Podcasts about Ashrei

What is your word cloud? What are the leading words that take in how you feel about your life? Our reading this week reminds us of the very intimate connection between word and world. The words we speak create the world we live in. Our word cloud becomes us, who we are. The Israelites' word cloud: “Why did you take us out of Egypt? We used to eat fish for free in Egypt, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. Our gullets are shriveled. Nothing but manna.” Their negative energy word cloud reinforces and deepens their negative energy world. Our complaints are not costless but spread negative energy to the people in our life. Moses is driven to a meltdown. “I cannot carry all this people by myself, for it is too much for me. If You would deal thus with me, kill me rather, I beg You, and let me see no more of my wretchedness!” There is a straight line from their negative energy this week to their negative energy next week in refusing to enter the promised land.  But what are we supposed to do with our negative energy if we feel it, especially if we feel it for a good reason, if our negative energy is well earned? What if we are depressed or anxious or worried for good reason? Surely Judaism does not counsel us to repress and suppress hard emotions. We will look at an old friend, one of the prayers that is most familiar to us, which suffers precisely for its familiarity: Ashrei. The Talmud teaches that if we say Ashrei three times a day, every day, we gain a portion in the world to come. Ashrei is an alphabetical acrostic poem about abundance, blessing, generosity, goodness, radiant positive energy. Say it every day, three times a day, every day, and we begin to feel it. But is it even possible to offer a positive energy Ashrei word cloud if we feel anxious, depressed, worried? What is an example of a real person with real worries, eschewing the negative word cloud of the Exodus generation for the positive world view of the psalmist? Can we do that?

Welcome to Day 2865 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2865 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 125:1-6 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2865 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2865 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The title for today's Wisdom-Trek is: The Blessed Hearth – Cultivating Cosmic Peace in the Home In our previous episode on this ancient pilgrim path, we climbed through the eighth Song of Ascent, Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Seven. That profound psalm, written by King Solomon, delivered a striking warning about the total futility of human ambition. We learned that unless the Lord builds the house, and unless the Lord guards the city, our frantic, anxious, early-morning-to-late-night labor is completely wasted. We explored the beautiful martial metaphor of children being shaped like arrows in the hands of a warrior, designed to be launched directly into the cultural battlefield to push back the darkness. We resolved to surrender our personal blueprints to the Divine Architect, resting securely in His sovereign provision. Today, we take our next rhythmic, joyful steps up the trail toward the Holy City. We are immersing ourselves in the ninth Song of Ascent: Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Eight, verses one through six, in the New Living Translation. This psalm serves as the perfect, beautiful twin to the one we just left behind. If Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Seven warned us against the dangerous traps of building an autonomous empire, Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Eight shows us the breathtaking, positive reality of what happens when a household is properly aligned with the cosmic order of the Creator. We are moving from the construction site, and the battlefield, directly into the warmth of the family hearth. Let us step onto the trail, and discover the true anatomy of a blessed life. The first segment is: The True Anatomy of Joy and Uncorrupted Labor Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Eight: verses one and two. How joyful are those who fear the Lord— all who follow his ways! You will enjoy the fruit of your labor. How joyful and prosperous you will be! The psalm opens with a resounding, universal declaration of flourishing. “How joyful are those who fear the Lord—all who follow his ways!” The Hebrew word used here for “joyful,” or “blessed,” is Ashrei. As we have discovered on our long trek through the Psalter, Ashrei is not a fleeting, superficial happiness. It is not an emotional high based on good luck, or comfortable circumstances. Ashrei is a state of deep, structural well-being. It is the profound satisfaction of a human life that is working exactly the way the Designer intended it to work. And how do you achieve this state of cosmic alignment? The psalmist gives a dual-sided answer: by fearing the Lord, and by following His ways. The “fear of the Lord” is not the cowering, paralyzed terror of a slave shrinking from a cruel tyrant. It is the deep, trembling reverence of a creature who recognizes the supreme, unrivaled majesty of the Creator. We must view this through the lens of the Ancient Israelite worldview, specifically regarding the Divine Council theology taught by Dr. Michael S. Heiser. The surrounding pagan nations lived in constant, anxious terror of their localized deities. The rebel gods of Canaan, Babylon, and Egypt were capricious, demanding, and unpredictable. The pagans had to constantly manipulate these spiritual forces through frantic sacrifices, just to avoid their wrath. But Yahweh is entirely different. He is the Holy, Righteous Sovereign. To fear Him means to recognize His ultimate authority, to reject the deceptive claims of the rebel principalities, and to lock your loyalty exclusively onto His covenant. This internal reverence naturally manifests in external action: you follow His ways. You map your daily footsteps according to the cosmic blueprint of His Torah. When your life is properly aligned with the King, the blessing immediately overflows into your daily work. Verse two promises, “You will enjoy the fruit of your labor. How joyful and prosperous you will be!” This is a profound, beautiful reversal of the ancient curse of Genesis Chapter Three. After the rebellion in Eden, human labor was corrupted. The ground was cursed, yielding thorns and thistles, and humanity was condemned to eat their food through anxious, sweat-soaked sorrow. Furthermore, in a chaotic world ruled by rebel spirits, a farmer could work hard all season, only to have a hostile foreign army raid his fields and steal his entire harvest right before his eyes. But under the protective, sovereign guard of Yahweh, the curse is neutralized. The pilgrim who fears the Lord is granted a rare, magnificent privilege: he actually gets to sit down, rest, and enjoy the direct fruit of his own hard work. Your labor is no longer an exercise in futility. It becomes meaningful, productive, and deeply satisfying. You become prosperous, not necessarily in the shallow, materialistic sense of amassing millions in gold, but in the true, biblical sense of having more than enough to sustain a joyful, flourishing life. The second segment is: The Living Metaphors of the Fruitful Hearth Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Eight: verses three and four. Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine, flourishing within your home. Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees as they sit around your table. That is the Lord's blessing for those who fear him. The psalmist moves from the public sphere of the fields and the marketplace, and walks right into the private sanctuary of the home. He uses two of the most powerful, evocative agricultural metaphors in the entire ancient Near East to describe the inner circle of the family. First, he declares, “Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine, flourishing within your home.” In the ancient Mediterranean world, the grapevine was the ultimate symbol of joy, celebration, and abundant life. Wine was not just a beverage; it was the essential element that gladdened the human heart during feasts and covenant celebrations. A grapevine required careful, long-term cultivation, pruning, and protection. By comparing a wife to a fruitful grapevine flourishing within the innermost parts of the home, the psalmist is painting a picture of deep intimacy, security, and intoxicating joy. She is not a slave, or a piece of property, as women often were in the surrounding pagan empires. She is the very source of life, beauty, and relational warmth at the center of the household. Her presence fills the domestic sanctuary with a rich, nourishing vitality that causes the entire family structure to blossom. Second, he looks down at the next generation: “Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees as they sit around your table.” Think about the unique nature of the olive tree. In ancient Israel, the olive tree was the absolute cornerstone of the economy. Olive oil was used for cooking, for fueling the lamps that pushed back the darkness, and for anointing priests and kings. But an olive tree is an exercise in extreme, multi-generational patience. A newly planted olive shoot can take anywhere from ten to fifteen years before it begins to bear a significant harvest of fruit. However, once that tree matures, its root system becomes virtually indestructible. It can live, flourish, and produce rich, valuable oil for centuries. When the psalmist looks at the children sitting around the family dinner table, and calls them “vigorous young olive shoots,” he is looking far past the present moment. He is describing a generational investment. These children are currently small, requiring constant watering, protection, and pruning according to the wisdom of God's Word. They are the arrows we learned about in Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Seven. But because they are being raised within the secure perimeter of a household that fears Yahweh, they are developing deep, unshakeable spiritual roots. They are being prepared to stand firm against the chaotic storms of the culture, ensuring that long after the parents have returned to the dust, the family legacy will continue to produce the rich oil of truth, light, and righteousness in a dark world. The psalmist pauses to secure this domestic imagery with a final, sealing declaration in verse four: “That is the Lord's blessing for those who fear him.” He wants to make sure we do not miss the connection. This beautiful, flourishing picture of a joyful wife and vigorous children is not an accident. It is not a stroke of good luck. It is the direct, intentional, and covenantal reward...

