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Intimate Knowledge of G‑d
Compassion Toward People
Splendor in Mind and Heart
Avodah
- Micha Berger
Nusach Ashkenaz question: On Simchas Torah it is common to start Mussaf After Minechah Gedolah. When that happens, which should you say - שים שלום or שלום רב? I recall [...]
- Zvi Lampel
The attached essay reassesses the commonly held view that Rav Yitzchak Isaac Halevi Rabinowitz (Doros HaRishonim) denied any substantive role for derashos in the formation of halachah. In it, we [...]
- Zvi Lampel
We recite “היום הרת עולם, היום יעמיד במשפט כל יצורי עולמים" following each time we blow the shofar during Musaf on Rosh Hashana. The recitation is commonly understood as meaning, [...]
- Micha Berger
In my running joke about a Chumera of the Month Club, here is one I made up that people since started actually doing. According to Sukkah 33b, “arvei nachal” is [...]
- Micha Berger
Dalet Minim “Chumera” #1: and it ended up not being a chumera! If the salesman offers you a discount if you pay in cash, you are no allowed to pay [...]
- Micha Berger
In my neighborhood either the majority of sukkos, or at least a huge mi’ut use a pergola for sekhakh. They make pergolas that are sukkah friendly. The slats rest in [...]
- Reuven Chaim Klein
I just spent the last 15 minutes trying to track down a non-existent Midrash Shocher Tov that AI made up . Do I get schar for Talmud Torah for doing [...]
- Micha Berger
Daf Yomi people recently learned (Chullin 123a) about the case of someone owning a tallis that became tamei, hanging it up (otherwise unchanged) as a villon, and suddenly now it’s [...]
Blogs
- YGB - יג"ב
- Aspaqlaria
- Rabbi Yaakov Feldman
- | Modern Uberdox
- Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer
Play EpisodeDownload EpisodeSupport This EpisodeRischa D'Araisa Season 14 Episode 6:Storming the Cockpit of Israeli Politics:The Tzibbur HaCharedi Party- with Rabbi Yitzchok Adlersteinhttps://listen.jewishpodcasts.fm/yeshivaofnewark/123474orhttps://youtu.be/mN3HgN7zQgc [...]
- Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer
Meeting Purpose To explore the Kabbalistic meaning of Simchat Torah dancing. Key Takeaways Two Lights: Kabbalah distinguishes between Or Pnimi (internalized light, like learned Torah) and Or Makif (enveloping, external [...]
- Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer
A recording for the BHP daily Halachic Whatsapp group https://chat.whatsapp.com/Gz8rrxqRcfy9rMOXRLG6GS [...]
- Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer
Play EpisodeDownload EpisodeSupport This EpisodeRischa D'Araisa Season 14 Episode 5:The Naza Film and the Point of Free Choice(Collateral Damage and the Nekudas HaBechirah)https://listen.jewishpodcasts.fm/yeshivaofnewark/123152 [...]
- Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer
Fathom Summary:Uganda Shiur - September 24Meeting Purpose To explore the spiritual significance and historical practices of Sukkot. Key Takeaways Simchat Beit HaShoeva: The Temple's water-drawing ceremony was a legendary celebration [...]
- Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer
Uganda Shiur - September 17Meeting Purpose To review the Jewish concept of repentance (Teshuvah) and atonement for Yom Kippur. Key Takeaways Atonement is a process: It requires repentance (Teshuvah) and [...]
- Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer
Shalom Aleichem (and Kabbalat Shabbat) when Shabbat and Rosh Hashanah (or another Yom Tov) Coincide.A recording for the BHP daily Halachic Whatsapp group https://chat.whatsapp.com/Gz8rrxqRcfy9rMOXRLG6GS [...]
- Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer
Play EpisodeDownload EpisodeSupport This EpisodeRischa D'Araisa Season 14 Episode 4:להיזכר מעשים רבים והמון בריות לאין תכלית:Does the 25th Anniversary of 9/11 Figure Into Our Rosh HaShanah's Zichron Teru'ah?https://listen.jewishpodcasts.fm/yeshivaofnewark/122150 [...]
- Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer
Uganda Shiur - September 07VIEW RECORDING - 29 mins (No highlights)Meeting Purpose To understand the Jewish concept of Gehenna and divine judgment. Key Takeaways Gehenna is spiritual shame, not physical [...]
- Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer
Fathom Summary:Moriah by Rabbi Dr Isaac Breuer - September 06Meeting Purpose To introduce Rabbi Dr. Isaac Breuer's concept of Judaism as a national, not individual, mission. Key Takeaways Judaism is [...]
- Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer
Uganda Shiur - September 03VIEW RECORDING - 23 mins (No highlights)Meeting Purpose To explore the Gemara's teachings on post-mortem judgment and atonement. Key Takeaways Atonement Tiers: Most sinners face a [...]
- Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer
Play EpisodeDownload EpisodeSupport This EpisodeRischa D'Araisa Season 14 Episode 3: No "Strings" Attached!Insisting On Traditional Selichoshttps://listen.jewishpodcasts.fm/yeshivaofnewark/122001 [...]
- Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer
Uganda Shiur - August 31Meeting Purpose To explain the Rosh Hashanah judgment and its implications for the coming year. Key Takeaways Rosh Hashanah Judgment: On Rosh Hashanah, all people are [...]
- Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer
This is a great chiddush!!!Avraham was born in 1948, so his bris at 99 was in 2047.זמיר is 200 (ר) times 10 (י) plus 47 (זמ). That is the meaning [...]
Torah Im Derech Eretz: Rabbi Dr Isaac Breuer's Moriah pt 10: Avraham Emerges From the Ruins of Bavel
- Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer
Moriah by Rabbi Dr Isaac Breuer - August 30VIEW RECORDING - 35 mins (No highlights)Meeting Purpose To analyze Rabbi Breuer's philosophy on early human history and the Jewish nation's role. [...]
- Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer
A recording for the BHP daily Halachic Whatsapp group https://chat.whatsapp.com/Gz8rrxqRcfy9rMOXRLG6GS [...]
- Micha Berger
Many lists in davening come in sixes and sevens. A lot of my comments were based on seeing “6” as representing the six workdays, and “7” as the holy within [...]
- Micha Berger
The middle berakhah of the Amidah for Yom Tov begins: אַתָּה בְחַרְתָּנוּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּיםאָהַבְתָּ אותָנוּוְרָצִיתָ בָּנוּוְרומַמְתָּנוּ מִכָּל הַלְּשׁונותוְקִדַּשְׁתָּנוּ בְּמִצְותֶיךָוְקֵרַבְתָּנוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ לַעֲבודָתֶךָוְשִׁמְךָ הַגָּדול וְהַקָּדושׁ עָלֵינוּ קָרָאתָ You have Chosen us from [...]
- Micha Berger
Continuing with the extended Birkhas Qedushah of the Yamim Nora’im, moving on to the second “UVekhein”: וּבְכֵן צַדִּיקִים יִרְאוּ וְיִשְׂמָֽחוּ וִישָׁרִים יַעֲלֹֽזוּ וַחֲסִידִים בְּרִנָּה יָגִֽילוּ וְעוֹלָֽתָה תִּקְפָּץ פִּֽיהָ. וְכָל הָרִשְׁעָה [...]
- Micha Berger
The Birkhas Qedushah of the Yamim Nora’im continues differently from the version we recite during the rest of the year: וּבְכֵן תֵּן פַּחְדְּךָ ה׳ אֱלֹקֵֽינוּ עַל כָּל מַעֲשֶֽׂיךָוְאֵימָתְךָ עַל כָּל [...]
- Micha Berger
Sorry this is after Rosh haShanah. It’s my version of R’ Chaggai Raviv’s (my LOR’s) explanation of a thought by R’ YB Soloveitchik. I couldn’t share it before hearing his [...]
- Micha Berger
Rav Yisrael Meir haKohein, the Chafetz Chaim, asked why Rosh haShanah comes before Yom Kippur. After all, David haMelekh writes, “ס֣וּר מֵ֭רָע וַעֲשֵׂה־טֹ֑וב – turn away from evil and do [...]
- Micha Berger
So far we looked at the bookends of birkhas Yotzeir Or. By the rules for writing a berakhah, they establish the central theme. At this point it appears to be [...]
- Micha Berger
Personal note: Two weeks after finishing sheloshim for one son, we attended the wedding of another. If the last post sounded like someone still grappling with why Hashem made room [...]
- Micha Berger
How a message for Cyrus the Great has meaning for us Cyrus the Great (“Koreish”, in Hebrew) was important to Jewish History. He conquered Bavel, ended the Babylonian Exile, and [...]
- Micha Berger
Last post I said that I find Devarim shebiQdushah to consistently be prayers that speak of Hashem’s inherent Holiness, and trying to bring ourselves and our world to a place [...]
- Micha Berger
Pivoting from Shemoneh Esrei to Qaddish to Shema and its berakhos, I will start with Borkhu. The segue raises the question of something Qaddish and Borkhu have in common. Both [...]
- Micha Berger
I was going to post something about “the fours” and about how I relate to numbers as symbols altogether. But as I am still in sheloshim, here’s something more on [...]
- Micha Berger
This post original began with the words “Last week”. However, two weeks ago we lost our son, Yehoshua Asher, generally known as Shuby. A 27 year old man with a [...]
- Micha Berger
The Amidah for Shabbos and Yom Tov end the day-specific berachah with a paragraph that includes: קַדְּ֒שֵֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתֶֽיךָ וְתֵן חֶלְקֵֽנוּ בְּתוֹרָתֶֽךָ …שַׂבְּ֒עֵֽנוּ מִטּוּבֶֽךָ וְשַׂמְּחֵנוּ בִּישׁוּעָתֶֽךָ … וְטַהֵר לִבֵּֽנוּ לְעָבְדְּ֒ךָ בֶּאֱמֶת [...]
- Micha Berger
I left off back in March, so here is a reminder of where we were up to:We were looking at Shabbos Minchah, and noted that Atah Echad follows the same [...]
