persian Gulf

I prefer to look for the positive side of this atmosphere of tension which is overtaking the public; for, every circumstance in the world contains an essentially positive aspect by virtue of which it is granted existence.

Dates, Pomegranates, and Eretz Yisrael

Whatever becomes the property of the Jewish people, even if it starts out on a material level, is eventually elevated to a spiritual one. The bond between the Jewish people and the land of Israel inevitably leads to great spiritual refinement.

Parashat Vayetze

Ya'akov's Home

1. The Gate 2. Boundless Bounty 3. Drawn to Ya'akov's Home 4. Reflecting on the Present 5. Laying the Groundwork

Parshat Emor

What's in a Word?

1. Pure Words 2. Short But Sweet 3. Caution: Words Ahead 4. An Anecdote 5. King Finds Middle Ground

A Jewish Approach to Discipline in the Classroom

1. A Hands-On Approach 2. The Role of Trust and Love 3. Factoring In Personality 4. Student Character Types 5. Identifying the Causes

The Commandment to Settle the Land of Israel

Part 1

Part 1

The Prohibition of Relinquishing Land to Enemies

Part 3

Part 3