In our new series, we will examine the laws of Tefillah.  May our learning be a merit for our brave soldiers in the IDF, and for full healing for our brothers and sisters in Israel. In our next lesson we discuss Ashrei and Lamnatzeach. Our learning is dedicated L'Iluy Nishmat Captain Daniel Perez HY"D who was killed in battle on October 7th, 2023.

Welcome to Day 2822 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2822 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 119:33-40 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2822 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day two thousand eight hundred twenty-two of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The Title for Today's Wisdom-Trek is: The Directed Gaze – Turning Our Eyes from Worthless Things In our previous episode, we crawled through the dust of the fourth stanza of Psalm One Hundred Nineteen, the Dalet section. We stood beside the psalmist as he confessed his profound, crushing depression. His soul was melting from heavy grief, and the gravitational pull of death was trying to drag him down into the dirt. Yet, in that dark place, he made a fierce, stubborn choice. He chose the way of truth. He asked the Creator to revive him, to remove the deceptive lies of the enemy, and to enlarge his constricted heart. The stanza ended with a glorious, triumphant picture: a man, previously paralyzed in the dust, suddenly standing up and running freely in the wide-open spaces of God's grace. Today, we take our next stride along this majestic, alphabetical trail. We are entering the fifth stanza of Psalm One Hundred Nineteen, which corresponds to the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, the letter "He." We will be immersing ourselves in verses thirty-three through forty, in the New Living Translation. If the previous stanza was about getting up from the dust and finding the energy to run, this stanza is about finding the right direction. A runner with a massive, enlarged heart, and boundless energy, is entirely useless if he is running on the wrong path, or looking in the wrong direction. The psalmist realizes that he has the motivation to obey, but he desperately needs divine supervision to keep his eyes, and his heart, from being hijacked by the glittering, deceptive idols of the surrounding culture. Let us step onto the trail, and listen to this urgent, beautiful prayer for guidance. Psalm One Hundred Nineteen: verses thirty-three through thirty-five. Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end. Give me understanding and I will obey your instructions; I will put them into practice with all my heart. Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found. The stanza opens with a rapid-fire sequence of urgent requests. "Teach me," "Give me understanding," and "Make me walk." The psalmist recognizes a fundamental truth about human nature: we are not naturally prone to walking in the cosmic order of Yahweh. Left to our own devices, our default setting is to wander. Therefore, he cries out, "Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end." The Hebrew word for "teach" used here is yarah, which is actually the root word for Torah, or instruction. It literally means to point out, to aim, or to shoot an arrow in a specific direction. The psalmist is essentially saying, "Lord, aim my life. Point me down the exact corridor of Your decrees. If You set my trajectory, I will stay on it all the way to the finish line." But he knows that blind obedience is not the ultimate goal of the Creator. God does not want mindless robots; He wants wise, discerning imagers. So, the psalmist adds, "Give me understanding and I will obey your instructions; I will put them into practice with all my heart." Understanding is the bridge between knowing the rules, and loving the Lawgiver. When we truly understand the architectural brilliance of God's commands—when we see that they are designed to protect us, and to cause human flourishing—our obedience shifts from begrudging duty, to wholehearted passion. We do not just do the bare minimum; we put the instructions into practice with every ounce of our being. Yet, even with a willing heart, the physical execution can be difficult. So, he asks for a gentle, divine push: "Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found." It is a fascinating paradox. He asks to be made to walk, to be compelled, or guided by a firm hand. In the modern, Western world, we often equate being compelled with oppression. We think true happiness is found in absolute, unrestricted autonomy, where we can invent our own morality, and forge our own paths. But the ancient, biblical mind knew better. Absolute autonomy in a fallen, dangerous world simply leads to chaos, destruction, and the grave. The psalmist declares that true happiness, true Ashrei, or flourishing joy, is only found inside the boundary lines of God's commands. He wants God to act like a loving shepherd, using the staff to nudge him back onto the safe, narrow path, because he knows that stepping off the path means stepping into the jaws of the wolves. Psalm One Hundred Nineteen: verses thirty-six and thirty-seven. Give me an eagerness for your laws rather than a love for money! Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word. As the psalmist asks to be kept on the path, he identifies the two greatest threats to his spiritual trajectory: internal greed, and external distractions. He prays, "Give me an eagerness for your laws rather than a love for money!" Other translations render this as, "Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain." The Hebrew word is betsa, which implies covetousness, dishonest gain, or an obsessive craving for material wealth. We must view this through the lens of the Ancient Israelite worldview. The surrounding pagan nations were ruled by rebel spiritual principalities from the Divine Council. The primary way these dark, rebellious entities lured humanity into idolatry, was by promising material prosperity, fertile lands, and excessive wealth. The worship of Baal, for example, was an economic transaction. You sacrificed to the storm god so that he would send rain, make your crops grow, and increase your bank account. The psalmist recognizes that his own human heart is incredibly susceptible to this exact temptation. It is so easy to stop desiring the wisdom of God, and start desiring the comforts of the world. He asks Yahweh to perform a supernatural tilt. "Incline my heart toward Your laws. Bend my affections away from the hollow promise of wealth, and force them to lock onto the enduring riches of Your covenant." But the battle is not just in the heart; it is also in the eyes. He pleads, "Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word." This is perhaps the most critical, and desperately needed, prayer for our modern age. The Hebrew phrase for "worthless things" is shav, which means vanity, emptiness, falsehood, or a mirage. In the context of the Old Testament, shav was frequently used as a derogatory term for pagan idols. An idol was a worthless thing. It looked shiny, it was covered in silver and gold, but as we saw in Psalm One Hundred Fifteen, it had no breath, no life, and no power. The rebel gods of the nations constantly parade their glittering, worthless idols in front of the believer, trying to hijack our gaze. If they can capture our eyes, they can capture our imagination, and eventually, our feet will follow. Today, we may not walk past bronze statues of Baal, but our eyes are constantly assaulted by worthless things. We stare at screens filled with superficial vanity, cultural outrage, and the endless pursuit of status. These are the modern idols, and they are expertly designed to steal our gaze. The psalmist knows he cannot always trust himself to look away. The hypnotic power of the world is too strong. So, he asks the Creator to physically intervene: "Turn my eyes." Literally, "Make my eyes pass over, or avert my gaze." He asks God to snap his head back toward the Torah. He knows that staring at worthless things brings spiritual death, but looking at the Word of God brings abundant, eternal life. Psalm One Hundred Nineteen: verses thirty-eight through forty. Reassure me of your promise, made to those who fear you. Help me abandon my shameful ways; for your regulations are good. I long to obey your commandments! Renew my life with your goodness. Having asked for his heart to be inclined, and his eyes to be averted, the psalmist now asks for emotional stabilization. "Reassure me of your promise, made to those who fear you." Or, as it can be translated, "Establish your word to your servant, which produces reverence for you." When we turn our eyes away from the glittering promises of the culture, we can sometimes feel a sense of loss, or vulnerability. The world tells us that if we do not chase after money, status, and vanity, we will be left behind. In those moments

