Podcasts about Amidah

​1)      Unusual Mesorah about the words כל עצמותי תאמרנה: [1]2)      In our community we have mostly Israeli students, and they are doing Krias haTorah according to the schedule of Eretz Yisroel. Could I have an Aliya in their Kriah?[2]3)      I need to refill our Mikva for use after Shabbos. If I set theheat to remain less than Yad Soledes Bo, may I run water on Shabbos?[3]4)      May my business employ an AI answering service to service clients contacting us over Shabbos?[4]5)      AI answering service charges per minute. May I provide such a service over Shabbos?[5]6)      My parents are aging and need substantial care. May I use my Maaser money to fund the support they require? [6] 7)      A woman comes to Shul on Shabbos and the Minyan is saying Musaf, but she hasn't davened Shacharis: should she join and daven Musaf or should she do Shacharis?[7]8)      I had to interrupt Shmone Esrei to use the bathroom. Upon return, do I start the Amidah from the beginning; 3 steps again? [8]9)      Revisit the package delivered on Shabbos in my front yard: [9]https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9764852268?omn=87263391522Index to previous Panorama Shiurim: PanoramaIndex 2 - Google Docs To sponsor a Shiur – to honour a special occasion -contact: dayan@lubavitchuk.com[1] תהלים לה, ח. ראה במנחתשי שתיבת 'כל' מוטעמת וגם מנוקדת בקמץ-רחב. בדפוס שקלאוו אין מקף; בתורה-אור ישמקף.[2] בס' יו"ט שני כהלכתו(פריד, פ"ט סט"ז) מתיר לעלות במצבים דומים.[3] בשוע"ר סי' תקגס"ג אוסר לחפש בס"ת מיו"ט לשבת הסמוכה לו. וראה גם פסקי תשובות סי'שב אות יז.[4] נראה לדמות למה שהתירבשו"ת מהרש"ג (ח"ב סי' קיז, הובא בשש"כ פכ"ט סכ"ח)להשאיר פתוח מכונת-מכירה אוטומטית לשבת, כי לא איכפת להמוכר מתי יקנו המוצרים.[משא"כ באתר של מוזיקה וכיו"ב, שזמן השימוש עיקרי הוא]. [5] לפי המדובר לפני שבועיים:שירות רחבה הכוללת שעות של שבת, גם נחשבת הבלעה, אע"פ שהתשלום של שבת ניכר,ה"ה כאן.[6] בס' צדקה ומשפט פ"גס"ח מתיר. והא דאיתא (קידושין לב,א) "תבא מארה למי שמפרנס או"א מןהמעשר", י"ל דהיינו מעשר עני ממש, משא"כ מעשר כספים.[7] בס' הליכות ביתה (סימן ו, ו) מביא מחלוקת האחרונים אם נשים חייבות בתפלת מוסף. לכן מסתבר שתידחה מוסף מפנישחרית.[8] ראה ג' שיטות בשוע"רסי' קד ס"ד. אכן בסדור אדה"ז סוף הלכות ברכות השחר הורה שכל שיוכללהעמיד עצמו עד סוף התפלה, אל יפסיק אפילו בפסוקי דזמרה.[9] לפי שוע"ר סי' שעבס"א אסור להכניס מהחצר לבית דבר שהובא מחוץ לעירוב.​

Introduction to the Fundamentals of Emunah Welcome to our daily Bitachon class. As a continuation of our topic on Sha'ar HaBechinah (The Gate of Reflection), we are now going to discuss the fundamentals of Emunah —the ways in which we attain a clear recognition of God. To begin, there are three fundamental paths through which we recognize God. The first—in no specific order—is through creation, which we explored during our six months studying Sha'ar HaBechinah . The Chovot HaLevavot teaches us that the most direct and simplest way to understand God's Yichud (His oneness and exclusivity) is by delving into creation. This is why Sha'ar HaBechinah is placed as the second gate of the book. The first gate, Sha'ar HaYichud , is highly philosophical and is not commonly learned today; the Chovot HaLevavot itself suggests that we focus our attention on Bechinah instead. The second path through which we find God is through His Torah. God revealed His will and His desires for the world through the Torah. Recognizing His will allows us to fulfill the dictate of Vehallachta Bedrachav —to walk in His ways, which are the ways of the Torah. The third path is through His involvement in the world. We can look at this dimension through various lenses: Hashgacha Pratit (Divine providence), Sechar VeOnesh (reward and punishment), or open miracles. Whether hidden or revealed, seeing God's hand guiding the world is a powerful way to recognize Him. Our goal going forward is to build a structured understanding of how we observe God within these dimensions. The Two Tracks of Recognition In Darkei HaAvodah , Rav Meir Tzvi Bergman explains that there are actually two fundamental tracks for attaining recognition of God and coming to serve Him. The first track is Yetziat Mitzrayim (the Exodus from Egypt), which represents the very first statement God made to us as a nation: אנוכי השם אלוקיך אשר הוצאתיך מארץ מצרים "I am Hashem your God who took you out of the land of Egypt." The second track consists of Torah and Beriah (creation). For simplicity's sake, we can categorize these as Track 1 ( Yetziat Mitzrayim , which is God's direct revelation to us), Track 2-A (delving into the Torah), and Track 2-B (delving into creation). Rav Bergman points to the Rambam in Sefer HaMitzvot (Positive Commandment #3). When the Rambam defines what it means to fulfill the commandment to love God, he explains that we must contemplate and understand His commandments, His words, and His actions. How does this intellectual understanding lead to love? Once you internalize the concept of Hashem Echad and truly recognize God ( Nassigehu ), you naturally experience a profound, ultimate pleasure from that realization ( נהנה בהשגתו בתכלית הנאה ). Love is always dependent on connection; you enjoy a person's presence and yearn to be close to them. Similarly, when we perceive the greatness of God in creation or in the Torah, it sparks a deep connection and a yearning to be close to Him. The Structure of Our Daily Prayers To anchor this with a practical, daily takeaway, we can look at our prayers. The central moment where we focus on Hashem Echad is, of course, the Kriat Shema . The Kriat Shema consists of three paragraphs ( parshiot ). The first two ( V'ahavta and Ve-hayah im shamoa ) focus heavily on loving Hashem, which, as we established, comes through studying His Torah and creation. The third paragraph ( Vayomer ) concludes with the remembrance of the Exodus: אנוכי השם אלוקיכם אשר הוצאתי אתכם מארץ מצרים "I am Hashem your God who took you out of the land of Egypt." Thus, our daily Kriat Shema explicitly encapsulates all three of these foundational points. Furthermore, if we pay close attention to the blessings surrounding the Shema ( Birkot Kriat Shema ), we see this exact structure beautifully highlighted: Before Shema (Creation): The first blessing is Yotzer Or V'choshekh , which praises God for the natural world and concludes with Yotzer HaMe'orot (Creator of the luminaries). This corresponds to looking into creation. Before Shema (Torah): The second blessing is Ahavat Olam , which details God's love for us. The entire blessing revolves around the fact that He chose us and taught us the Torah ( וקרבתנו מלכנו לשמך הגדול ). In it, we ask Hashem for the ability to understand His Torah. After Shema ( Yetziat Mitzrayim ): After declaring Hashem Elokeichem Emet , we transition into V'yatziv Venachon , where we recount the Exodus, sing Mi Chamocha , and recall Az Yashir right before transitioning into the Amidah . Conclusion As Rav Wolbe writes, the single best way to strengthen our philosophical ideals is to focus on them during prayer, because the text of our liturgy contains the secrets to everything. Every single day, from Barechu until the Amidah , our prayers guide us through a deliberate spiritual sequence: we contemplate God in creation, we contemplate God in the Torah, and then—having reached a clear recognition through those two avenues—we declare Hashem Echad . From there, we move through the Shema , invoke the reality of Yetziat Mitzrayim , and emerge with a clear, fortified Emunah . Only then are we truly ready to stand before Him and pray. As we transition away from Sha'ar HaBechinah , this is the fundamental takeaway we must carry with us: strengthening our Emunah is a dynamic process that relies on all three of these powerful avenues.

