Don’t Make Yourself at Home….
“….And he went down to Egypt and sojourned there with a small number of people ….” (Devarim 26:5) וַיֵּרֶד מִצְרַיְמָה וַיָּגָר שָׁם בִּמְתֵי מְעָט – דברים כו, ה And he went down to Egypt – forced by Divine decree. —Passover Hagaddah If Yaakov’s descent to Egypt was by Divine instruction, why did Yaakov feel forced? Could it be that Yaakov, […]
Holy Matrimony – Parashat Ki Teitzei
“……..When a man takes a wife… “(Devarim 24:1) כי יקח איש אשה ובעלה והיה – דברים כד, א Once the Torah was given, the Jews were commanded that when a man desires to marry a woman, he must acquire her as a wife in the presence of witnesses and only after this does she become his wife. This is stated in […]
Jews and Dues
“….You may offer interest to a gentile, but to your brother you shall not offer interest….” (Devarim 23:21) לנכרי תשיך ולאחיך לא תשיך – דברים כג, כא Offering – and taking – interest from “your brother” is prohibited; from people at large, by contrast, it is permitted. It is a positive mitzvah to lend money to a gentile at interest, […]
The Sound of Simplicity – Month of Elul
The custom in the Rebbe’s home is to sound the shofar for training over the course of this day (the first day of Rosh Chodesh Elul, the 30th of Av), and to begin sounding the shofar after davening (Praying) on the second day of Rosh Chodesh. Why do we have a fixed day of Shofar practice before beginning the official […]
Wake, Search, Return
“…It is customary to sound the Shofar after Shacharis throughout the month of Elul, beginning on Rosh Chodesh…” – Rema, Orach Chaim 581:1 מראש חודש ואילך מתחילין לתקוע אחר התפילה שחרית – רמ”א או”ח תקפ”א, א The Rambam writes that the sounding of the Shofar conveys this message: “Sleepers, be roused, from your sleep! Slumberers, wake from your slumber! Search […]
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