It is interesting to contrast the Chinukh’s description of terumah , the first gift taken from one’s produce, given to a kohein , with his description of ma’aser rishon , the tenth given to the levi’im . Read More »
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The Call of the Chatzotzros
כל הכלים שעשה משה כשרים לו וכשרים לדורות, חצוצרות ־ כשרות לו ופסולות לדורות. All the vessels that Moshe made were valid for him and valid for future generations, trumpets) which were valid for him but invalid for future generations. Read More »
Balancing Community and Authenticity
This post, like the one I blogged last week , reflects a conversation with R’ Rich Wolpoe and R’ Ben Hecht on NishmaBlog and email, on the topic of R’ Nathan Lopez Cardozo’s “On the Nature and Future of Halakha in Relation to Autonomous Religiosity “. Read More »
Book Announcement: Every Day, Holy Day
Now available. Alan’s newest book! (assisted by Rabbi Micha Berger) “You shall be holy,” teaches the Torah, and the masters of Mussar have always taken that command very seriously. Read More »
Balancing Simplicity and Authenticity
T his post is in response to R’ Nathan Lopez Cordozo’s “On the Nature and Future of Halakha in Relation to Autonomous Religiosity ” on the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals web site. First to quote some points with which I firmly agree: I teach Jewish Philosophy. Read More »
Halakhah leMosheh miSinai
מעשה ברבי ישבב שעמד והחליק את כל נכסיו לעניים. שלח לו ר”
Modes of Prayer
In an earlier entry, Prayers and Requests , I wrote: Yaaqov avinu lying on his deathbed, tells his son Yoseif: וַֽאֲנִ֞י נָתַ֧תִּֽי לְךָ֛ שְׁכֶ֥ם אַחַ֖ד עַל־אַחֶ֑יךָ אֲשֶׁ֤ר Read More »
Qorach’s Heart
The title verse of this week’s parashah reads “ויקח קרח” (Bamidbar 16: 39 ). The simple translation would be “And Qorach took”. However, the Midrash Rabbah takes it slightly differently, using an equally valid if less obvious translation. “‘And he took Qorach’ — meaning, his heart took him. Read More »
How Does Prayer Influence?
As a memorial to R’ Mordechai Eliyahu zt”l , here is a translation of the introduction to his siddur , “Sefatei Tiftach”: How Does Prayer Influence? One must read well the verses that speak about the creation of man in order to understand Read More »
The Time of the Ivrim
Note this map of Israel, as it was divided into the territories for the various shevatim : The Tribes of Israel There are two things odd about the south-west corner of the map. First, the Gaza Strip is not included, and second, the tribe of Shim’on lives in an island within Yehudah’s land. These two are connected. Read More »
The Pashkevil To End All Pashkevilin
R’ Yaakov Haber put this up at his blog , and I think it SO warrants further distribution, I’m mentioning it here. To quote: … veryday there were posters about how, in the opinion of the poster maker, various rabbis, organizations or publications, created existential threats to the Jewish community. Read More »
Two Ideals
(Split off from last week’s post “Shavuos Reading ” because I thought of a number of points I wanted to add.) Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, in the Naso 5770 issue of his weekly Parashah Sheet “Covenant and Conversation ” discusses what appears to be a contradiction in the Rambam. Read More »
Shavuos Reading
I just wanted to share some of what I came across this Shavuos… 1- From YU’s “Shavuos-to-Go”, R’ Mordechai Torczyner writes about the connection between Shavuos and chessed . Often cited is the idea that Rus, a book about chessed , is read on Shavuos to highlight this connection. Read More »
Yom Yerushalayim
“זְכֹ֤ר ה’֨ ׀ לִבְנֵ֬י אֱד֗וֹם אֵת֮ י֤וֹם יְֽרוּשָׁ֫לִָ֥ם … – Hashem, remind the children of Edom of the Day of Jerusalem…” – Tehillim 137: 7 It seems odd to me, but this is the oldest source for the idiom which the Chief Rabbinate of Israel took as the name of the holiday. Read More »
Backgammon
The following is probably fiction, but is certainly possible. Picture a salt truck in February 2008, running down a Manhattan street, its mechanism scattering salt behind it. One particular piece of salt is sprayed out of the back of the truck, balances on a pebble embedded in the asphalt for a moment… … and falls to the left. Read More »
Because they did not serve…
In response to my previous post , Shmuel commented : “They learned facts from their rabbeim, but without spending the time that comes from watching them live, they didn’t learn attitude.” That statement alone is worth its own post, or many, for that matter… So, a little more elaboration. Read More »
Yom haAtzmaut
A short but very appropriate quote from today’s Yerushalmi Daf Yomi: ר הושעיא: רומס הייתי זיתים עם רבי חייא ה
Wisdom from Eeyore
The month that starts today, אִייָר or אִיָּר, borrows its name (as do all the months) from those of Babylonia, in commemoration of our exile there — and our redemption from it. In Akkadian, the month name is “Ayyaru”, meaning “blossom” — logical enough for this time of year. Read More »
Reality vs. Potential
משנה אלו דברים שבין בית שמאי ובית הלל בסעודה בית שמאי אומרים מברך על היום ואח”כ מברך על היין וב”ה אומרים מברך על היין ואח”כ מברך על היום: Read More »
Light of Creation
רבי לוי בשם רבי בזירה שלשים ושש שעות שימשה אותה האורה שנבראת ביום הראשון. שתים עשרה בערב שבת ושתים עשרה בליל שבת ושתים עשרה בשבת. Read More »
Wwrald?