Welcome to Daily Bitachon. We are now winding down Sha'ar HaBechina [The Gate of Reflection], looking at how we realize Hashem created the world, commit to serving Him, and ultimately learn to rely on Him. But never forget that the little bit we see with our physical eyes is just a fraction of reality; there is a much larger picture out there. The Zohar tells us about the existence of entirely different spiritual worlds. We have God's Kissei HaKavod —the Throne of Glory, so to speak—where we perceive His absolute control over the cosmos. Then we have the world of the angels, Olam HaMalachim , where the various holy hosts reside. Among them are angels who do nothing but constantly declare, " Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh ." The Zohar explains that from sunrise to sunset, they are continuously saying " Kadosh ," and from the moment the sun sets until it rises again, they say " Baruch kevod... " There are massive angelic forces up there constantly praising Hashem's Name! Yet, as great and powerful as these angels are, the Gemara in Tractate Chullin (91b) drops that unbelievable line: אין מלאכי השרת אוֹמְרִים שִׁירָה לְמַעְלָה עַד שֶׁיֹּאמְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמַטָּה "The ministering angels do not sing praise above until Israel sings below on earth." The angels cannot say Kedushah above until we, the Jewish people, initiate it down here. Think back to our mashal [parable] of the king: with all of his vast empire, the king right now is focused entirely on this one sweet bird. We are Hashem's children, and our voices are sweet to Him. As the verse says, " Hashmi'eni et kolech "—"Let Me hear your voice." If God is literally waiting to hear our voices before listening to the angels, and He has the boundless ability to feed all of those massive heavenly hosts, shouldn't we realize that we can completely rely on Him? The beauty of it is that this exact lesson is built right into our daily prayers. Everything is inside our tefillah . Rav Shlomo Wolbe once said that all the core fundamentals of Judaism are hidden right in our Siddur; we just have to open our eyes and find them. Take a look at how it flows. We start off the blessings before the morning Shema with the words: " Yotzer or u'vorei choshech "—"Who fashions light and creates darkness." We begin by talking about the physical universe and the orbital luminaries. But then, right in the middle of discussing the sun and the moon, we suddenly switch gears. We begin describing God as the Borei Kedoshim —the Fashioner of holy ministering servants. We launch into a breathtaking description of what these angels do: they stand at the summit of the universe and proclaim with awe, together loudly, the words of the living God and King of the universe. We describe them as beloved, flawless, mighty, and holy. They perform the will of their Maker with dread and reverence. They open their mouths in holiness, purity, and song, and they bless, praise, glorify, sanctify, revere, and declare the kingship of Hashem, the great, mighty, and awesome King. The prayer goes on to describe how they accept upon themselves the yoke of heavenly sovereignty from one another, granting permission to each other to sanctify the One who formed them. With tranquility, with clear articulation, and with sweetness, they all proclaim His holiness as one, saying with awe: " Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh... " Then the Ofanim and the Chayot HaKodesh respond with a thunderous noise: " Baruch kevod Hashem mi'mekomo "—"Blessed is the glory of Hashem from His place." Then, right after this intense depiction of the angelic choir, the Siddur switches gears back to the physical universe, concluding the blessing with: " Baruch Ata Hashem, yotzer ha'me'orot "—"Blessed are You Hashem, Creator of the luminaries." Did you ever notice that question? What in the world are angels doing right in the middle of a discussion about the sun, the moon, and the stars? It's a classic question. I was once told an answer in the name of Rabbi Eliyahu Lopian (which he passed on to Rav Wolbe): Hashem is telling us, "Let's learn from the angels." Look at how the angels proclaim God's kingship, and let's emulate them. In fact, there is a custom brought down by the Ben Ish Chai in the name of the great Ashkenazi Kabbalist, Rabbi Nathan Shapira of Krakow. He notes that before we step back and take our three steps forward for the Amidah , we give a slight nod of greeting to those around us. Why? To show signs of peace and friendship to each other, just like the angels do before they praise God. We want to act angelic as we approach prayer. We even hold our feet tightly together during the Amidah to emulate them. Before you emulate the angels, you have to see what they are about. They accept God's kingdom with love and harmony among themselves. That means we have to get along and be unified before we declare Shema Yisrael Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echad . But there is a second answer to our question, based on the teachings of the Chafetz Chaim. When you talk about the creation of the world—about the sun and the moon—you might think that's the entire story. You look out with your physical eyes and think, "Okay, this is the extent of God's power." And then, if you look at this physical world and see havoc, chaos, and a world running completely wild, you panic and ask, "How can I rely on Him to fix this?" So the Siddur tells us to take a step back. Hold on. You see the sun and the moon? That is not the whole story. The reality is vastly greater. There are layers of angels up there praising God, who see the inner gears of the universe. And for all their immense greatness, they can't utter a single sound until we respond down here. Are you actually worried that the King can't take care of you? Look at how holy and significant we are. All of creation needs sustenance, and God sustains the angels too. The only difference is that we eat physical food and they eat spiritual food. But make no mistake: angels need nourishment. They don't just live on thin air. Nothing exists independently on its own strength except for God. The Tomer Devorah discusses this at length. Every time we do a mitzvah , we create a holy angel. If a person commits an aveira [sin], chas v'shalom , they create a destructive angel. Those angels require spiritual energy to survive. What do they "eat"? They live on the energy of our actions. And what did we eat when we were elevated? We ate the food of angels! How do we know this? King David writes in Tehillim (78:25): " Lechem abirim achal ish "—"Man ate the bread of the mighty ones." Tractate Yoma (75b) explicitly explains that this means the Jewish people literally ate the food of the ministering angels—the Manna—while traveling through the desert. In the wilderness, Hashem treated us exactly like He treats the angels. We didn't need coarse, physical food; we survived on pure spiritual light. Rabbi Eliyahu de Vidas writes in his classic work, Reshit Chochma ( Sha'ar HaKedushah , Chapter 15), that even today, there are elite talmidei chachamim [Torah scholars] who can live primarily on spiritual energy. He explains that this is why certain sages could go two or three days without eating a single thing—because the mazon haTorah (the spiritual nourishment of the Torah itself) kept them physically full. That is how Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his son survived in the cave for thirteen years. This brings us right back to the incredible historical account recorded by Rabbi Yisrael of Shklov in his introduction to Pe'at HaShulchan . He describes his master, the Vilna Gaon, and how radically little he ate. The Gaon ate only two tiny meals a day, taking a piece of dry bread no larger than a kezayit [the size of an olive], dipping it in water, and consuming it. That was it! And yet, Rabbi Yisrael records that the Gaon remained physically strong, resilient, and robust. Where did that physical strength come from? It came from the literal application of the verse: "Man does not live by bread alone, but by all that comes from the mouth of Hashem." The Torah itself became his physical fuel. Great tzaddikim tapped directly into that spiritual nourishment, which proves that God can sustain a person in the most wondrous, supernatural ways whenever He wills it. When you think about these concepts—about the sheer scale of God's power and His intimate love for us—how can you not place your ultimate trust in Him? With this profound realization, we officially conclude Sha'ar HaBechina and read the final, beautiful words of the Chovos HaLevavos : והאלהים ישימנו מאנשי עבודתו "May God place us among those who serve Him," המכירים עניני טובתו ברחמיו ובחסדיו אמן "who recognize the matters of His goodness, through His mercy and His kindness. Amen." נשלם השער השני — The second gate is now complete. אל אדני אקרא ויענני — "To Hashem I shall call out, and He will answer me." We see from here that when a person truly identifies God within creation, they are fully prepared to call out and be answered. That recognition is the ultimate runway for our daily Amidah . Now that we have journeyed through Sha'ar HaBechina , stop for a moment, absorb the greatness, and make that prayer. Mabruk and a massive Mazal Tov to all of us on completing this incredible journey of over 100 classes!