Welcome to Day 2815 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2815 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 119:1-8 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2815 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day two thousand eight hundred fifteen of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The title for today's Wisdom-Trek is: The Aleph of Obedience – Walking in the Cosmic Order In our previous trek, we concluded the magnificent Egyptian Hallel with Psalm One Hundred Eighteen. We marched in a triumphant, royal procession. We saw the stone that the builders rejected become the glorious cornerstone. We shouted, "Hosanna!" and stepped through the gates of righteousness, moving out of the chaotic, hostile world and into the sacred presence of Yahweh. We bound the festival sacrifice to the horns of the altar, and we celebrated the unfailing, eternal love of God. But now that we are inside those gates, a profound question arises. How are we supposed to live? How do the citizens of God's Kingdom conduct themselves in a world that is still contested by rebel spiritual forces? To answer this, we turn to the Mount Everest of the Psalter: Psalm One Hundred Nineteen. Psalm One Hundred Nineteen is the longest chapter in the Bible. It is a masterpiece of Hebrew poetry, constructed as an intricate acrostic. It contains twenty-two stanzas, matching the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Each stanza has eight verses, and every single verse within a stanza begins with that specific Hebrew letter. Today, we are exploring the very first stanza, the "Aleph" section, covering verses one through eight, in the New Living Translation. This entire, massive psalm is dedicated to one singular theme: the beauty, authority, and life-giving power of God's Word—His Torah. In the Ancient Israelite worldview, the Torah was not merely a list of restrictive rules. It was the architectural blueprint of the cosmos. While the surrounding pagan nations stumbled in the dark, manipulated by the deceptive, rebel gods of the Divine Council, Israel was given the ultimate gift. They were given the very mind of the Creator. To follow God's instructions was to align oneself with the grain of the universe, stepping out of chaos and into cosmic order. Let us begin our ascent up this great mountain of wisdom. Psalm One Hundred Nineteen: verses one through three. Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord. Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths. The psalm opens with a double declaration of blessing. "Joyful are people of integrity... Joyful are those who obey his laws." The Hebrew word translated here as "joyful" is Ashrei. It can also be translated as "blessed," "happy," or "flourishing." It describes a life that is deeply rooted, stable, and completely satisfied, regardless of external circumstances. It is the exact same word that opens the entire book of Psalms in Psalm Chapter One. But who gets to experience this profound, flourishing joy? The psalmist tells us it is the "people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord." The word for "instructions" is Torah. For the ancient Israelite, the Torah was the loving, fatherly guidance of Yahweh. It was the boundary line that kept them safe from the destructive, degrading practices of the surrounding nations. To follow these instructions requires a specific posture of the heart. The psalmist says that these joyful people "search for him with all their hearts." Obedience to God is never meant to be mindless, robotic compliance. It is a passionate pursuit. You cannot accidentally stumble into a life of integrity; you must hunt for it. You must desire the presence of the Lawgiver even more than you desire the law itself. This wholehearted pursuit leads to a radical separation from the ways of the world. "They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths." When we consider the Divine Council worldview, this idea of walking "only in his paths" is a statement of fierce, exclusive loyalty. The pagan world was filled with alternative paths. The rebel spiritual principalities constantly offered shortcuts to power, wealth, and pleasure through idolatry and compromise. But the person of integrity refuses to negotiate with chaos. They will not mix the holy with the profane. They recognize that any path other than Yahweh's path inevitably leads to the realm of death. Psalm One Hundred Nineteen: verse four. You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully. The psalmist shifts his focus directly toward God, acknowledging the divine mandate. "You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully." God did not offer His Word as a series of helpful suggestions or optional lifestyle upgrades. He "charged" us. He commanded it. Why? Because He is the Sovereign King, and we are His earthly representatives. We are His imagers. If we are going to accurately reflect His character to a dark, rebellious world, we must handle His instructions with extreme care and diligence. The word "carefully" implies diligence, vigilance, and strict attention. Imagine you are carrying a priceless, fragile vessel through a crowded, dangerous marketplace. You would not swing it around carelessly; you would hold it tightly to your chest, watching every step you take. That is how the believer is commanded to handle the Word of God. The instructions of Yahweh are the most valuable possession humanity has ever received, and they must be guarded and obeyed with absolute vigilance. Psalm One Hundred Nineteen: verses five through six. Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees! Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands. Here, the tone of the psalm suddenly changes. We move from the objective, lofty heights of the divine mandate, down to the gritty, frustrating reality of human weakness. The psalmist lets out a deep, heartfelt sigh: "Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees!" This is the great, agonizing tension of the spiritual life. The psalmist knows what the law says. He knows that the Torah is beautiful, perfect, and life-giving. He wants to obey it with all his heart. But he is painfully aware of his own inconsistency. He knows how prone his feet are to wander off the path, and how easily his heart can be distracted by the compromises of the world. We all feel this tension. We read the Scriptures, and we are inspired by the standard of holiness. We want to be patient, generous, pure, and courageous. But then the pressure of daily life hits, and we find ourselves reacting with anger, selfishness, or fear. Like the Apostle Paul in Romans Chapter Seven, we cry out, "I want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do what I hate." The psalmist's sigh is the universal groan of the redeemed soul, longing for complete transformation. And why does he want this consistency so desperately? "Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands." In the ancient Near Eastern culture, honor and shame were the primary forces that drove human behavior. Shame was not just a private feeling of guilt; it was a public loss of face, a devastating failure to live up to the standards of your community and your God. When we hold our lives up to the perfect, unyielding mirror of God's Word, the cracks and blemishes become glaringly obvious. The Word of God exposes our mixed motives and our hidden sins. But the psalmist realizes that the antidote to this shame is not to throw away the mirror, or to lower the standard. The antidote is to align his life so closely with the decrees of God, through the empowering grace of the Holy Spirit, that when the comparison is made, there is harmony, rather than hypocrisy. Psalm One Hundred Nineteen: verses seven through eight. As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should! I will obey your decrees. Please don't give up on me! The Aleph stanza concludes with a beautiful promise of gratitude, followed by a desperate plea for grace. "As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should!" Notice the order of operations here. First comes the learning. We have to immerse ourselves in the Word of God to understand His character and His expectations. We have to study the rulebook of the cosmos. But the learning is never meant to stay trapped in our intellect. The ultimate expression of gratitude to God is not merely singing a song, or offering a verbal prayer. The highest form of thanksgiving is an obedient life. "I will thank...

In this episode of Daily Zohar, Rabbi Amichai Cohen explores a healing teaching from the Zohar in Parashat Pinchas on the prayer of Ashrei and the deeper nature of sustenance. What does it mean that G-d “opens His hand and satisfies every living being”? This episode unpacks the difference between outer wealth and inner abundance, and how self-worth, gratitude, and spiritual openness shape our ability to receive blessing. A deep reflection on an abundance mindset through the lens of the Zohar.

In this moving and heartfelt conversation, Rabbi Shlomo Landau sits down with Rabbi Paysach Krohn to explore his newly released volume, The Maggid on Tefillah. Together they journey through the rich terrain of daily prayer—starting from Modeh Ani and Ashrei, through the berachos of Shemoneh Esrei—and uncover how the simple words we recite each day can open our hearts to a deeper relationship with Hashem. Drawing from Rabbi Krohn's own battles with illness and recovery, the interview reveals how life's challenges became a powerful teacher, uplifting his tefillah and inspiring his message: that genuine connection to Hashem is both possible and transformative. Beyond the mechanics of prayer, the discussion moves into the realm of compassion and chessed, particularly through the lens of bikur cholim. Rabbi Krohn reflects on his time in rehabilitation and the humanity and kindness he witnessed there, showing how the act of visiting the sick and offering genuine empathy is itself a form of tefillah—a bridge between the human and the Divine. Warmly conversationa, this interview invites viewers to not only understand their daily davening in a new light but to live it more fully, more mindfully, and more connected than ever before.

