A Chassidic story: A wealthy merchant would regularly visit the Baal Shem Tov and would donate large sums of money for the Rebbe’s charitable causes. Eventually his fortune changed and his business failed, leaving him nearly penniless. When he went to visit the Rebbe again the Baal Shem, undoubtedly aware of the man’s dire...
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The High Holidays present us with a paradox. On the one hand, we stand before the heavenly court in judgment, unsure of our verdict, anxious about our fate for the coming year. On the other hand, we celebrate Rosh Hashanah and the day before Yom Kippur with joyous feasting in a festive atmosphere. How...
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It was told that in the shul of the great Chassidic Master, the Chozeh (Seer) of Lublin, they sang and danced on the night of Rosh Hashanah. When the Misnagdim, the anti-Chassidic proponents, heard of this they were taken aback. How could the so called great Rebbe allow dancing on the awesome Day of...
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The Talmud tells us that the two happiest days in the Jewish calendar are Yom Kippur and the fifteenth of Av (Tu B’Av) because on those days the single woman of Jerusalem would go out into the vineyards wearing borrowed (so as not to embarrass the poorer girls) white dresses and call out to...
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At the Seder we read about the four sons and learn how to relate to each of them. When the wise son asks us to explain the laws and customs of Passover, we respond by teaching him the laws beginning with the regulations relating to the Afikomen. Out of all the fundamental laws relating...
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One of the most powerful questions that arises from the story of the Exodus is how could God harden Pharaoh’s heart without stripping him of his free will to decide between good and evil? I’d like to convey two answers offered by one of the greatest Torah scholars of the early twentieth century, Rav...
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At the beginning of Parshat Vaera, God tells Moshe that His name is Hashem – the four letter name that is unpronounceable. God then says that He never revealed this name to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Why not? Were they not worthy enough to hear that name? Rashi explains that the “name” represents absolute...
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I’ve been getting requests from people who ride the public transport system and like to listen to Torah on their ipods, so here you go! Listen to a podcast on Parshat Vayigash-Vayehi right here. Just right-click and hit “save link as” to download.
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The Kabbalah categorizes miracles as those that are completely initiated from the heavenly realm, and those that are initiated or “pulled down” by actions in the physical world. The splitting of the Sea of Reeds during the Exodus was purely a heavenly initiative since, according to the Midrash, the Jews were no more deserving...
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