No prayers on Shabbat Welcome to our daily Bitachon special Erev Shabbat discussion on Shabbat . Today's question is why on Shabbat we have a shorter Amidah than during the weekdays. During the weekdays we have a full nineteen Brachot and on Shabbat we have seven Brachot made up of the first three that we always say the last three that we always say and there's only one Bracha in the middle Mekadesh Hashabbat . So there's basically two answers. One is that you can't make your own request on Shabbat hence we have a shorter Amidah . The second reason given is that praying in Amidah takes a lot of effort. It takes a lot of energy. Chassidim HaRishonim would pray an hour before prayer an hour after prayer and it takes a lot of Kochot and Shabbat we want to make life a little easier for you and therefore we have a shorter Amidah . That's one of the reasons given. But let's go back to the first reason. You can't make requests for your own needs on Shabbat and the question is why not? Why shouldn't you make requests for yourself on Shabbat ? One reason is because by making your own requests you realize what you don't need and what you don't have and that's going to make you sad so therefore we don't pray. So one of the answers is that on Shabbat Melachtcha is like it's finished. What is there to request? That you don't have any problems. Everything's done as it says ke'ilu melachtcha asuya like Hashem worked six days and rested on the seventh we too work six days and rest on the seventh. Now how can you possibly do that? Melachtcha asuya that's it finished done there's nothing to think about? How can we reach that level there's nothing to think about? And the answer is that on Shabbat we're supposed to reach the understanding that Hashem is controlling and running the world totally. When a person is in a car and someone else is driving them they don't say you know you have to make a right you have to make a left well maybe he doesn't know where he's going he has Waze he knows where he's going you sit in the back and you're going on an hour ride what do you do you put your chair back and you rest you fall asleep there's nothing to take care of. So although you might have a million things on your mind but you know someone else is taking care of you and therefore you just relax and that's what goes on in Shabbat when you have to do this and that and all the other things that's true but on Shabbat you're supposed to imagine that someone else is taking care. You need a dress you need a suit what if I told you you have your own personal shopper? They fly to Paris for you they get you a dress they measure it they tailor it so you're making a wedding in a week you don't have a dress don't worry about it you have someone that's going to buy it for you and they'll fit you and everything will work that is the feeling of Shabbat everything is done so I don't have to ask for anything I don't have to pray for anything I have everything. Now the one question is so hold on but there is one request where we go through קדשנו במצותיך תן חלקנו בתורתך טהר לבנו לעבדך we're asking Hashem for all kind of requests. Purify my heart make me holy through mitzvot I thought everything's done why do I have to ask for anything? And the answer is everything is done in the physical world everything's done there's nothing else to do Hashem will take care of everything. But when it comes to ruchniyut when it comes to spirituality there we say הכל בידי שמים חוץ מיראת שמים everything in the hands of God but the fear of God that God doesn't take care of that that's our job. Of course you can pray for Hashem to help you that's okay but that job is not finished that job is just beginning on Shabbat when it's a day that's a more spiritual day. Now there is a further concept of why we I'm sorry that in these requests we're really asking for in a way gashmiyut as well because if we're having a headache on Shabbat how can I pray how can I learn? So when we ask for our requests on Shabbat we really are asking in a way for our own needs. We say רצה והחליצנו שלא תהא צרה ויגון ביום מנוחתנו we shouldn't have any problems any heartache on the day of our resting. Hold on I thought you're not allowed to ask anything? I'm not asking for anything I'm asking that I should have peace of mind. If I have a headache if I have worry I can't have peace of mind. So on Shabbat our requests are only regarding spirituality. We want to be able to spend time connecting with Hashem all of our work is done. We just like I asked to use the Mashal person should imagine he sold his business on Friday. Friday for a hundred million dollars. Nothing to think about, I sold it already. And then Sunday morning, I buy it back. That's the feeling of Shabbat , and therefore there is nothing to pray for. Everything's fine, we don't have to pray for. And the only thing I do pray for is to get.

Pausing to Hear Birkat Kohanim When in the Middle of Amidah by Rabbi Avi Harari

Classes on Rambam, divided according to the daily schedule.

We can pray in any language, using any words, at any time, from any place. Yet the fixed prayers many of us say every day contain a hidden danger: repetition can become routine. The weekday Amidah is nearly identical three times a day, with only slight changes depending on the season or the nature of the day. And at least for me, there are far too many times when I suddenly realize I said the wrong words almost automatically, without enough attention or presence. Rabbi Meilech Biderman analyzes a fascinating Talmudic passage about one of those small seasonal changes, and draws from it a deeply encouraging lesson: even a distracted or imperfect prayer may still carry enormous spiritual power. And if prayer said half-awake, distracted, or imperfectly can still reach heaven - imagine what is possible when we truly bring our minds, hearts, and souls into the words. Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congregation in Hampstead, Quebec, and an adjunct professor at McGill University Faculty of Law. ADATH is a modern orthodox synagogue community in suburban Montreal, providing Judaism for the next generation. We take great pleasure in welcoming everyone with a warm smile, while sharing inspiration through prayer, study, and friendship. Rabbi Whitman shares his thoughts and inspirations through online lectures and shiurim, which are available on: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5FLcsC6xz5TmkirT1qObkA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adathmichael/ Podcast - Mining the Riches of the Parsha: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/mining-the-riches-of-the-parsha/id1479615142?fbclid=IwAR1c6YygRR6pvAKFvEmMGCcs0Y6hpmK8tXzPinbum8drqw2zLIo7c9SR-jc Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3hWYhCG5GR8zygw4ZNsSmO Please contact Rabbi Whitman (michael@adath.ca) with any questions or feedback, or to receive a daily email, "Study with Rabbi Whitman Today," with current and past insights for that day, video, and audio, all in one short email sent directly to your inbox.

We cannot begin to imagine how great and powerful our tefillot are. It says in the Tanna D'Bei Eliyahu Zutah, Perek Vav, that Hashem told Moshe, "You will not be able to understand My ways, but I will tell you something about Me." When I see a person stand up to pray before Me, say words of praise, and then beg for help—even if that person does not have good deeds, and his parents do not have good deeds, and even his grandparents do not have good deeds—just because he asked Me properly, I will help him. And if a person prays with true kavanah, the tefillah becomes infinitely greater. The Ya'avetz writes that a person must know how his tefillah can find favor in Hashem's eyes. The main focus should be on the Amidah. If a person says it with the simple meaning of the words in mind, it is more pleasing to Hashem than any type of korban. And the more a person's heart is in it, the more powerful the tefillah becomes. He writes further that tefillah with kavanah has the power to silence all of the prosecuting angels. The Shelah HaKadosh explains that having kavanah means not thinking about anything else while we are praying, and to feel happiness that we are connecting to Hashem as we speak to Him. When a person reaches that level, it is considered such a great avodah that it is beyond what we can even describe. And all of this is speaking about tefillah during regular times. A tefillah made during an et ratzon—a special time of favor—is even more powerful. A certain man once came to the holy Rabbi Moshe of Rozvodov, asking for a yeshuah for something he needed very badly. The Rabbi told him to come back on Lag B'omer, because then it would be an et ratzon—a time of great favor before Hashem—and it would be more fitting to receive salvation in the merit of the Tanna Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. He brought a hint from a pasuk: " לבי ובשרי ירננו אל א-ל חי ." לבי —after thirty-two days, which brings us to the thirty-third day. ובשרי —stands for Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. ירננו —referring to tefillah. אל א-ל חי —to the living Hashem. On this day, the Zohar writes, the heavenly gates are wide open. The Arizal teaches that on this day, judgments are sweetened—din turns into rachamim. It is a day of great divine favor. On this day, the lights in Shamayim begin to shine in preparation for the awesome day of Matan Torah. The Chatam Sofer says that on this day, the Jewish people began eating the mann, the heavenly food that elevated them and prepared them to receive the Torah. One of the reasons we light fires on this day is to show that the lights in Shamayim are beginning to shine—seventeen days( טוב ) before Matan Torah. In the Sefirot, Lag BaOmer is Hod she'b'Hod, which has a connection to the holiness of Yom Kippur. Throughout the generations, people have received great salvations on this day. Tefillah is always powerful, but on days of et ratzon, it is even more powerful. Let us take advantage of this special time and pray with more kavanah, understanding that Hashem is right in front of us, listening to every word. He can help us with any need that we have, and we do not need anyone but Him. Let us feel calm, knowing we are standing before the only One who can help us, and He is giving us His full attention, waiting for us to ask Him for all of our needs.

Sometimes life requires a more intense prayer offering. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 1. The text version can always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

In this episode of What God Showed Me Today, we sit in the tension between two anchor points of Scripture and prayer: Deuteronomy 10:12–13 calls us into something startlingly intimate— to walk in all God's ways, to love Him, and to serve Him with all our heart and soul. But just a few verses later (10:17), Moses describes this same God as "the great, mighty, and awesome God"—a phrase that Jewish prayer preserves in the opening of the Amidah. That word "awesome" (נורא) is not casual language. It carries the sense of a God who is beyond containment, beyond emotional grasp, beyond intellectual reduction—yet still inviting covenant intimacy. This episode explores the paradox: The God who cannot be grasped Is the same God who commands total heart-and-soul intimacy And fear of the Lord is not distance—it is alignment with the overwhelming presence of Love itself We trace how the Amidah preserves this ancient confession: "Great, Mighty, and Awesome" and how that framing actually deepens—not lessens—the call of Deuteronomy 10:12–13. What if "fear of the Lord" is not shrinking back… but stepping fully into a love so vast it overwhelms every lesser loyalty?