BEGINNING ANEW 28 ASHREI

Welcome to our Bitachon series. We were going through Sha'ar HaBechina now, and he's bothered by why is it that we're not all jumping for joy over all the great things that are in the world, if tov Hashem lakol . And his third reason was that things don't always go right, and we don't appreciate that and therefore, we don't see the goodness. And today we'll spend some time on appreciating when things don't go right. The Ramchal in his sefer Derech Hashem , volume two, chapter eight, says, we all know that all God wants to do is good. That's why He created the world. And He loves us like a father loves his son. But this very love sometimes brings with it a need for discipline. Like the pasuk says, כי כאשר ייסר איש את בנו, like a man chastises his son, Hashem Elokecha meyasreka , God chastises you. And therefore, we have to realize, he says, that the judgment and the justice is coming from a source of love. And God is not coming like an enemy that has a vengeance, but like a father that wants the best for his son. In his sefer Da'at Tvunot , the Ramchal writes in letter 154 that because it comes for love, God's musar , even when it's done, is always softened and sweetened. It doesn't come in cruelty in an overpouring of wrath. But God tempers it in a way that it's palatable. The Reishit Chochma in the section on Anava , chapter five, quotes the pasuk in Iyov where Iyov says, Hashem natan , God gave, v'Hashem lakach , and God took. יהי שם השם מבורך, God should be blessed. And he makes a diyuk and he says, Hashem took and Hashem ... Hashem gave and Hashem took. It should say, Hashem gave, Hashem took. What do we need the 'and' for? And he says when Hashem gave, it was just He gave without any questions. When he takes, and Hashem means He and His court of judgment, which means God has a whole court of judgment to decide whether He should take. It's much harder to take than it is to give. And therefore, we have to bless Hashem and understand, in his words, משפטיו עמנו הוא לטוב לנו. All of God's judgments are for our best interest, l'taher nafshoteinu , to purify us. And he quotes our pasuk again of tov Hashem lakol . And that's why Nachum Ish Gamzu used to always say, gam zu l'tova , because he understood that even the judgment is ultimately for good when you realize that, when you realize it's coming from a good source. I want to end with something that's a little kabbalistic but it's a very nice piece. There's a sefer called Sefer Yetzirah . Some say it was written by Avraham Avinu , that goes through the 22 letters of the alphabet. And it breaks it down to the following three units. The first three letters are the unit of the mass that created the world, Alef Mem Shin , which stands for Alef , avir ; Mem is mayim , and Shin is for eish . Those are the building blocks of the world: water, wind, and fire, leaving out earth. The next letters are what he calls the seven kefulot , the seven letters that have a dagesh in them, which is beged keferet . Even when we don't have a dagesh in the Reish , the Zohar has it as that. That's my second unit, which is the seven days of the week. The third unit is the 12 months of the year. So if I subtract my Alef Mem Shin , which was the first three letters used for the mass, I subtract the next seven, ten, seven letters: Beis , Gimmel , Dalet , Chaf , Pey , Reish and Taf , I subtract the 10, I'm left with 12 letters of the alphabet, 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. So I start with a Hey . That's the first letter that hasn't been used yet. And the next 12 letters, starting with the Hey , correspond to the months of the year. Hey is Nissan , Vav is Iyar , Zayin is Sivan , Ches is Tammuz , Tes is Av , Yud is Elul , Lamed is Tishrei , Nun is Cheshvan , Samech is Kislev , Ayin is Teves , Tzadi is Shvat , and Kuf is Adar . We can give a whole class on this, to whet your appetite. We know Nun , these also corresponds to the letter, the letters in Ashrei . We know there's no nun in Ashrei , because nun refers to nefila . falling. Cheshvan has no holidays, it's the nun letter. Nissan , which is a time we talk about God's greatness, Hagadol , הדר כבוד הודך ודברי נפלאותיך אשיחה we speak about the wonders of God, Haggadah shel Pesach . Now, what is Av ? Av is tet . What's what is the pasuk of Av ? Of all the psukim of Ashrei , the last thing you would think of is our pasuk we've been talking about from the beginning, טוב ה' לכל ורחמיו על כל מעשיו. The month of Av is symbolized by Tov Hashem lakol . And even the number nine is the nine days of Av , which are seen the worst nine days of the year, are really tov . They're the nine of the tet of the letter tov . Because even the worst of times, it's the month of Av . Av is our father. כאשר ייסר איש את בנו, ה' אלוקיך מיסרך like a father chastises his son. So this is the final hurdle that we have in being happy people. Either A, we always want more. B is that we we are used to the goodnesses. And C is we have the difficult challenges. And we have to overcome all three.

Welcome to daily Bitachon . We are now in our Sha'ar HaBechinah series, trying to figure out why we're not all jumping for joy if Tov Hashem l'kol , God is good to everybody. Why is it that most people don't realize it? And we gave two reasons. Reason number one is we're always looking for more. Reason number two, we're just used to it. And reason number three, because things don't always go right. And we have financial losses, we have physical ailments and we don't understand how these can possibly be good for us. We don't get the benefit of nisayon , tests. We don't have the benefits of musar . That means anything that goes wrong in our life is for one of two reasons: it's a test, means we didn't do anything wrong, Hashem's testing us, or it's for musar purposes to give us rebuke, to change. And he quotes a pasuk in Tehillim , Ashrei ha'gever , fortunate is the man, asher t'yasrenu Kah , that God rebukes him, u'mTorascha tolamdenu , and he learns from the Torah, which means he gets the message. And we forget that we and everything that we have are nothing more than gifts of God. That's all we are. Our existence and everything we have are all gifts of God. Generous, kind gifts. And everything that he gives us is b'tzedek . Everything he gives us is done with a just approach based on what God's wisdom feels is right. And we are not accepting of that justice. And not only do we not praise him when God reveals his kindness on us, we actually deny the good to begin with. And he says that this denial is rooted in foolishness. And it comes to the point that people think that they could be smarter than God in how they run the world and how they make things happen. And this is a famous, great Chassidic Rebbe that they asked him the question, if you were God, how would you run the world? If you could change things, what would you do? If you ask people around the table now, someone would say, well, I would find the new mayor for New York, or I would stop the terrorist attacks in Israel, or whatever else I would do. I would heal all the sick. I would get matches for all those without shidduchim and cure all mental health illnesses in the world. And the Rabbi answered, I wouldn't do anything any different than's going on right now because God knows exactly what he's doing and I don't think I could do anything better than he can. And it's really, in a sense, it's a sense of arrogance where we think, well, we could do better. We have better ideas for how to run the world than God does. And he gives a mashal of a group of blind people that were brought into a hospital, a center that was made specifically for them and all their needs. And every possible machine was there, every possible comfort was there, perfectly made for them, rails that they could hold on to when they walk, blinking, you know, beeping noises that they know what if things are safe or unsafe, all types of medicines and pharmacies and doctors. And they didn't pay attention to any of the rules, any of the regulations, didn't follow any doctor's instructions. And they walked through the hospital without listening to the beeps. They tripped, they fell, they banged into the machine that was there to fix them. They broke their arms, they were in pain, they were crying. And they said, who built this place? It's a disaster. We're falling all over the place. He doesn't know what he's doing. He's not a good doctor. He doesn't know how to run anything. And they don't realize that everything here was set up for kindness and goodness, not to paint anybody. And if anything, the one that caused the pain was the person themselves. And they now go deny the benefit and the goodness of the one that helped them. And he quotes a pasuk in Kohelet to this effect. The path that the fool takes is without heart and he announces to the world that he's a fool. Which means that's the person that goes through this world in a foolish way, and by denying God, announces to the world that he's foolish. So that's the first important premise in appreciating our lives is to understand that there's a lot of things that we're not gonna understand. I once heard a beautiful line, I don't know who said it. that the difference between the atheist and the believer. The believer has one thing to deal with. They don't understand why righteous people suffer. That's the question that Moshe Rabbeinu asked. That's the one thing that believing people don't understand. Atheists? They don't understand where a flower came from, where an eye came from, where a heart came from, where the Swiss Alps came from, where air came from. They don't understand anything. We have one thing. We don't understand exactly how God deals with us. Okay. Well, if anything, as we'll see later on, the very fact that we see such wonders of creation tells us how smart and understanding God is. And therefore, we'll tell ourselves, if we don't understand how to create a embryo, we don't know how to make a fly, well, shows God pretty smart. And if he could make a fly, he could probably