Today, the 9th of Nissan, is R’ Aryeh Levin’s 41st yahrzeit . A man who was called “The Tzadiq of Yerushalayim” at a time when Yerushalayim held such greats as Rav Kook, R’ Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, R’ Zundel Salant, Rav Zvi Pesach Frank… “The Father of the Prisoners”. Read More »
The Structure of Maggid
I recently reworked and expanded an older piece on the structure of the Seder as a whole, and why it comes in fifteen steps grouped by the cups of wine into four. This section is also a rewrite, reflecting parallel changes to Maggid in particular. Within our framework, Maggid is the substance of the second cup of the seder. Read More »
Who knows four?
The number four appears in the seder so frequently that its presence is often commented upon: The four cups of wine — and the four terms of redemption and the four mentions of the word “cup” when the butler discusses his dream with Yoseif, the Read More »
Dai- Dai- Einu…
Chassidim have a tendency of finding lessons in Jewish practices on the basis that “if they are not prophets, they are the ‘children of prophets’”. (“Children of prophets” is an idiom in Tanakh for those studying for prophecy. Read More »
Qitzur Shulchan Arukh – 190: 2
ב: וְכֵן כָּל מִכְשׁוֹל שֶׁיֶשׁ בּוֹ סַכָּנַת נְפָשׁוֹת, מִצְוַת-עֲשֵׂה לַהֲסִירוֹ וּלְהִשָׁמֵר מִמֶּנּוּ וּלְהִזָּהֵר בַּדָּבָר Read More »
Qitzur Shulchan Arukh – 189: 6
ה: בְּנֵי חֲבוּרָה שֶׁאֵרַע לְאֶחָד מֵהֶם שֶׁרַ
Qitzur Shulchan Arukh – 189: 5
ה: כְּתִיב, “ כִּֽי־תִרְאֶ֞ה חֲמ֣וֹר שֹׂנַאֲךָ֗ רֹבֵץ֙ תַּ֣חַת מַשָּׂא֔וֹ” וְ
Qitzur Shulchan Arukh – 189: 4
ד: בֶּהֱמַת
Qitzur Shulchan Arukh – 189: 2-3
ב: פָּרַק וְטָעַן וְחָזַר וְנָפַל, חַיָב לִפְרֹק וְלִטְעֹן פַּעַם אַחֶרֶת, וַאֲפִלּוּ מֵאָה פְעָמִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, עָזֹב תַּעֲזֹב, הָקֵם תָּקִים עִמּוֹ. Read More »
Olei haGardom
The Keneset will be holding a special commemoration today for the 13 “olei hagardom”, those who went up to the noose, hung during the British occupation: Eliyahu Hakim, Eliyahu Beit-Zuri, Mordechai Alkachai, Yechiel Drezner, Eliezer Kashani, Meir Feinstein, Moshe Barazani, Yaakov Weis, Avshalom Haviv, Meir Nakar and Mordechai Schwartz. Read More »
Qitzur Shulchan Arukh – 188: 5
ה: כְּשֶׁבָּא לְהַחֲזִיר אֶת הַפִּקָּדוֹן, לֹא יַחֲזִירֶנּוּ לְאֶחָד מִּבְּנֵי בֵיתוֹ ֹשֶל הַמַּפְקִיד שֶׁלֹּא מִדַּעְתּוֹ. Read More »
Lists of Middos
One of the more amazing pieces of history of the Mussar Movement was that Rav Yisrael Salanter, despite his own antipathy for Haskalah (Enlightened Judaism), promoted a seifer written by a maskil , Rabbi Mendel (Leffin) Satanover. Admittedly, Reb Mendel Satanover was from the early Haskalah and was himself a fully observant Orthodox Jew. Read More »
Qitzur Shulchan Arukh – 188: 1-2