התוכן מהפסוק [בראשון דפ' אמור] "והכהן הגדול מאחיו" לומדים חז"ל שהכה"ג צ"ל גדול מאחיו "בכח.. ובעושר", ואם אין לו‏ – ‏אחיו הכהנים מגדלין אותו‏ – ‏"גדלהו משל אחיו". גדלות הכה"ג צ"ל מאחיו הכהנים דוקא, להורות, שגם כשהכהנים הם אלו שגידלוהו, צריכים הם לדעת שהוא הכה"ג והם כהנים סתם ואסורים להיכנס לקודה"ק! וההוראה: פעם הי' הסדר שכאשר למישהו היתה "שאלה" הלך ל"רב" לשמוע פסק-דין. לאחרונה נהי' הסדר שהבעלי-בתים "מראים" לרב איפה להסתכל כדי לברר מהו הפסק-דין..., ועד שהם אומרים לו מה צ"ל הפסק-דין! הבעלי-בתים מתערבים בתחומו של הרב! ועד-כדי-כך שלפעמים מאיימים עליו שיפטרוהו אם לא יפסוק לפי רוחם!... עליהם לדעת: 1) על הבעלי-בתים לחזק ו"לגדל" את הרב אם אין לו תקיפות מצ"ע, אבל 2) עם כל זה הרב הוא זה שנכנס ל"קודש-הקדשים" לפסוק דינים, ועליהם, כ"ממלכת כהנים" סתם, לא להתערב בזה כלל! וכך יצליח להנהיג את קהילתו כדבעי. וזהו א' מג' דברים טובים שיש ללמוד מה"רפורמים": 1) לא מדברים בעת חזרת הש"ץ וקריה"ת. 2) מתחשבים בכבוד ביהכנ"ס. 3) מכבדים את הרב ולא מתערבים בתחומו! ב' חלקים משיחת י"ב תמוז ה'תשח"י ל"הנחה פרטית" או התרגום ללה"ק של השיחה: https://thedailysicha.com/?date=26-04-2026 Synopsis On the verse (in rishon of parashas Emor), “The Kohen who is greater than his brothers…” our Sages derive that the Kohen Gadol must be “greater than his brethren in strength…and in wealth,” and if he lacks wealth, then his fellow Kohanim must make him wealthy from their own property, as the verse states, “‘The Kohen who is greater (hagadol) than his brothers' – elevate him (gadleihu) from the property of his brothers.” That is, even when the Kohanim themselves are the ones who elevated him, they must still recognize that he is the Kohen Gadol, while they are ordinary Kohanim who are forbidden from entering the Kodesh Hakodoshim. In the past, when someone had a halachic question, he would go to a Rav for a ruling, but recently, a new pattern has emerged: The laypeople show the Rav where to look in order to determine the ruling, and they even tell him what the ruling should be. Sometimes, they even threaten to dismiss the Rav if he fails to rule according to their wishes. But this verse teaches us that: (1) On the one hand, the laypeople must strengthen and elevate the Rav if he lacks firmness of his own. (2) Nevertheless, the Rav is the one who “enters the Kodesh HaKodashim” to render halachic rulings, and the laypeople, as a “kingdom of (ordinary) Kohanim” must not interfere at all. This is one of three good things that can be learned even from “Reform” congregations: (1) They do not speak during the repetition of the Amidah or the Torah reading. (2) They are mindful of the honor of the synagogue. (3) They respect the rabbi and do not interfere in his domain.2 excerpts from sichah of 12 Tammuz 5718 For a transcript in English of the Sicha: https://thedailysicha.com/?date=26-04-2026 לע”נ הרה"ח הרה"ת ר' דובער ע"ה יוניק ליום היארצייט שלו ט' אייר. ת.נ.צ.ב.ה.נדבת בנו ר' דוד שי' יוניק*לזכות גנעשא בת בתשבע שתחי' ליום ההולדת שלה ח' אייר - לשנת ברכה והצלחה, ואריכות ימים ושנים טובות

Mi Kamocha Ba’al Gevuros – Siddur Im Dach Page 278. This class explores the profound concepts of divine healing, the spiritual significance of the blessing of resurrection in the Amidah, and the mystical journey of the Shekhinah through the worlds of Atzilos, Bria, Yitzirah, and Asiya, as well as deep insights into the spiritual processes ... Read more

The pasuk says that the Jewish people cried out to Hashem in tefillah during their harsh slavery in Mitzrayim, and Hashem heard their tefillot and remembered the treaty He made with Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, and then He redeemed them. Although Chazal tell us many reasons for what brought about the ge'ulah from Mitzrayim—such as the emunah that they had in Hashem, the merit of the righteous women, the fact that they stayed separate in name, language, and dress, that they remained morally pure, and that they did not speak lashon hara—it seems from the pasuk that the final catalyst to bring the ge'ulah was their prayers. It is brought down in the sefer Chafetz Chaim al HaTorah that toward the end of the Chafetz Chaim's life, at a seudah shelishit on Parashat Shemot in front of many gedolim, the Rav said, "that it is known the Jewish people were finally redeemed from Mitzrayim because of their tefillot. And we have a tradition from the Navi Micha that our future redemption will be just like the one from Mitzrayim, as it says: כִּימֵי צֵאתְךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם אַרְאֶנּוּ נִפְלָאוֹת In Mitzrayim, everything was ready for the ge'ulah to happen. Moshe Rabbeinu was already born, and everything was in place. Yet it appears from the pesukim that without tefillah, they would not have been redeemed. All Hashem was waiting for was His children to cry out to Him that they wanted to be redeemed. For our ge'ulah, which we hope will come very soon, our tefillot are essential to bring it about. It could be that everything is ready, and all that is necessary is our tefillot to finish it off. Therefore, I am going to travel to the Gadol Hador, Rav Chaim Ozer, and ask him to tell Klal Yisrael to strengthen themselves in prayer for the ge'ulah, and then we will finally be zoche to be redeemed from this long and bitter exile." After seudah shelishit, the Chafetz Chaim told the chazan in the shul to go a little quicker so he could leave to go see Rav Chaim Ozer. In the end, the Chafetz Chaim's family convinced him not to travel due to the life danger it would pose at his advanced age. So the Chafetz Chaim told someone to send a message to Rav Shimon Shkop to tell him to go instead. However, due to technical difficulties, that did not happen either. After the Chafetz Chaim found out that nobody went to Rav Chaim Ozer, he said, "We just missed an opportune time for the ge'ulah." The message of the Chafetz Chaim at that time is actually a Midrash in Shemot Rabbah, which quotes Hashem as saying that when the Jewish people cry out to Me, their salvation will come. That is what happened by the burning bush, that is what happened during the days of Gidon, and that is what will happen for the final ge'ulah to take place. We are still in the month of Nisan, which Chazal tell us is a very opportune time for ge'ulah. There are major things going on in the world at large, with a focus on Eretz Yisrael. Who knows what kind of opportunity we have at this time. It is incumbent upon all of us to strengthen ourselves and pray for the ge'ulah shelemah. We put so much emphasis on praying for things that we need—like parnassah, refuah, and shidduchim. We cry and beg Hashem for salvations, but we must not put any less effort into praying for the ge'ulah shelemah. It is going to be our prayers that will produce the moment that all of Klal Yisrael has been anticipating since the beginning of time. The Mashiach may very well be here and waiting. It is up to us to make it happen. Let us put more focus in the Amidah on the berachot that have to do with the ge'ulah, and be'ezrat Hashem, Hashem will hear His children crying out to Him and give us the Mashiach Tzidkeinu b'karov. Amen

Learn the Amidah and Kaddish with simple and straightforward recordings of Ashkenazi tradition. how to say kaddish how to daven learn amidah amidah prayer guide kaddish tutorial jewish prayer for beginners tefillah guide daily prayer jewish how to pray jewish learn jewish prayers kaddish pronunciation amidah step by step guided tefillah orthodox prayer guide

Learn the Amidah and Kaddish with simple and straightforward recordings of Ashkenazi tradition. how to say kaddish how to daven learn amidah amidah prayer guide kaddish tutorial jewish prayer for beginners tefillah guide daily prayer jewish how to pray jewish learn jewish prayers kaddish pronunciation amidah step by step guided tefillah orthodox prayer guide

Learn the Amidah and Kaddish with simple and straightforward recordings of Ashkenazi tradition. how to say kaddish how to daven learn amidah amidah prayer guide kaddish tutorial jewish prayer for beginners tefillah guide daily prayer jewish how to pray jewish learn jewish prayers kaddish pronunciation amidah step by step guided tefillah orthodox prayer guide

Learn the Amidah and Kaddish with simple and straightforward recordings of Ashkenazi tradition. how to say kaddish how to daven learn amidah amidah prayer guide kaddish tutorial jewish prayer for beginners tefillah guide daily prayer jewish how to pray jewish learn jewish prayers kaddish pronunciation amidah step by step guided tefillah orthodox prayer guide

Learn the Amidah and Kaddish with simple and straightforward recordings of Ashkenazi tradition. how to say kaddish how to daven learn amidah amidah prayer guide kaddish tutorial jewish prayer for beginners tefillah guide daily prayer jewish how to pray jewish learn jewish prayers kaddish pronunciation amidah step by step guided tefillah orthodox prayer guide

Learn the Amidah and Kaddish with simple and straightforward recordings of Ashkenazi tradition. how to say kaddish how to daven learn amidah amidah prayer guide kaddish tutorial jewish prayer for beginners tefillah guide daily prayer jewish how to pray jewish learn jewish prayers kaddish pronunciation amidah step by step guided tefillah orthodox prayer guide

Learn the Amidah and Kaddish with simple and straightforward recordings of Ashkenazi tradition. how to say kaddish how to daven learn amidah amidah prayer guide kaddish tutorial jewish prayer for beginners tefillah guide daily prayer jewish how to pray jewish learn jewish prayers kaddish pronunciation amidah step by step guided tefillah orthodox prayer guide