In this episode of the Everyday Judaism Podcast, Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe concludes the discussion of Siman 26 of the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, covering halachot 14–22 of the mourner's Kaddish, completing the first book of the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch. He emphasizes the spiritual significance of Kaddish in elevating the deceased's soul by declaring Hashem's oneness, while noting that modern practice of all mourners reciting Kaddish together reduces the relevance of precedence rules but underscores communal unity. Key points include:Recap of Kaddish's Purpose: Kaddish, recited by descendants, elevates the deceased's soul, as per Midrashic stories, by glorifying Hashem's name. The mourning stages—shiva (7 days, most intense), shloshim (30 days), the first year, and yahrtzeit (annual anniversary)—dictate Kaddish priorities, with shiva mourners taking precedence.Halacha 14–15 (Chazan Priorities): Leading prayers as chazan provides greater merit for the deceased than Kaddish alone, originally instituted for minors unable to lead. Shiva or shloshim mourners have precedence in leading services, except on Shabbos/Yom Tov unless they were the regular chazan. If two equally entitled mourners are capable chazans, they cast lots, splitting the service (one leads until Ashrei, the other from Ashrei onward). A chazan doesn't forfeit Kaddish rights but should yield to minors or less capable mourners.Halacha 16–18 (Multiple Mourners): Mourning for both parents on the same day doesn't grant extra Kaddish rights; one Kaddish covers both. Kaddish is recited for 11 months, not 12, to avoid implying the deceased was a great sinner (judged for 12 months in Gehenna). Counting starts from burial, not death, with adjustments for leap years (e.g., stopping on the 9th of Kislev). Rabbi Wolbe shares his grandfather's request for 12-month Kaddish, approved by Rabbi Elyashiv, reflecting humility, and notes his grandfather's rejection of eulogies to avoid exaggerated claims, as eulogies are scrutinized in heaven.Halacha 19–21 (Community and Women): If no parental mourners are present, someone who previously lost parents recites Kaddish for all deceased Jews. Other relatives (e.g., grandparents, siblings without children) may recite Kaddish if permitted by parental mourners. Women typically don't recite Kaddish in synagogue but can do so in a home minyan, ideally with others. A yahrtzeit observer unable to recite Kaddish (e.g., while traveling) can recite it at the next Ma'ariv, as Rabbi Wolbe illustrates with an email about arranging a minyan in Galveston for a cruise passenger's yahrtzeit.Halacha 22 (Greatest Merit): The greatest merit for parents is not just Kaddish but children living Torah-observant lives daily, honoring parents posthumously (per the Zohar, citing Exodus 20:12). Rabbi Wolbe emphasizes actions like keeping kosher or Shabbos as greater than Kaddish, sharing a story of a bumper sticker (“good” above grass, “bad” below) to highlight the opportunity to do good while alive for ancestors' merit.Community and Sensitivity: Rabbi Wolbe stresses avoiding disputes over Kaddish precedence, as fights dishonor the deceased. He praises communal efforts, like arranging minyans for travelers, and reflects on the psychological benefits of shiva for healing, noting the custom of walking around the block post-shiva to reenter life._____________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. #63) 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 September 14, 2025, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on October 9, 2025_____________DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!_____________SUBSCRIBE and LISTEN to other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Prayer 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 https://www.TORCHpodcasts.com_____________EMAIL your questions, comments, and feedback: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Please visit www.torchweb.org to see a full listing of our outreach and educational resources available in the Greater Houston area!_____________#Halacha, #Jewishlaw, #Mourning, #Kaddish, #Mourner, #Shiva, #Yartzeit, #Condolences, #Grief, #Sensitivities, #etiquette ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of the Everyday Judaism Podcast, Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe concludes the discussion of Siman 26 of the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, covering halachot 14–22 of the mourner's Kaddish, completing the first book of the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch. He emphasizes the spiritual significance of Kaddish in elevating the deceased's soul by declaring Hashem's oneness, while noting that modern practice of all mourners reciting Kaddish together reduces the relevance of precedence rules but underscores communal unity. Key points include:Recap of Kaddish's Purpose: Kaddish, recited by descendants, elevates the deceased's soul, as per Midrashic stories, by glorifying Hashem's name. The mourning stages—shiva (7 days, most intense), shloshim (30 days), the first year, and yahrtzeit (annual anniversary)—dictate Kaddish priorities, with shiva mourners taking precedence.Halacha 14–15 (Chazan Priorities): Leading prayers as chazan provides greater merit for the deceased than Kaddish alone, originally instituted for minors unable to lead. Shiva or shloshim mourners have precedence in leading services, except on Shabbos/Yom Tov unless they were the regular chazan. If two equally entitled mourners are capable chazans, they cast lots, splitting the service (one leads until Ashrei, the other from Ashrei onward). A chazan doesn't forfeit Kaddish rights but should yield to minors or less capable mourners.Halacha 16–18 (Multiple Mourners): Mourning for both parents on the same day doesn't grant extra Kaddish rights; one Kaddish covers both. Kaddish is recited for 11 months, not 12, to avoid implying the deceased was a great sinner (judged for 12 months in Gehenna). Counting starts from burial, not death, with adjustments for leap years (e.g., stopping on the 9th of Kislev). Rabbi Wolbe shares his grandfather's request for 12-month Kaddish, approved by Rabbi Elyashiv, reflecting humility, and notes his grandfather's rejection of eulogies to avoid exaggerated claims, as eulogies are scrutinized in heaven.Halacha 19–21 (Community and Women): If no parental mourners are present, someone who previously lost parents recites Kaddish for all deceased Jews. Other relatives (e.g., grandparents, siblings without children) may recite Kaddish if permitted by parental mourners. Women typically don't recite Kaddish in synagogue but can do so in a home minyan, ideally with others. A yahrtzeit observer unable to recite Kaddish (e.g., while traveling) can recite it at the next Ma'ariv, as Rabbi Wolbe illustrates with an email about arranging a minyan in Galveston for a cruise passenger's yahrtzeit.Halacha 22 (Greatest Merit): The greatest merit for parents is not just Kaddish but children living Torah-observant lives daily, honoring parents posthumously (per the Zohar, citing Exodus 20:12). Rabbi Wolbe emphasizes actions like keeping kosher or Shabbos as greater than Kaddish, sharing a story of a bumper sticker (“good” above grass, “bad” below) to highlight the opportunity to do good while alive for ancestors' merit.Community and Sensitivity: Rabbi Wolbe stresses avoiding disputes over Kaddish precedence, as fights dishonor the deceased. He praises communal efforts, like arranging minyans for travelers, and reflects on the psychological benefits of shiva for healing, noting the custom of walking around the block post-shiva to reenter life._____________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. #63) 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 September 14, 2025, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on October 9, 2025_____________DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!_____________SUBSCRIBE and LISTEN to other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Prayer 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 https://www.TORCHpodcasts.com_____________EMAIL your questions, comments, and feedback: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Please visit www.torchweb.org to see a full listing of our outreach and educational resources available in the Greater Houston area!_____________#Halacha, #Jewishlaw, #Mourning, #Kaddish, #Mourner, #Shiva, #Yartzeit, #Condolences, #Grief, #Sensitivities, #etiquette ★ Support this podcast ★

