תפילה לזכות ל×ור ול×הבה רבי ×לימלך מליז’×¢× ×¡×§ A Prayer to Merit Light and Love by Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk (1717-1787, one of the early rebbes of the Chassidic movement) This prayer, written by the Rebbe Reb Elimelekh of Lizhensk, strikes a chord for me because of its heavy focus on hakarat hatov for all we have in life, and asking...
There is no conflict between Hashem Knowing now what we will choose tomorrow, and our ability to makes that choice freely when tomorrow comes. Hashem does not Know now what will will do tomorrow. Not because Hashem doesn’t Know, but because He doesn’t now.
A review of my book, Widen Your Tent, appears in the current issue of Jewish Action. REVIEWS IN BRIEF Reviews in Brief GIL STUDENT By Rabbi Micha Berger  Mosaica Press Beit Shemesh, Israel, 2019 395 pages Widen Your Tent: Thoughts on Life, Integrity & Joy Rabbi Shimon Shkop was one of the great roshei yeshivah of Europe. A student of Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik, he had a brilliant mind and clarity of expression...
Well, given this and next weeks’ parashios, as well as numerous other places in the Torah, the question in the subject line appears to have an obvious answer: Yes! And yet, that’s not what Yirmiyahu appears to say (7:22-23): ×›Ö´Ö¼Ö ×™ לֹֽ×־דִבַּ֤רְתִּי ×ֶת־×ֲבֽוֹתֵיכֶ×Ö™ ×•Ö°×œÖ¹Ö£× ×¦Ö´×•Ö´Ö¼×™×ªÖ´Ö”×™× ×‘Ö°Ö¼×™Ö›×•Ö¹× (הוצי×) [הוֹצִי×Ö´Ö¥×™] ××•Ö¹×ªÖ¸Ö–× ×žÖµ×ֶ֣רֶץ ×žÖ´×¦Ö°×¨Ö¸Ö‘×™Ö´× ×¢Ö·×œÖ¾×“Ö´Ö¼×‘Ö°×¨ÖµÖ¥×™ עוֹלָ֖ה וָזָֽבַח׃ For when I freed your ancestors from...
Related to the Ramban’s position, about holiness being about following the Torah’s ideals, and not stopping at the letter of its laws… There is an enigmatic statement in the Talmud (Nedarim 81a, Koren edition (Links to an external site.), original in bold, with translations of Rabbi Edin Steinsaltz’s explanatory insertions): Ravina says: They are punished because they do not first recite a blessing...