Learn the Amidah and Kaddish with simple and straightforward recordings of Ashkenazi tradition. how to say kaddish how to daven learn amidah amidah prayer guide kaddish tutorial jewish prayer for beginners tefillah guide daily prayer jewish how to pray jewish learn jewish prayers kaddish pronunciation amidah step by step guided tefillah orthodox prayer guide

Learn the Amidah and Kaddish with simple and straightforward recordings of Ashkenazi tradition. how to say kaddish how to daven learn amidah amidah prayer guide kaddish tutorial jewish prayer for beginners tefillah guide daily prayer jewish how to pray jewish learn jewish prayers kaddish pronunciation amidah step by step guided tefillah orthodox prayer guide

Learn the Amidah and Kaddish with simple and straightforward recordings of Ashkenazi tradition. how to say kaddish how to daven learn amidah amidah prayer guide kaddish tutorial jewish prayer for beginners tefillah guide daily prayer jewish how to pray jewish learn jewish prayers kaddish pronunciation amidah step by step guided tefillah orthodox prayer guide

Learn the Amidah and Kaddish with simple and straightforward recordings of Ashkenazi tradition. how to say kaddish how to daven learn amidah amidah prayer guide kaddish tutorial jewish prayer for beginners tefillah guide daily prayer jewish how to pray jewish learn jewish prayers kaddish pronunciation amidah step by step guided tefillah orthodox prayer guide

Learn the Amidah and Kaddish with simple and straightforward recordings of Ashkenazi tradition. how to say kaddish how to daven learn amidah amidah prayer guide kaddish tutorial jewish prayer for beginners tefillah guide daily prayer jewish how to pray jewish learn jewish prayers kaddish pronunciation amidah step by step guided tefillah orthodox prayer guide

Learn the Amidah and Kaddish with simple and straightforward recordings of Ashkenazi tradition. how to say kaddish how to daven learn amidah amidah prayer guide kaddish tutorial jewish prayer for beginners tefillah guide daily prayer jewish how to pray jewish learn jewish prayers kaddish pronunciation amidah step by step guided tefillah orthodox prayer guide

Learn the Amidah and Kaddish with simple and straightforward recordings of Ashkenazi tradition. how to say kaddish how to daven learn amidah amidah prayer guide kaddish tutorial jewish prayer for beginners tefillah guide daily prayer jewish how to pray jewish learn jewish prayers kaddish pronunciation amidah step by step guided tefillah orthodox prayer guide

Learn the Amidah and Kaddish with simple and straightforward recordings of Ashkenazi tradition. how to say kaddish how to daven learn amidah amidah prayer guide kaddish tutorial jewish prayer for beginners tefillah guide daily prayer jewish how to pray jewish learn jewish prayers kaddish pronunciation amidah step by step guided tefillah orthodox prayer guide

Learn the Amidah and Kaddish with simple and straightforward recordings of Ashkenazi tradition. how to say kaddish how to daven learn amidah amidah prayer guide kaddish tutorial jewish prayer for beginners tefillah guide daily prayer jewish how to pray jewish learn jewish prayers kaddish pronunciation amidah step by step guided tefillah orthodox prayer guide

Learn the Amidah and Kaddish with simple and straightforward recordings of Ashkenazi tradition. how to say kaddish how to daven learn amidah amidah prayer guide kaddish tutorial jewish prayer for beginners tefillah guide daily prayer jewish how to pray jewish learn jewish prayers kaddish pronunciation amidah step by step guided tefillah orthodox prayer guide

Learn the Amidah and Kaddish with simple and straightforward recordings of Ashkenazi tradition. how to say kaddish how to daven learn amidah amidah prayer guide kaddish tutorial jewish prayer for beginners tefillah guide daily prayer jewish how to pray jewish learn jewish prayers kaddish pronunciation amidah step by step guided tefillah orthodox prayer guide

Learn the Amidah and Kaddish with simple and straightforward recordings of Ashkenazi tradition. how to say kaddish how to daven learn amidah amidah prayer guide kaddish tutorial jewish prayer for beginners tefillah guide daily prayer jewish how to pray jewish learn jewish prayers kaddish pronunciation amidah step by step guided tefillah orthodox prayer guide

Learn the Amidah and Kaddish with simple and straightforward recordings of Ashkenazi tradition. how to say kaddish how to daven learn amidah amidah prayer guide kaddish tutorial jewish prayer for beginners tefillah guide daily prayer jewish how to pray jewish learn jewish prayers kaddish pronunciation amidah step by step guided tefillah orthodox prayer guide

Learn the Amidah and Kaddish with simple and straightforward recordings of Ashkenazi tradition. how to say kaddish how to daven learn amidah amidah prayer guide kaddish tutorial jewish prayer for beginners tefillah guide daily prayer jewish how to pray jewish learn jewish prayers kaddish pronunciation amidah step by step guided tefillah orthodox prayer guide

Learn the Amidah and Kaddish with simple and straightforward recordings of Ashkenazi tradition. how to say kaddish how to daven learn amidah amidah prayer guide kaddish tutorial jewish prayer for beginners tefillah guide daily prayer jewish how to pray jewish learn jewish prayers kaddish pronunciation amidah step by step guided tefillah orthodox prayer guide

Learn the Amidah and Kaddish with simple and straightforward recordings of Ashkenazi tradition. how to say kaddish how to daven learn amidah amidah prayer guide kaddish tutorial jewish prayer for beginners tefillah guide daily prayer jewish how to pray jewish learn jewish prayers kaddish pronunciation amidah step by step guided tefillah orthodox prayer guide

Learn the Amidah and Kaddish with simple and straightforward recordings of Ashkenazi tradition. how to say kaddish how to daven learn amidah amidah prayer guide kaddish tutorial jewish prayer for beginners tefillah guide daily prayer jewish how to pray jewish learn jewish prayers kaddish pronunciation amidah step by step guided tefillah orthodox prayer guide

Learn the Amidah and Kaddish with simple and straightforward recordings of Ashkenazi tradition. how to say kaddish how to daven learn amidah amidah prayer guide kaddish tutorial jewish prayer for beginners tefillah guide daily prayer jewish how to pray jewish learn jewish prayers kaddish pronunciation amidah step by step guided tefillah orthodox prayer guide

Learn the Amidah and Kaddish with simple and straightforward recordings of Ashkenazi tradition. how to say kaddish how to daven learn amidah amidah prayer guide kaddish tutorial jewish prayer for beginners tefillah guide daily prayer jewish how to pray jewish learn jewish prayers kaddish pronunciation amidah step by step guided tefillah orthodox prayer guide

Learn the Amidah and Kaddish with simple and straightforward recordings of Ashkenazi tradition. how to say kaddish how to daven learn amidah amidah prayer guide kaddish tutorial jewish prayer for beginners tefillah guide daily prayer jewish how to pray jewish learn jewish prayers kaddish pronunciation amidah step by step guided tefillah orthodox prayer guide

The Mishneh Torah was the Rambam's (Rabbi Moses ben Maimon) magnum opus, a work spanning hundreds of chapters and describing all of the laws mentioned in the Torah. To this day it is the only work that details all of Jewish observance, including those laws which are only applicable when the Holy Temple is in place. Participating in one of the annual study cycles of these laws (3 chapters/day, 1 chapter/day, or Sefer Hamitzvot) is a way we can play a small but essential part in rebuilding the final Temple.

The Sefer HaChinuch writes in Mitzvah תלג , that goodness and blessing come upon a person according to his deeds and thoughts, and our Creator, who wants our good, has taught us about the precious mitzvot through which we can merit the greatest blessings. As well, He taught us a way in which we could have all of our wants for the good, and that is by asking Him, the One who has the wherewithal and ability to provide us with everything we could possibly need.He will answer anyone who calls out to Him with sincerity. The Chinuch continues, besides informing us of the precious gift of tefillah, He also commanded us to utilize it and ask from Him constantly for every single thing we need. If we do that, besides for getting what we want, we will also be ingraining in ourselves the emunah, that He is involved in every little detail of our lives and that nothing can stop Him from giving us everything we could want. That is the end of the quote of the Sefer HaChinuch. We know how precious tefillah is, but sometimes we forget to take advantage of it. A man told me he had two issues in his home that were bothering him for months. One was an electrical issue with something installed in his home, and one was a plumbing issue. For some reason, he was having an extremely hard time getting both of them resolved. The electrician kept telling him he was too busy to come, and when he tried calling different electricians, they would all say, the one who installed it has to be the one to fix it, as it was a special unit. As well, the plumber was unresponsive. This past Friday morning, as the man was making his regular requests in the Amidah, he thought to himself, he never once asked Hashem for help with those quote-unquote petty issues. He decided to pray to Hashem to get them fixed. After shul, he called the electrician, and this time he answered right away. The electrician gave him his ear, and when he was once again informed of the problem, the electrician told him he could guide him on the phone, step by step, what to do to fix the issue. When the man got home, the electrician guided him, and sure enough, the problem was finally fixed. Right after that, he called the plumber, and this time, the plumber answered and finally agreed to come. Two days later, and Baruch Hashem, he came and fixed the issue. There is nothing that is too small to pray for. Sometimes, we just forget to utilize the awesome gift of tefillah that Hashem has given us. I once read a story about a man who was rushing out of his house for an important meeting. As he went to his car, he suddenly realized he didn't have his car keys with him, so he ran back to the house to get them, but couldn't find them anywhere. He began to panic because the meeting was very important, and he was already running late. He started searching faster and faster, opening drawers, moving around papers, and then he stopped for a minute and said to himself, Hashem knows exactly where my keys are. Why don't I make a tefillah and ask Him for help? He then closed his eyes and asked Hashem to please show him where the keys were so he could make the meeting on time. Less than a minute later, he found the keys lying under a magazine in the kitchen. Tefillah is always great, and we must never forget to utilize it at all times.