In the 14th episode of the Ask Away series on the Everyday Judaism Podcast, Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe addresses a range of student questions with a focus on ethical speech, charity, and prayer. Marilyn's questions on Lashon Hara (evil speech) prompt Rabbi Wolbe to recommend the Chafetz Chaim's book, emphasizing the prohibition against negative speech unless addressing known evil, like ruthless dictators, for educational purposes, and urging caution in the age of social media and AI-generated misinformation, where the Talmud's insistence on sourced information serves as a model. Marilyn also inquires about speaking out against evil or hate crimes, to which Rabbi Wolbe advises leaving such matters to authorities while judging actions, not people, and avoiding judgment unless one fully understands another's circumstances. Bruce questions the ethics of charities sending solicitation items or small amounts of money, and Rabbi Wolbe agrees that sharing donor information is inappropriate and potentially theft, finding such marketing tactics distasteful, though permissible, and advises individuals to choose charities freely without guilt. Eric asks about Psalms for the current war in Israel, leading Rabbi Wolbe to praise Psalm 100 for gratitude and encourage heartfelt personal prayers, and explains Poteach Et Yadecha in Ashrei (Psalm 145) as a reminder of human dependence on Hashem's provision, fostering trust (bitachon) and calm by recognizing that all needs are met in their proper time. Rabbi Wolbe concludes by urging mindful recitation of prayers to alleviate stress and cultivate happiness, trusting in Hashem's care.In this episode of Ask Away we address these questions and topics:Marilyn: Musar teaches us silence, which means guarding our tongue, a tool to consider the potential impact of our words. In today's world, with technology and war, and we are not face-to-face with people, when is it appropriate to speak, even when it may cause harm, and what is an example, please?Marilyn: In today's war, is it appropriate to stand up for yourself and speak out against a person who is evil?Marilyn: What about people who are physically harming Jews as hate crimes?Bruce: When charities send money or items like nickels, cards, or tote bags in solicitation letters, or ask to match a small amount like $3, is it appropriate to throw these out, and is it wrong for charities to use donated funds for such marketing tactics?Eric: Regarding the situation in Israel with the multi-front war, what is the best Psalm to say every morning for spiritual connection, given that I say Shema and Psalm 23 daily?Eric: What should I think about when I say Poteach et Yadecha in the Ashrei prayer?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. #59) 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 June 22, 2025, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on September 15, 2025_____________Connect with Us:Subscribe to the Everyday Judaism Podcast on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/everyday-judaism-rabbi-aryeh-wolbe/id1600622789) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/3AXCNcyKSVsaOLsLQsCN1C) to stay inspired! Share 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!! Prayer 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, #Halacha, #Speech, #Mussar, #Silence, #Words, #ChafetzChaim, #LashonHara, #Relationships, #Ethical, #Business, #Charitable, #Integrity, #Honesty, #Prayer, #Intention, #Gratitude, #Connection, #Well-being, #Peace, #Happiness, #Mindfulness, #DailyLife ★ Support this podcast ★

In the 14th episode of the Ask Away series on the Everyday Judaism Podcast, Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe addresses a range of student questions with a focus on ethical speech, charity, and prayer. Marilyn's questions on Lashon Hara (evil speech) prompt Rabbi Wolbe to recommend the Chafetz Chaim's book, emphasizing the prohibition against negative speech unless addressing known evil, like ruthless dictators, for educational purposes, and urging caution in the age of social media and AI-generated misinformation, where the Talmud's insistence on sourced information serves as a model. Marilyn also inquires about speaking out against evil or hate crimes, to which Rabbi Wolbe advises leaving such matters to authorities while judging actions, not people, and avoiding judgment unless one fully understands another's circumstances. Bruce questions the ethics of charities sending solicitation items or small amounts of money, and Rabbi Wolbe agrees that sharing donor information is inappropriate and potentially theft, finding such marketing tactics distasteful, though permissible, and advises individuals to choose charities freely without guilt. Eric asks about Psalms for the current war in Israel, leading Rabbi Wolbe to praise Psalm 100 for gratitude and encourage heartfelt personal prayers, and explains Poteach Et Yadecha in Ashrei (Psalm 145) as a reminder of human dependence on Hashem's provision, fostering trust (bitachon) and calm by recognizing that all needs are met in their proper time. Rabbi Wolbe concludes by urging mindful recitation of prayers to alleviate stress and cultivate happiness, trusting in Hashem's care.In this episode of Ask Away we address these questions and topics:Marilyn: Musar teaches us silence, which means guarding our tongue, a tool to consider the potential impact of our words. In today's world, with technology and war, and we are not face-to-face with people, when is it appropriate to speak, even when it may cause harm, and what is an example, please?Marilyn: In today's war, is it appropriate to stand up for yourself and speak out against a person who is evil?Marilyn: What about people who are physically harming Jews as hate crimes?Bruce: When charities send money or items like nickels, cards, or tote bags in solicitation letters, or ask to match a small amount like $3, is it appropriate to throw these out, and is it wrong for charities to use donated funds for such marketing tactics?Eric: Regarding the situation in Israel with the multi-front war, what is the best Psalm to say every morning for spiritual connection, given that I say Shema and Psalm 23 daily?Eric: What should I think about when I say Poteach et Yadecha in the Ashrei prayer?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. #59) 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 June 22, 2025, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on September 15, 2025_____________Connect with Us:Subscribe to the Everyday Judaism Podcast on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/everyday-judaism-rabbi-aryeh-wolbe/id1600622789) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/3AXCNcyKSVsaOLsLQsCN1C) to stay inspired! Share 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!! Prayer 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, #Halacha, #Speech, #Mussar, #Silence, #Words, #ChafetzChaim, #LashonHara, #Relationships, #Ethical, #Business, #Charitable, #Integrity, #Honesty, #Prayer, #Intention, #Gratitude, #Connection, #Well-being, #Peace, #Happiness, #Mindfulness, #DailyLife ★ Support this podcast ★

Chapter 3 - with a new mishnah! (on the bottom of the previous daf) - the anointed kohen who sins unwittingly because of his own erroneous ruling, and then he leaves that standing of anointed kohen before he has brought his atonement offering -- that is, he steps down because of some blemish unrelated to the erroneous ruling... What animal does he bring if he is no longer the anointed kohen? (In fact, there's no change at this time). Note the attention to the structure of the mishnah. And another new mishnah! On the order of stature of the anointed kohen or the king and a sin and sin-offering (is the sin before they achieve the status, for example?). Also, a shift to focus on the king (nasi) and his offering. Plus, a story of Rabban Gamliel traveling with Rabbi Yehoshua, who had brought flour, and using the stars for navigation. Also, a discussion of "asher" and "ashrei," which have dramatically different meanings. With more in the moral/ethical plane - focusing on the intent of the person who sins, but might have intended to fulfill a mitzvah (to wit, see the story of Lot and his daughters).