- Micha Berger
The first thing you may notice about the middle, Shabbos-related, berakhah of Shabbos Minchah is that the opening parallels the berakhah immediately before it. אַתָּה קָדושׁוְשִׁמְךָ קָדושׁ!וּקְדושִׁים בְּכָל יום יְהַלְּלוּךָ [...]
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Nephesh Hachaim 1:13 1. T The things we say can also link celestial worlds, rectify this one, and interconnect with the upper worlds, as we’ll now see. After all, we’re [...]
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Da’at Tevunot 3:7 (¶ 118 [middle]) 1. We’d do well to take something into consideration, Ramchal adds here. It’s that just because something or someone is imperfect doesn’t mean [...]
- bf61cd94975385fed8cbdd16766a3ee4
The Way of G-d 2:6:4 1. G-d allowed for a prosecutor in His court, famously known as satan 1. His role is to argue against the accused, which them enables [...]
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Nephesh Hachaim 1:12 1. R. Chaim already spoke 1 of the fact that we could only link celestial worlds, rectify this one, and interconnect with those upper worlds after we’d [...]
- bf61cd94975385fed8cbdd16766a3ee4
Da’at Tevunot 3:6 (¶ 118 [beginning]) 1. Ramchal reiterates here 1 that wrong is a created entity 2 that was only designed to last for as long as G-d wanted [...]
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The Way of G-d 2:6:3 1. Given the above, the fact is that G-d doesn’t judge the world according to His foreknowledge but rather according to the way He wants [...]
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Nephesh Hachaim 1:11 1. Following up on the thought offered in the last chapter that despite our being connected to physicality we’re nevertheless superior to angels, R’ Chaim now [...]
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Da’at Tevunot 3:5 (¶s 116 [end] – 117) 1. Ramchal says that he’s going to expand upon things he’d said above 1 and reveal things that are “deep” about [...]
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The Way of G-d 2:6:2 1. G-d appears in each Sanhedrin and court, influences it, and sees to it that justice is served 1. Now, in some instances [...]
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Nephesh Hachaim 1:10 1. Given all of the above concerning our makeup and capacities, it’s reasonable to wonder whether angels are loftier than we are or we’re loftier than they. [...]
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Da’at Tevunot 3:4 (¶ 116 [beg.]) 1. Ramchal is about to offer something that will serve as a prelude to what’s to follow 1. It’s that even though G-d [...]
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Derech Hashem 2:6:1 In the course of His interactions with the world 1, G-d arranged it so that phenomena that affect both the things that humankind brings about 2 and [...]
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Nephesh Hachaim 1:9 1. Following through on the discussion of the previous chapter, R’ Chaim contrasts the situation of the generation that dwelt in the Sinai Desert 1 with that [...]
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Da’at Tevunot 3:3 (¶’s 103- 115) 1. It seems logical, doesn’t it, that goodness would be a product of something that emanates goodness while wrongfulness would be a product of [...]
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Da’atTevunot 3:2 (# 98 – 102) 1. Ramchal starts to explain the role of wrong and injustice in the world with a proposition derived from Rambam1. It’s that when G-d [...]
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Nephesh Hachaim 1:8 1. R’ Chaim offers a rather complex discussion here about the positioning of the Cherubs in the Tabernacle and Holy Temple in order to illustrate his point [...]
- Neil Harris
The website 18FORTY has a fantastic and thoughtful multimedia post on OTD that is worth watching, reading, and listening to. If you are reading this then you know I don’t [...]
- Neil Harris
Spoiler, there isn’t much substance to I what have to say. Also, I am spoiling the end of the Skywalker saga. After reading an excellent essay by Rabbi Harry Maryles [...]
- Neil Harris
I checked my recent writing history today and the last legit post of mine was really 3.5 years ago. For some that’s a long chunk of time. In that time [...]
- Neil Harris
My wife’s comment on Simchas Torah pretty much summed it up, “I feel like this is the biggest tease for you.” You see, my mom a”h was niftar right before [...]
- Neil Harris
When today comes around I usually think about things my father missed since he has been gone. I decided that this year I’ll attempt to list a number of things [...]
- Neil Harris
Walking out of shul, the morning after Yom Kippur, a follow early Sunday morning riser casually said to me, “Back to normal, right?” I was taken off guard (and also [...]
- Neil Harris
I have started this post about 2 dozen times over the past 3 years and I never seem to get more than about 300 words written about why I stopped [...]
- Neil Harris
I want to share something that Rav Efraim Twerski said at his Shabbos HaGadol drasha. After starting off with 10 questions Rav Twerski said over an amazing Torah from Rav [...]
- Neil Harris
So, tonight’s the 6th yahrtzeit for my dad, Avraham ben Zorach a”h (Al, of blessed memory). Like everyone else that has lost a parent I lit my 24 hour yahrzeit [...]
- Neil Harris
“WARMED BY THE FIRE OF THE AISH KODESH– Torah from the Hilulas of Reb Kalonymus Kalman Shapira of Piaseczna” by Rav Moshe Weinberger and adapted by Binyomin Wolf is more [...]