In this episode of the Parsha Review Podcast, Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe delves into Parshas Tetzaveh, focusing on the garments (bigdei kehuna) of the Kohen Gadol (High Priest). He highlights the verse commanding Moshe to speak to the "wise-hearted" (chachmei lev) whom Hashem invests with wisdom to create these sacred vestments, questioning how former slaves in Egypt, unskilled in craftsmanship, could suddenly excel. The key insight: True wisdom stems from a deep desire (ratzon) for it, not prior education or skills—Hashem grants wisdom to those who seek it passionately, as per the Mishnah's definition of wisdom as learning from everyone without prejudice.Rabbi Wolbe illustrates this with modern and historical examples: Elon Musk's rapid mastery of cars and rockets despite no prior knowledge, driven by insatiable curiosity; Reb Elyashiv's fervent Torah study at age 102; Rav Moshe Feinstein's multiple completions of the Talmud (101 times, four cycles); and a Talmudic story responding to a Roman noblewoman's query on why wisdom goes to the wise—they're the ones who will use it productively. He contrasts this with mediocrity, urging never-ending pursuit of knowledge to avoid spiritual stagnation, and ties it to parenting: Instill a love for Torah from infancy (e.g., teaching "Torah Tziva Lanu Moshe" as first words) and encourage children's "why" questions to foster curiosity.The discussion extends to appreciating Hashem's daily miracles in nature (e.g., the apple's infinite potential), rejecting "mother nature" for divine command (mishpatei piv), and the Amidah's first request for wisdom. Ultimately, desire is the root of achievement—eternal in Torah vs. temporary in wealth or fame—warning against boredom leading to sin and advocating lifelong vitality through learning. He concludes with a blessing for wisdom-seeking and an amazing Shabbos._____________This episode of the Parsha Review Podcast is dedicated in honor of Lenny & Teresa FriedmanDownload & Print the Parsha Review Notes:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ncaRyoH5iJmGGoMZs9y82Hz2ofViVouv?usp=sharingRecorded at TORCH Meyerland in the Levin Family Studios (B) to a live audience on February 24, 2026, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on February 27, 2026_____________Subscribe: Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/parsha-review-podcast-rabbi-aryeh-wolbe/id1651930083)Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/22lv1kXJob5ZNLaAl6CHTQ) to stay inspired! Share your questions at awolbe@torchweb.org or visit torchweb.org for more Torah content.  _____________About the Host:Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe, Director of TORCH in Houston, brings decades of Torah scholarship to guide listeners in applying Jewish wisdom to daily life.  To directly send your questions, comments, and feedback: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Support Our Mission:Help us share Jewish wisdom globally by sponsoring an episode at torchweb.org. Your support makes a difference!_____________Subscribe and Listen to other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Hey Rabbi! Podcast: https://heyrabbi.transistor.fm/episodesPrayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodesJewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodesParsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodesLiving Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodesThinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodesUnboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodesRabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodesFor a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at http://podcast.torchweb.org_____________Keywords:#Torah, #Parsha, #Exodus, #Shemos, #Terumah, #Mishkan, #Dwell, #JewishPride, #HashemWithin, #Tabernacle, #TorahPortion, #Middot, #CharacterTraits, #EmulateGod, #TikkunMiddot, #ShabbosPrep, #TorahPodcast, #HashemInUs ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of the Parsha Review Podcast, Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe delves into Parshas Tetzaveh, focusing on the garments (bigdei kehuna) of the Kohen Gadol (High Priest). He highlights the verse commanding Moshe to speak to the "wise-hearted" (chachmei lev) whom Hashem invests with wisdom to create these sacred vestments, questioning how former slaves in Egypt, unskilled in craftsmanship, could suddenly excel. The key insight: True wisdom stems from a deep desire (ratzon) for it, not prior education or skills—Hashem grants wisdom to those who seek it passionately, as per the Mishnah's definition of wisdom as learning from everyone without prejudice.Rabbi Wolbe illustrates this with modern and historical examples: Elon Musk's rapid mastery of cars and rockets despite no prior knowledge, driven by insatiable curiosity; Reb Elyashiv's fervent Torah study at age 102; Rav Moshe Feinstein's multiple completions of the Talmud (101 times, four cycles); and a Talmudic story responding to a Roman noblewoman's query on why wisdom goes to the wise—they're the ones who will use it productively. He contrasts this with mediocrity, urging never-ending pursuit of knowledge to avoid spiritual stagnation, and ties it to parenting: Instill a love for Torah from infancy (e.g., teaching "Torah Tziva Lanu Moshe" as first words) and encourage children's "why" questions to foster curiosity.The discussion extends to appreciating Hashem's daily miracles in nature (e.g., the apple's infinite potential), rejecting "mother nature" for divine command (mishpatei piv), and the Amidah's first request for wisdom. Ultimately, desire is the root of achievement—eternal in Torah vs. temporary in wealth or fame—warning against boredom leading to sin and advocating lifelong vitality through learning. He concludes with a blessing for wisdom-seeking and an amazing Shabbos._____________This episode of the Parsha Review Podcast is dedicated in honor of Lenny & Teresa FriedmanDownload & Print the Parsha Review Notes:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ncaRyoH5iJmGGoMZs9y82Hz2ofViVouv?usp=sharingRecorded at TORCH Meyerland in the Levin Family Studios (B) to a live audience on February 24, 2026, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on February 27, 2026_____________Subscribe: Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/parsha-review-podcast-rabbi-aryeh-wolbe/id1651930083)Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/22lv1kXJob5ZNLaAl6CHTQ) to stay inspired! Share your questions at awolbe@torchweb.org or visit torchweb.org for more Torah content.  _____________About the Host:Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe, Director of TORCH in Houston, brings decades of Torah scholarship to guide listeners in applying Jewish wisdom to daily life.  To directly send your questions, comments, and feedback: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Support Our Mission:Help us share Jewish wisdom globally by sponsoring an episode at torchweb.org. Your support makes a difference!_____________Subscribe and Listen to other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Hey Rabbi! Podcast: https://heyrabbi.transistor.fm/episodesPrayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodesJewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodesParsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodesLiving Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodesThinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodesUnboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodesRabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodesFor a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at http://podcast.torchweb.org_____________Keywords:#Torah, #Parsha, #Exodus, #Shemos, #Terumah, #Mishkan, #Dwell, #JewishPride, #HashemWithin, #Tabernacle, #TorahPortion, #Middot, #CharacterTraits, #EmulateGod, #TikkunMiddot, #ShabbosPrep, #TorahPodcast, #HashemInUs ★ Support this podcast ★