סִימָן קפח – הִלְכוֹת פִּקָּדוֹן 188: Laws of Deposits א: הַמַּפְקִיד מָעוֹת אֵצֶל חֲבֵרוֹ, עַתָּה בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה שֶׁכָּל עֲסָקֵינוּ Read More »
Twelve Step Programs
I received the following email: Micha, is there a problem going to 12 step programs (either for one’s self, or for/with a friend)? Does the “higher power’ stuff smack of AZ in any way? He then wanted to share my reply, which flattered me into thinking others might be interested in my thoughts on the subject. Read More »
Qitzur Shulchan Arukh – 186
סִימָן קפו – הִלְכוֹת אֲבֵדָה וּמְצִיאָה 186: Laws of “You Shall Not Muzzle” א: כָּל הַמּוֹנֵעַ אֶת הַבְּהֵמָה מִלֶּאֱכֹל בִּשְׁעַת מְלַאכְתָּהּ, Read More »
Qitzur Shulchan Arukh – 184: 11
יא: מְעֻבֶּרֶת ֹשֶהִיא מַקְשָה לֵילֵד, כָּל זְמַן שֶהָעֻבָּר בְּתוֹךְ מֵעֶיהָ, מֻתָּרִין לְחַתְּכוֹ בֵּין בְסַם בֵּין בְּיָד, שֶׁכֹּל Read More »
Whomever gets to the water first…
אמרין עליו על רבי חנינא בן דוסא שהיה עומד ומתפלל ובא חברבר והכישו, ולא הפסיק את תפילתו. והלכו ומצאו אותו חברבר מת מוטל על פי חורו. Read More »
Qitzur Shulchan Arukh – 185: 5
ה: שָׂכִיר שֶׁעָשָׂה מְלָאכָה לְבַעַל-הַבַּיִת וְהִפְסִידָהּ, אֲפִלּוּ בִפְשִׁיעָה, בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁעַל פִּי הַדִין הוּא חַיָב Read More »
Qitzur Shulchan Arukh – 185: 4
ד: אֵינוֹ עוֹבֵר משּׁוּם בַּל תָּלִין וְלֹא תָבוֹא עָלָיו הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ, אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן תְּבָעוֹ הַשָּׂכִיר וְיֶשׁ לוֹ מָעוֹת לִתֵּן לוֹ. Read More »
Qitzur Shulchan Arukh – 185: 3
ג: וְכֵן אִם נָתַן טַלִיתוֹ לְאֻמָּן לְתַקְּנָהּ בְּקַבְּלָנוּת וֶהֱבִיאָהּ לוֹ בַיוֹם, יֶשׁ לוֹ זְמָן כָּל הַיוֹם בִּלְבָד. Read More »
Qitzur Shulchan Arukh – 185: 2
ב: מִצְוָה לָתֵת שְׂכַר פְּעֻלַּת שָׂכִיר בִּזְמַנּוֹ. וְאִם אֵחַר, עוֹבֵר בְּלֹֹא-תַעֲשֶׂה, שֶׁנֶאֱמַר, בְּיוֹמוֹ תִתֵּן שְׂכָרוֹ וְלֹא תָבוֹא עָלָיו הַשֶׁמֶשׁ. Read More »
Qitzur Shulchan Arukh – 185: 1
סִימָן קפה – הִלְכוֹת שְׁאֵלָה וּשְכִירוּת 185: Laws of Borrowing and Renting א: הַשׁוֹאֵל אוֹ הַשּׂוֹכֵר בְּהֵמָה אוֹ מִטַּלְטְלִין מֵחֲבֵרוֹ, Read More »
Qitzur Shulchan Arukh – 184: 11
יא: מְעֻבֶּרֶת ֹשֶהִיא מַקְשָה לֵילֵד, כָּל זְמַן שֶהָעֻבָּר בְּתוֹךְ מֵעֶיהָ, מֻתָּרִין לְחַתְּכוֹ בֵּין בְסַם בֵּין בְּיָד, שֶׁכֹּל Read More »
Qitzur Shulchan Arukh – 184: 10
י: נוֹהֲגִין שֶׁשִּׁבְעָה טוֹבֵי הָעִיר דָּנִין דִינֵי קְנָסוֹת, כְּגוֹן עַל חֲבָלוֹת וְחֵרוּפִים וְכַדּוֹמֶה, וְאֵין לָהֶם לַעֲשׂוֹת Read More »
Qitzur Shulchan Arukh – 184: 9
ט: מִי שֶׁעוֹסֵק בְזִיּוּפִים וְיֵש לָחוּשׁ שֶׁיְסַכֵּן בָּזֶה רַבִּים, דִּינוֹ כְּמוֹ רוֹדֵף, וּמַתְרִין בּוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲשֶׂה. Read More »
Qitzur Shulchan Arukh – 184: 8
