While browsing books on Hebrewbooks.org I came across a collection of Sermons pulished in 1926 by Zvi Hirsch Masliansky (1856-1943). Born in Belorussia, Rabbi Masliansky was forced to leave in 1894 and emigrated ot New York in 1895. Read More »
Gruven Reuven 
Birthday HaYom Yom
In 1942, the 6th Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Y. Schneersohn, tasked his son-in-law, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (Later to be the 7th Lubavitcher Rebbe), in compiling an anthology of Chasidic sayings and customs arranged in a daily calendar like format. Read More »
17th Tammuz coincidence
There are times in my daily Torah studies that one particular subject of study intersects with another subject of study. For example my Gemara study may intersect with what I’m studying that day in Rambam. Shulchan Aurach may intersect with Chumash,Tanya with Gemara and so on. Read More »
Achilles’ Hand
Being frum for going on 7 years now, I would say the one area of Orthodox Judaism that I still struggle with is Shomer Negilah. Negiah literally means “touch”, and is the concept in Halacha that forbids physical contact with members of the opposite sex. Read More »
I am a Jew
A friend was over with her husband for Shabbos not so long ago. She spent most of Shabbos trying to pigeon hole me into a segment of Judaism according to her definitions. To her, I couldn’t be a Lubavticher, because I owned a TV. So that got me thinking… What am I? I Daven daily at a Chabad Shul. Read More »
Topsy Turvy Purim
I think the most non-Jewish holiday on the Jewish calendar is Yom Kippur. I say that tongue in cheek, but what I mean is… it’s the only Holiday where we don’t feast in simcha. How does that saying go? “They tried to kill us, we overcame, they failed, let’s eat!” Purim! Now there’s a Jewish Holiday. Read More »
A Snowy Mikvah
Insanity? No, that’s just my Pintele Yid…. The Pintele Yid is that little Jewish pilot light flame inside us that keeps us longing to connect to Hashem no matter how far we may have strayed. This past week the Philadelphia area was hit by two back to back snow storms which left us with a record amount of snow. Read More »
To Praise or Not to Praise
The Daf Yomi for yesterday was page 164 of Bava Basra. On page 164b, sixth line up from the bottom of the page we learn: “Rabbi Dimi brother of Rabbi Safra taught: A man should never speak in praise of this friend, because by praise of him brings about blame. Read More »
From Gruven to Reuven
I guess this post is overdue. My twitter stream yesterday was talking about payos . You know, the side curls found typically amongst men in the orthodox Jewish community. Read More »
Yud-Shevat in the Digital Age
Today is Yud-Shevat, or the 10th of the Hebrew month of Shevat. Yud-Shevat in the Chabad/Lubavitch world is a day of remembrance and celebration, as today marks the Yahrzeit of The sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitchak Schneersohn in 5710 (1950). Read More »
Nobody Move!! I have a pair of Tefillin
Nobody Move!! I have a pair of Tefillin, and I won’t hesitate to use it. Of course I am jokingly referring to the USAirways plane that was diverted mid flight yesterday when the crew came across a 17 year old passenger Davening onboard with a pair of Tefillin. Read More »
Car & Lego Menorahs Oh My!
This Chanukah I was relieved that my Car Menorah actually fit on my Toyota Yaris! A car Menorah on a Yaris? Now that’s a Chanukah Miracle! When I bought the car last spring, the possibility of it not fitting did cross my mind. Read More »
A Chanukkah Remez
Rabbi Yoseph Chaim the “Ben Ish Chai” in his work by that name points out, that there is a remez (symbolic meaning) to Chanukkah in the Torah. Read More »
Chayenu – Now with TANYA!
As I have previously blogged (and raved) a couple of times before (here and here). Chayenu the weekly Torah study publication continues to impress! Starting with this week’s issue, Chayenu now includes Daily Tanya study as it moves closer to total Chitas. Read More »
I remember Mumbai
I think my landscape of the Thanksgiving holiday will be forever painted by the tragedy of the Mumbai massacre. I remember being glued to my computer that Thanksgiving of 2008, receiving reports, checking on multiple news services simultaneously, and hoping. Read More »
My Miracle
This past Shabbos was Parsha Noach, and it poured. (As it seems to do every Parsha Noach out here in Philly area). While walking home after shul, a car drove by catching a puddle that soaked my right side. Read More »
Gilad Shalit Video Released
Great news! After 1195 days in Captivity Hamas released this video of Gilad Shalit alive and “Well”. The Below Clip (filmed 14-Sept) from Israeli TV news, and translation from YNetNews does come Read More »
Netanyahu’s Speech Inspired by the Rebbe
On September 24th 2009, a mere 6 decades after the Murder of 6 Million Jews by the Nazis, Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu had to stand in front of the UN assembly to rebuke a speech made earlier by Read More »
Tishrei Tour – 5770
For these past 8 years, preparing for the Jewish High Holidays was a lot like a Grateful Dead fall tour for me. During the 18 years we used to follow the Grateful Dead, we were always trying to Read More »
A new Energy Shana Tova
Rosh Hashanah has the distinction of being the only Jewish Holiday that falls out on a new moon. Think about it for a second. Most of the Jewish Holiday come on the 15th of the Hebrew month when the Read More »
Lamed is for Learning
As our children return back to school this week, there is an interesting correlation between Learning and this week’s Torah Parsha. In Parshas Nitzavim, Moshe informs the Israelites of their later Read More »
Tweet for Gilad! #GiladShalit
On August 28th, Israeli Gilad Shalit, (who was captured and taken Hostage by Hamas) turns 23. Gilad has spend the last 4 years in Captivity as the world remains silent. His capture hasn’t dominated Read More »
Chess & Torah
In the mid-70’s, early 80’s during my High School and College years, I was an avid chess player. I studied the game every free moment I had. I played non-stop, and spent may sleepless nights Read More »