​1)       Shouldthe congregation be reading the Haftoroh along with the Reader? [1]2)       Unfortunately, this past Shabbos we didn't have a minyan. If we have a minyan this coming Shabbos, could we read Parshas Shkolim for Maftir? [2]3)       A child isn't obliged to give Machatzis haShekel before Purim. But if the father gave on his behalf, he must continue doing so “forever”. Is that ‘forever' taken literally?[3]4)       Does a large walk-in fridge need to ave a Mezuzah? [4]5)       It is customary that after Havdolo, we dip our fingers in the spilled wine and place the wet fingers over our eyes. Does this custom apply to women too?[5]6)       When reciting Kiddush Levono, if East doesn't face Yerusholayim which direction should one face?[6]  7)       The Chazan forgot to include Tiskabel in Kaddish afterthe Amidah. Can that be corrected later?[7]8)       When a left-handed person ties his shoelaces, should he tie the left shoe first?[8]9)       Tying the left shoelaces first, does that apply to women too?[9]10)   Feedback on Tefillin-knot for lefties:[10]11)   Feedback on volume of water in packed snow:[11]To sponsor a Shiur – to honour a specialoccasion - contact: dayan@lubavitchuk.com[1] ראה שוע"ר סי'רפד סי"א; שערי אפרים ש"ט סל"ג, הובא בביאור הלכה סי' רפד. ושלח ליהר"י פוזנר נ"י, שליח בשיקאגא, שאביו ז"ל סיפר לו שפעם אחת הכריזר' בעל חאסקינד ע"ה בשם כ"ק אדמו"ר מוהריי"צ נ"ע:הפטרהדארף מען הערן, ניט זאגן. זאגן די הפטרה איז א מנהג פון בורות. אויב יע זאגן איזשטילערהייט.הובאוהדברים בס' הליכות ומנהגי ש"ק (זליגסון) ע' צו. וראה שיחות קודש תשל"זאחש"פ סוס"ג; ארחות מנחם ע' נז; דברינו בארוכה בס' נתיבים בהלכה ומנהגסימן לב.[2] האריך בזה בשו"ת גנת וורדים או"ח כלל אסימן לה, ומסקנתו שאי אפשר להשלים אחרי שעבר יומו. ושאני פרשת השבוע, כי יש מקומותשמשלימים לקרות בתורה א' לג' שנים, לכן ניתן להשלים בשבת אחרת. משא"כ בפרשתהמועדות, דא"א להשלים אחר המועד. וה"ה לד' פרשיות.[3] ראה פיה"מלהרמב"ם שקלים פ"א מ"ג.[4] בס' שכל טוב (סי' רפו סל"ו) הביא דעות לכאןולכאן. ולחמודי דניאל דמחייב חדר קטן שהוא חלק מבית גדול, ה"ה לנדו"ד.[5] ראה שוע"ר סי' רצו ס"ה; אגרות קודשחי"ב ע' רכה-ו.[6] ראה פסקי תשובות סי'תכו אות טז; דברינו בסדר קידוש לבנה הע' 7..[7] ראה ס' שגיאות מי יבין ח"א סי' יט ס"ח.[8]  בס' דיני איטר פ"ב ס"ז כתבשיקשור של נעל ימין תחלה. [ושם כתב שאיטר-רגל יחבוש הנעל תחלה על רגלשמאלו].                                                                                                                                  [9] כן כתבו פסקי תשובותסי' ב סוף אות ה; דיני איטר שם.[10]  פסקי דינים מהגרז"ש דווארקיןבענייני סת"ם (אדר תשמ"ה) אות כא.[11]  במשקל: הכלי עם השלג העמוס: 905 גר.;מלא מים: 1936. היינו 47%. בנפח: השלג העמוס: 4 כוסות ועוד; מים: 10 כוסות. היינו44%. אכן יש להעיר מדין פת סופגנית ופת שיש בה חלל (עוקצין פ"ב מ"ח,הובא בשוע"ר סי' תפו ס"ב.​

Omed, "stands," and omed le-, "is about to," are two different things. Guy teaches us the important words in this shorseh("root"), ע.מ.ד, one of which is also a sexual term. At the end of the episode, Guy explains how you can learn Hebrew from reading tombstones at an old Tel Aviv cemetery. Hear the All-Hebrew Episode on Patreon   New Words and Expressions: La'amod – To stand – לעמוד "Ha-kol omed bamakom" – Everything stands still – הכל עומד במקום Hu omed – He is standing – הוא עומד Hu omed lalechet – He's about to go – הוא עומד ללכת Hi amda linsoa le-chul – She was about to go abroad – היא עמדה לנסוע לחו"ל Aval ba-sof hi lo nas'aa – But she didn't go in the end – אבל בסוף היא לא נסעה Ani rotse lada'at eifo ani omed ba'avoda – I want to know where I am standing at work – אני רוצה לדעת איפה אני עומד בעבודה Omed lo – He's got an erection – עומד לו Ha-lev sheli lo omed be-ze yoter – My heart cannot stand this anymore – הלב שלי לא עומד בזה יותר Ani lo omed be-ze – I can't deal with it – אני לא עומד בזה Ani omed al zeh – I insist – אני עומד על זה Amida – Standing – עמידה Tfilat ha-amida – The standing prayer – תפילת העמידה  "Hayiti ne'emad lo pa'am um-chakeh la" – I often used to stand and wait for her – הייתי נעמד לא פעם ומחכה לה Hu ne'emad leyadi – He came and stood next to me – הוא נעמד לידי Le'amed sefer – To lay out a book – לעמד ספר "Bo'u nir'eh eich efshar le'amed be-ezrat ha Word et ha-daf" – Let's see how we can lay out the page with the help of Word software – בואו נראה איך אפשר לעמד בעזרת הוורד את הדף Ata batuach she-ata rotseh leha'amid et ha-aron po? – Are you sure you want to place the closet here? – אתה בטוח שאתה רוצה להעמיד את הארון פה Leha'amid panim – To pretend – להעמיד פנים Ata ma'amid oti be-matsav lo na'im – You're putting me in an uncomfortable position – אתה מעמיד אותי במצב לא נעים Lehaamid mishehu ba-makom – To put someone in their place – להעמיד מישהו במקום Hu huamad ba-makom – He was put in his place – הוא הועמד במקום Ha-shulchan hu'amad be-emtsa ha-cheder – The table was placed in the middle of the room – השולחן הועמד באמצע החדר Lehatsig et ha-mu'amadim – To present the candidates – להציג את המועמדים Emda – Position, workstation – עמדה Mahi emdatcha legabei – What's your position on…? – מהי עמדתך לגבי Emdat mafteach – Key position – עמדת מפתח   Guy's parting monologue: .אז היום אני רוצה לספר לכם שבשבוע שעבר לימדתי עברית בבית העלמין טרומפלדור, בית הקברות הראשון של תל אביב מ-1902, שבו קבורים לא מעט אנשים מפורסמים. Today I want to tell you that last week I taught Hebrew at the old Trumpeldor Cemetery, the first cemetery of Tel Aviv, from 1902, where lots of celebrities are buried. יש לי סיור שם, שבו אנחנו לומדים עברית מתוך המצבות. יש שם מילים בעברית ישנה, כמעט עברית תנ"כית, וכל מיני קיצורים יהודיים מעניינים, והתלמידים יכולים I have a tour there where we learn tombstone Hebrew. There are words in old Hebrew, almost biblical, and lots of interesting Hebrew acronyms, and the students can take a photo of the tombstones and work on the texts at home. .אבל אפשר גם להכיר את האנשים שחיו בתל אביב לפני יותר ממאה שנה. בסיור קפצנו גם להגיד שלום לכמה בני משפחה שלי, אח של סבא, הסבא-רבא שלי, וזה היה ממש נחמד. But one can also meet the people who lived in Tel Aviv more than 100 years ago. On this tour we dropped by to say hi to a few family members of mine, my grandpa's brother, my great grandpa, and that was nice. .בשבילי זה לא כל כך מקום של מוות, זה סיור שחוגג את החיים של האנשים האלה, שהשפיעו כל כך על כל מה שקרה כאן For me, it's so not so much of a place of death; it's a tour that celebrates these people's life, people who really influenced everything which happened here.   Playlist and Clips: Gali Atari – Ha-kol Omed Ba-makom (lyrics) Amidah on Wikipedia Shlomo Artzi & Arik Einstein – Hozrim Ha-baita (lyrics) Le'amed – To layout Arik Sinai – Ma'amid Panim (lyrics)