ח: הָרוֹאֶה אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ בְּצָרָה, רַחְמָנָא לִצְּלָן, וְיָכוֹל לְהַצִּילוֹ הוּא בְעַצְמוֹ אוֹ לִשְׂכֹּר אֲחֵרִים לְהַצִּילוֹ, חַיָב Read More »
25th of Shevat
Today is R’ Yisrael Salanter’s yahrzeit. I just want to point you to a biography of Rav Yisrael written in 1899 (16 years after his passing), posted by fellow AishDas-nik R’ Neil Harris on his blog. Translation by Google, with some touch-up by RNH. Here’s a teaser. Click on the post’s title for the complete blog entry. Read More »
Qitzur Shulchan Arukh – 184: 5
ה: יֵשׁ עוֹד הַרְבֵּה דְבָרִים בְּעִנְיַן נִזְקֵי שְׁכֵנִים אוֹ לִבְנֵי רְשׁוּת-הָרַבִּים. Read More »
Qitzur Shulchan Arukh – 184: 2-4
ב: אֲפִלּוּ מְשָׁרְתוֹ שֶׁאֵינוֹ שׁוֹמֵעַ בְּקוֹלוֹ, אָסוּר לְהַכּוֹתוֹ. Read More »
Qitzur Shulchan Arukh – 183: 5-6
ה: אָסוּר לִכָּנֵס לְתוֹךְ שְׂדֵה נִיר ֹשֶל חֲבֵרוֹ, מִפְנֵי ֹשֶהוּא דָשׁ נִירוֹ וּמְקַלְקְלוֹ It is prohibited to enter his friend’s plow-field because you will Read More »
Maimonidian Qabbalah – Recap
Talking it over with some friends, it became clear that my posts on this topic required an overview. The explanation got buried among the proofs, and it’s therefore hard to follow the flow of the essential points. It all started with my considering the Leshem. Read More »
Qitzur Shulchan Arukh – 182: 14
יד: וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם מֻתָּר לְבֶן-בֵּיתוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם לִתֵּן פְּרוּסָה לְעָנִי אוֹ לִבְנוֹ שֶׁל אוֹהֲבוֹ שֶׁל בַּעַל-הַבַּיִת שֶׁלֹּא מִדַּעְתּוֹ, לְפִי שֶׁכָּךְ נָהֲגוּ בַּעֲלֵי הַבָּתִּים. Read More »
Qitzur Shulchan Arukh – 182: 13
יג: אָסוּר לֵהָנוֹת מִשׁוּם דָּבָר ֹשֶל חֲבֵרוֹ שֶׁלֹּא מִדַּעְתּוֹ. אַף-עַל-פִּי שֶׁבָּרוּר לוֹ שֶׁכְּשֶיִוָּדַע לִבְעָלָיו יִשְׂמְחוּ וְיָגִילוּ מִפְנֵי אַהֲבָתָם אוֹתוֹ. Read More »
Qitzur Shulchan Arukh – 182: 12
יב: מִי שֶׁנִּתְחַלְפוּ לוֹ כֵּלָיו בְּבֵית הַמִּשְׁתֶּה וְכַדּוֹמֶה, הַרֵי זֶה לֹא יִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בְּכֵלִים אֵלוּ שֶׁבָּאוּ לְיָדוֹ וְאֵינָם שֶׁלּוֹ. Read More »
Qitzur Shulchan Arukh – 182:8
ח: אָסוּר לִקְנוֹת מֵהַגַנָּב אוֹ מֵהַגַּזְלָן אֶת הַחֵפֶץ שֶׁגָּנַב אוֹ גָזָל. Read More »
Qitzur Shulchan Arukh – 182:7
ז: הַגּוֹזֵל אֶת הָרַבִּים, כְּגוֹן שֶׁהָיָה חֶנְוָנִי וּמָדַד בְּמִדָּה חֲסֵרָה אוֹ שֶׁשָּׁקַל בְּמִשְׁקָל חָסֵר וְכַדּוֹמֶה, אוֹ Read More »
Qitzur Shulchan Arukh – 182:6
ו: מִצְוַת-עֲשֵׂה עַל הַגּוֹזֵל לְהַחֲזִיר אֶת הַגְּזֵלָה עַצְמָהּ אִם הִיא בְעֵינָהּ וְלֹא נִשְּׁתַּנֵית, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, “וְהֵשִׁ֨יב אֶת־הַגְּזֵלָ֜ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר גָּזָ֗ל”. Read More »
Qitzur Shulchan Arukh – 182:5
ה: כָּל הַחוֹמֵד בֵּיתוֹ אוֹ כֵּילָיו ֹשֶל חֲבֵרוֹ, אוֹ כָּל דָּבָר שֶׁאֵין בְּדַעַת חֲבֵרוֹ לְמָכְרוֹ, וְהוּא הִרְבָּה עָלָיו רֵעִים Read More »