In this Radio Feature, Rabbi Gary discusses Psalms 1 & 2. This 1 minute episode will air on KKLA 99.5 in Los Angeles, beginning August 22, 2025, on Fridays during rush hour.Send us a text

https://youtu.be/QBZsC_7bBCM Audio: Play the audio class Download: Download this MP3 Topics: Morning Prayers Follow-Along Text: :יְיָ צְבָאוֹת, אַשְׁרֵי אָדָם בֹּטֵֽחַ בָּךְ:יְיָ הוֹשִֽׁיעָה, הַמֶּֽלֶךְ יַעֲנֵֽנוּ בְיוֹם קָרְאֵֽנוּוְעָרְבָה לַייָ מִנְחַת יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלָֽיִם, כִּימֵי עוֹלָם  וּכְשָׁנִים קַדְמוֹנִיּוֹתGod, Commander of legions, fortunate is the man who places his trust in You.God, deliver us. May the King answer us on the day we callThen the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasingto God, as in the days of yore and as in bygone years. PreviousClass 065: morning prayers: Hashem Tzevakot Imanu NextClass 067: Abbaye Hava Mesader More in this section Class 068: Ana Bechoach, Ribon Haolamim Class 067: Abbaye Hava Mesader Class 065: morning prayers: Hashem Tzevakot Imanu Class 064: morning prayers: Ketoret part 4 Class 063: morning prayers: Ketoret part 3 Class 062: morning prayers: Ketoret part 2 Class 061: morning prayers: Ketoret part 1 Class 060: morning prayers: Karban Tamid part 2 Class 059: morning prayers: Yehi Ratzon, Karban Tamid part 1 Class 058: morning prayers: Trumat Hadeshen part 2 Class 057: morning prayers: Trumat Hadeshen part 1 Class 056: morning prayers: Kriat Shema Ketana part 2

Maharal Netzach Yisroel Chapter 13 Part 2 (The depth of Ashrei) by Rabbi Avi Zakutinsky

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Length: 1 hour 1 minutesSynopsis: This Wednesday evening (6/11/25), in our last Tehilim shiur of the 2024-2025 season, we ended up doing a chaotically orderly experimental Chumash exploration instead of Tehilim. If you've ever looked at English translations of the siddur, you may have noticed that the word "Ashrei" is translated differently by different people in different contexts. Tonight, we conducted a survey of the various sources at our disposal to see if we might be able to get at "the real meaning." Our analysis focused on the first instance (or instances) of Ashrei in the Chumash, and we went through a ton of meforshim, classifying each of their interpretations. Did we arrive at a conclusion? Not exactly, but we DID walk away with a set of findings, some old and some new.-----מקורות:תהלים א:א; פד:ה-ו; קמד:טו; קיט:א-בBDBArtscrollKorenRabbi Lord Jonathan SacksRobert AlterJPS (1985)Everett FoxKlein Dictionaryמנחם בן סרוקר' יונה אבן ג'אנח - ספר השורשיםרד"ק - ספר השורשיםבראשית ל:יגתרגום אונקלוספשיטתארס"ג תפסירר' יהודה אבן בלעםרשב"םאברבנאלספורנור' נ"ה וויזלר' י"ש ריגייוהכתב והקבלהשד"לר' ש"ר הירשמלבי"םנצי"בר' דוד צבי הופמןרש"י - תהלים א:א-----Summer is almost here, and I'm planning to level up my Substack game. In addition to my weekly article on the parashah, I've got a ton of other topics I want to write about, many of which are experimental (or spicy) enough to keep behind the paywall. I'm looking for sponsors and I'm willing to offer an insane deal: for every WEEK of Torah content you sponsor, I'll comp you a full YEAR of paid subscriber access to my Substack. This offer is good through the end of June or until all my summer content is sponsored, whichever comes first.-----If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.-----Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/Patreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweissYouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweissInstagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com"The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com"The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.comOld Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/WhatsAp

Unlock the profound layers of the morning prayers with us, as we journey through the intricate teachings of the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch. Get ready to enrich your understanding of Ashrei and Uva Letzion, two pivotal components of the Jewish prayer service. We'll take you through the flow of the morning prayers, from the initial blessings to the powerful verses of Shema and Amidah, culminating in the deep reflections on the recitation of Ashrei. Special emphasis is placed on the verse "Potach Eet Yadecha," where we encourage you to elevate your concentration and intention. Together, let's uncover the nuances of Psalm 20, L'menatzach, learning when and why it is omitted, especially in the poignant setting of a mourner's house.As we conclude our exploration of Siman 25, we'll highlight the spiritual weight of the Kedusha in Uvaletzion and why it is essential to recite it with the congregation. Understand the rituals that preserve the sanctity of this prayer, including maintaining silence and the importance of not leaving the synagogue prematurely._____________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. #29) 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 March 2, 2025, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on March 9, 2025_____________DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!_____________SUBSCRIBE and LISTEN to other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Prayer 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 https://www.TORCHpodcasts.com_____________EMAIL your questions, comments, and feedback: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Please visit www.torchweb.org to see a full listing of our outreach and educational resources available in the Greater Houston area!_____________#Halacha, #Jewishlaw, #Jewishtradition, #Concentration, #Intention, #Psalm20, #Ashrei, #Kedusha, #AskAway ★ Support this podcast ★

Unlock the profound layers of the morning prayers with us, as we journey through the intricate teachings of the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch. Get ready to enrich your understanding of Ashrei and Uva Letzion, two pivotal components of the Jewish prayer service. We'll take you through the flow of the morning prayers, from the initial blessings to the powerful verses of Shema and Amidah, culminating in the deep reflections on the recitation of Ashrei. Special emphasis is placed on the verse "Potach Eet Yadecha," where we encourage you to elevate your concentration and intention. Together, let's uncover the nuances of Psalm 20, L'menatzach, learning when and why it is omitted, especially in the poignant setting of a mourner's house.As we conclude our exploration of Siman 25, we'll highlight the spiritual weight of the Kedusha in Uvaletzion and why it is essential to recite it with the congregation. Understand the rituals that preserve the sanctity of this prayer, including maintaining silence and the importance of not leaving the synagogue prematurely. _____________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. #29) 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 March 2, 2025, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on March 9, 2025_____________DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!_____________SUBSCRIBE and LISTEN to other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Prayer 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 https://www.TORCHpodcasts.com_____________EMAIL your questions, comments, and feedback: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Please visit www.torchweb.org to see a full listing of our outreach and educational resources available in the Greater Houston area!_____________#Halacha, #Jewishlaw, #Jewishtradition, #Concentration, #Intention, #Psalm20, #Ashrei, #Kedusha, #AskAway ★ Support this podcast ★

In this class we discuss the last official section of Shacharit, which includes Ashrei, Psalm 20, and U'Va LeTzion.

This evening we discuss the prayer Ashrei which is our best, thrice-daily preparation for meaningful prayer. We demonstrate that the Ashrei prayer anticipates every major question about prayer, and provides the answer. Ashrei makes prayer possible. We examine both the structure and content of this prayer to explain why it is the necessary prerequisite to prepare ourselves for meaningful prayer. 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 (rabbi@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.

Yaakov Avinu's Ashrei

Evanjelium podľa svätého Matúša - reflexie nad veršami piatej kapitoly sú prípravou na formačné stretnutia v našej farnosti. Svätý Ignác Brjančaninov tlmočí výzvu svätých učiteľov duchovného života slovami: „Každý kresťan skrze sľub daný pri svätom krste berie na seba zodpovednosť byť otrokom a sluhom Pána Ježiša Krista. Každý kresťan absolútne musí nasledovať Pána Ježiša Krista.“ Preto spoznávanie evanjeliových prikázaní a duchovných zákonitostí je nevyhnutnou súčasťou duchovného života.  