In Ask Away #29 of the Everyday Judaism podcast, Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe answers a wide range of live and emailed questions on practical halacha, Jewish identity, and intentional living:Seven-grain bread — Still hamotzi (bread) because it is made from the five grains + water with bread-like consistency, texture, and taste—even with added grains/flavors.Pretzel bagels/pretzel buns — Treated as bread (hamotzi) due to consistency; the pretzel topping/flavor doesn't change the halachic status.Matzah — Hamotzi (considered bread, just unleavened); crackers generally fall into mezonot (pas haba b'kisnin/snack category).Matriarchs & grandchildren — No specific tradition explains why Sarah, Rivka, and Rachel never saw grandchildren (Isaac married after Sarah's death; Rivka died before grandchildren returned; Rachel died en route to Bethlehem). Leah likely saw at least Asenat (Dina's daughter). Rabbi emphasizes the privilege of seeing grandchildren/great-grandchildren today and grandparents' responsibility to influence positively without overstepping (e.g., no interference in naming).Naming customs — Parents alone decide children's names (no parental/grandparental veto); alleged Midrash says parents receive prophetic guidance at birth/bris. Adding a second name (e.g., after a deceased relative) is common when appropriate.God/Hashem in English — Many poskim consider “God” (G-O-D) equivalent to writing/saying Hashem's name in English—avoid casual use (“oh my God”); say “Hashem,” “Almighty,” or “Creator” instead. In blessings (e.g., Amidah in English), use “Hashem” with same kavana (focus/intent) as Ado-nai.Public Hamotzi & children — Educational (teaches brachot), but ideally includes hand-washing and actual bread-eating; without these, it's not proper netilat yadayim/hamotzi.Gluten-free bread — If made from five grains + water and bread-like, hamotzi; pure potato starch “bread” is not hamotzi (mezonot or shehakol depending on form).The rabbi stresses halachic precision (e.g., bread vs. snack distinctions), gratitude for seeing grandchildren, and avoiding casual use of God's name in English.Please submit your questions at askaway@torchweb.org_____________The Everyday Judaism Podcast is dedicated to learning, understanding and appreciating the greatness of Jewish heritage and the Torah through the simplified, concise study of Halacha, Jewish Law, thereby enhancing our understanding of how Hashem wants us to live our daily lives in a Jewish way._____________This Podcast Series is Generously Underwritten by Marshall & Doreen LernerDownload & Print the Everyday Judaism Halacha Notes:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1RL-PideM42B_LFn6pbrk8MMU5-zqlLG5This episode (Ep. #86) of the Everyday Judaism Podcast by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe of TORCH is dedicated to my dearest friends, Marshall & Doreen Lerner! May Hashem bless you and always lovingly accept your prayer for good health, success and true happiness!!!Recorded in the TORCH Centre - Levin Family Studio (B) to a live audience on January 11, 2026, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on February 4, 2026_____________Connect with Us:Subscribe to the Everyday Judaism PodcastApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/everyday-judaism-rabbi-aryeh-wolbe/id1600622789Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3AXCNcyKSVsaOLsLQsCN1CShare your questions at askaway@torchweb.org or visit torchweb.org for more Torah content.  _____________About the Host:Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe, Director of TORCH in Houston, brings decades of Torah scholarship to guide listeners in applying Jewish wisdom to daily life.  To directly send your questions, comments, and feedback: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Support Our Mission:Help us share Jewish wisdom globally by sponsoring an episode at torchweb.org. Your support makes a difference!_____________Subscribe and Listen to other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Hey Rabbi! Podcast: https://heyrabbi.transistor.fm/episodesPrayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodesJewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodesParsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodesLiving Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodesThinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodesUnboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodesRabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodesFor a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at http://podcast.torchweb.org_____________Keywords:#AskAway, #Torah, #Halacha, #Q&A, #Jewish, #Halacha, #Hamotzi, #Bread, #Blessings, #Matzah, #Pretzel, #Bagel, #NamingChildren, #God ★ Support this podcast ★

Chazal tell us, "Ein adam shome'a leey u'mafsid" — no one ever listens to Hashem and loses. When a person acts according to the will of Hashem, he always gains. He may not see the gain immediately. He may not see any result right away. But in the end, he always wins. Sometimes Hashem gives a person a very difficult test. If he acts honestly, he may lose money. If he speaks truthfully, he may lose an opportunity. If he refuses to cut corners, he may lose a deal, a job, or a position. And then the thought creeps in, "If I had just been a little less careful, I would have gained so much." But that thought is a mistake. It may look like he lost in the short term, but in the end he will only gain from doing what was right. Rarely do we see the reward immediately. Most of the time, the benefit comes later, in a way we never could have imagined. But when we do merit to see the reward right away, it gives us tremendous chizuk. An avreich from New York told the following story. His parents live in London, and from time to time he travels there with his family to visit them. One winter day, he traveled with his wife and children — five people altogether. There were many delays at the airport. When boarding finally began, he realized there were only a few minutes left to pray Mincha. As soon as he started the Amidah, an announcement was made: the flight was overbooked, and they were looking for volunteers to get off the plane. Anyone who agreed would receive a ticket for the next day and compensation of one thousand dollars. A thought flashed through his mind. Five people. Five thousand dollars. Money he could certainly use. He was about to raise his hand, but then he stopped himself. He was standing before Melech Malchei HaMelachim. It is forbidden to interrupt the Amidah, even with a gesture. The yetzer hara whispered, "You already lost your concentration. Make the sign quickly, and then you'll go back to praying properly." But he strengthened himself and said, "If this money is meant for me, Hashem will give it to me without my doing something forbidden." He continued praying with all his heart. A few moments after he finished, another announcement was made. Since no volunteers had come forward, the compensation was now raised to two thousand five hundred dollars per passenger. He went to the counter and accepted the offer. Later, he calculated. Five thousand dollars for changing the flight. And seven thousand five hundred dollars for not interrupting his prayer. Another woman told me her story. Her family had grown, several children were already married, and she no longer had room to host them. She and her husband were looking to buy a bigger home, but they did not want to leave their neighborhood. One day, a real estate agent called with an unbelievable opportunity. A huge lot with a small house in the exact area they wanted, at a price that almost never exists. They could buy it cheaply and use the extra money to build their dream home. Then they discovered that buying this property would seriously harm someone else. Without hesitation, she said no. People told them they were foolish. "Opportunities like this don't come twice," they said. But she refused. Less than two weeks later, the agent called again. Just one block away, an even better property was about to go on the market. Same size lot, similar house — and one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars cheaper. They bought it, built exactly what they needed, and saw clearly how Hashem had rewarded them for doing what was right. Most of the time, we do not see immediately how much we gain by choosing Hashem. But the rule never changes. No one ever lost by doing the will of Hashem. No one ever sacrificed for Hashem and came out the loser. In the end — always — the one who chooses what is right is the one who wins.

As we know, the miracles that Hashem performed at Yetziat Mitzrayim were not only to take revenge on the Egyptians. They were also to teach us lessons that we would need for all generations. Rabbi Menashe Reizman quoted Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel, who explained one of those lessons. The Egyptians believed in numerous gods, and every one of them was connected to their source of parnassah. They worshipped the sheep that gave them parnassah. They worshipped the Nile River that gave them parnassah. They worshipped Pharaoh, who they believed gave them parnassah. And Hashem made a mockery of all those gods, including the Baal Tzafon. Baal Tzafon was the place where Yosef hid all of the treasures that he accumulated during the years of famine. As long as Baal Tzafon stood, the Egyptians felt secure. It was their insurance policy. Even if the Nile failed, even if their livestock died, even if everything else collapsed, they still had mountains of gold hidden away there. Pharaoh emptied that treasure house and gave everything to the Egyptians in order to convince them to chase the Jews into the Yam Suf. That is what caused them to ultimately drown there, and that is how all of that wealth was transferred to Am Yisrael. Hashem was showing us that all of the things the Egyptians believed in were nothing. It was only Him who controlled everything. Sometimes a person becomes so wrapped up in his parnassah that he begins to trust in it. And if there is an issue with the product, or the customer, or the boss, he begins to tremble in fear that his parnassah is in jeopardy. Believing in the cause of parnassah is very similar to believing in the Egyptian deities. The Gemara says that whoever is somech geulah l'tefillah, no harm will befall him that day. Rabbeinu Yonah explains that if a person truly absorbs the message of the geulah from Mitzrayim, he will nullify all other imagined sources of help and rely fully on HaKadosh Baruch Hu. Only then can he truly pray. So long as a person believes that his refuah is in the hands of the doctor, and his future is in the hands of a diagnosis, how can he truly mean the words כי אל רופא רחמן ונאמן אתה that he says in tefilah? The more emotional involvement a person has in his hishtadlut, the weaker his emunah becomes. When it comes to parnassah, when a person truly believes that only Hashem is giving it to him, that only Hashem is marrying off his children, and that only Hashem is giving each person the house he needs to live in, then his kavanah in prayer becomes deep and real. First a person must nullify all other sources of support in the berachah of Ga'al Yisrael, and only then can he begin the Amidah properly. The Arugat HaBosem explains that the main essence of every berachah in the amidah is in its conclusion: כי אל גואל חזק אתה כי אל טוב וסלח אתה כי אל טוב ומטיב אתה Even though we must make hishtadlut, the Chazon Ish warns that we must not have emotional attachment to it. We must not lose our composure when hearing bad news about the industry we work in. Rather, we should remain calm, with the serenity of one who trusts that the same Hashem who helped him yesterday in one way can help him today in another way. The Gemara says that someone whose mind is preoccupied with worry in the performance of a mitzvah can be exempt from Keriat Shema. Then the Gemara asks: what about someone whose mind is preoccupied with worry because his merchandise sank at sea? Should he also be exempt? The Gemara answers no. He must remove the worry from his heart, because Hashem can provide his livelihood from somewhere else instantly. In fact, sometimes it is precisely through the sinking of the ship that his livelihood will come. Like the story of Rav Huna, who had four hundred barrels of wine turn sour into vinegar. One opinion in the Gemara says that afterward the emperor's daughter became ill and needed vinegar for healing. Suddenly vinegar was in great demand, and Rav Huna sold all of his vinegar at a great profit. He did not need wine in order to succeed. Hashem gave him even greater blessing through vinegar. Part of the purpose of Yetziat Mitzrayim is to bring us to one clear conclusion: כי אין כמוני בכל הארץ-there is no one like Hashem. Everything we could ever want or need comes only from Him. And the more deeply we believe that, the greater our tefillot and our avodat Hashem will become.