We say in Ashrei that Hashem is משביע לכל חי רצון . The Seforno explains this to mean that Hashem gives everyone chesed because that is His desire. This should give us a lot of chizuk knowing that Hashem's desire is to give every one of us chesed all day long. Everyone has different needs and Hashem gives everyone what they need when it's good for them. A young man who will call Zevulun told me that there's an older man who we'll call Yosef who eats by one of his relatives every Shabbat lunch. If those relatives are ever away for Shabbat, they inform Yosef in advance so he can make other plans. A couple of weeks ago, those relatives went away and totally forgot to tell Yosef. That Shabbat morning, Zevulun was walking to shul as usual. This time, for some inexplicable reason, he decided to cross the large highway-like street much earlier than he normally does on his way to shul. A minute after that, for the first time ever on that walk, he bumped into Yosef. He asked Yosef where he was eating that day and Yosef mentioned the name of the relative that he always goes to. Zevulun then told him that they were away, but it would be his honor if he would come to him for lunch and he happily accepted. Zevulun said he saw openly how Hashem was so concerned about where Yosef would eat his Shabbat lunch that day that He orchestrated that highly unlikely meeting. A few years ago, a young orphan asked Zevulun to get him a candy/toy bag from the minyan he attends on Simchat Torah. They both pray in the same shul, but Zevulun's minyan gives out much better bags. Zevulun was unable to get him a bag that day and he felt very bad about it. He has since moved to a different shul. This year, a couple of days before Simchat Torah, he bumped into the man who was in charge of giving out the bags at that other minyan. He asked him if he could please set aside a bag for the orphan who prays in a different minyan in that shul and find him to give him one. That Simchat Torah, this man searched the building for the young orphan, but he wasn't there. As he was giving out the bags to the rest of the children there, someone came over and asked him for an extra one for someone else. That was against the rules, so he immediately said no. And then he thought about it and asked that person who the bag was for. The person mentioned the name of that young orphan. The man couldn't believe it and happily gave him a bag. Hashem made sure to give this orphan the toy and candy bag that he wanted so badly. He caused Zevulun to meet the man who gave them out. And even though the orphan wasn't even in the shul that day, He sent a messenger to get one for him. Another man told me his mother had a brain operation scheduled for 9am one day, but they had to reschedule it for 1pm. It was a two hour surgery and Baruch Hashem it was a success. While her family was in the waiting room, they saw another family saying Tehillim. Then the doctor called that family and they all huddled around to hear what he had to say. Baruch Hashem, their father was doing well after they successfully removed a tumor in a 10 hour brain surgery. The doctor said during the surgery they found a major issue. There was a very dangerous aneurysm behind the tumor. They only found it because of the tumor. The doctor operating on him was not an aneurysm specialist and wasn't able to do the surgery on it. But they needed to take care of it immediately. The doctor in the very next room who just finished operating on this other family's mother was considered a top neurologist whose expertise was in aneurysms. He went right in and saved that man's life. He was only there at that time because the surgery was postponed for that woman for over four hours. Hashem takes care of every single person's needs, billions of people, all at the same time. Whether it's finding someone a place to eat Shabbat lunch, or bringing joy to a young orphan, or saving someone's life, He is always taking care of us. This knowledge should bring us so much serenity and joy.

HAKAFA 5 - 5Kadshenu Ashrei Mi - Jonathan Kassin by TALMUD TORA MONTE SINAI

HAKAFA 4 - 5Kadshenu Ashrei Mi - Jonathan Kassin by TALMUD TORA MONTE SINAI

Chapter 145 a.k.a "Ashrei" is THE "Tehilla Le-David. It is the ultimate praise of God. But paradoxically, it doesn't give us earth-shattering depictions of God, but rather the image of a caring, nurturing deity.

Host Tim Rush sits down with Dr. James Henderson, missionary and co-Founder and Director of Ashrei, a center for Spiritual Formation in Mexico City to discuss cross-cultural leadership, priorities, and balance. "Jesus has this extraordinary balance of God pouring into Him and then Jesus is able to pour Himself out to others and respond to whatever is the need right in front of Him with just the right energy and tone and strength. To learn to be balanced like Jesus - can you imagine the freedom, joy, and strength in that?"Here are some of the topics we cover in our podcast episodes:Radical honesty and graceSpiritual growthDiscipleshipMentorshipPersonal developmentLife transformationChristian men's ministryChristian women's ministryFaith-based retreatDiscover our other resources:Our Main WebsiteOur BlogOnline Life CoachingChristian Men's RetreatsChristian Women's RetreatsAll content © 2024 The Crucible Project Podcast.

James Henderson, co-Founder and Director of Ashrei, a center for Spiritual Formation in Mexico City, shares his Crucible testimony with host Andy Spell. When asked what brought him to his Crucible retreat, James shares, "I didn't like the man that I saw in the mirror. I was doing mission work and I felt like I was called to serve in the world that God loves and to do it cross-culturally, and so I had big dreams and a vision for loving and serving the world but I don't think I had the character to support that kind of dream. My character needed to catch up to the life I wanted to live in God's world." Here are some of the topics we cover in our podcast episodes:Radical honesty and graceSpiritual growthDiscipleshipMentorshipPersonal developmentLife transformationChristian men's ministryChristian women's ministryFaith-based retreatDiscover our other resources:Our Main WebsiteOur BlogOnline Life CoachingChristian Men's RetreatsChristian Women's RetreatsAll content © 2024 The Crucible Project Podcast.

Hacham Moshe Rahamim Shayo, in his Mehkerei Eretz (v. 8 Orah Haim 41), discusses the following question: Is a person who prays a different prayer with the congregation considered to be praying with the community (tefilla b'tzibur)? The Shulhan Arukh (Orah Hayim 90:9) writes that "A person should do his best to pray in the Beit Kenesset with the community." What if the person is saying a different Amida than the community? For example, what if on Rosh Hodesh, the community is praying Musaf and he is praying Shaharit (or the opposite)? Similarly, often during the summer, a person comes late to synagogue, and wishes to pray Minha while the community is praying Arbit. Is that considered to be communal prayer? Hacham Shayo cites the rest of the passage from the Shulhan Arukh, cited above, which teaches that if a person is unable to come to synagogue, he should pray at the time at which the community prays. If the community says the Amida each morning at 9:00am, then one who prays at home should also try to say his Amida at 9:00 am. However, the Magen Avraham (17) comments that if one prays Musaf while the congregation is praying Shaharit, that is not considered to be similar to one who prays at the same time that the congregation prays. Although one might infer from this Magen Avraham that one who prays a different Amida than the community is not considered to be praying with the community, the Mishna Berura explains that if one is actually praying Musaf in the synagogue with those who are praying Shaharit, that is indeed similar to one who prays at the same time as the community. Hacham Shayo initially suggested, based upon this Mishna Berura that one who prays a different prayer than the community is considered to be part of the communal prayer (tefilla b'tzibur). The questioner, however, challenges Hacham Shayo and insists that while he may be considered like one who prays at the same time as the community, which is itself a higher level of prayer, his prayer is not considered to be communal prayer. Hacham Shayo accepts this argument and concludes that while not actually considered to be tefilla b'tzibur, there is a value of praying, even a different prayer, while the community is praying. Afterwards, he cites the Slah (R. Yehezkel Landau, known as the Noda BiYehuda), in his commentary to Berachot 6a, who explains that if an individual prays in a synagogue while the tzibur is still there, even if they have concluded their prayers but they are still saying praises to God, such as Ashrei and Uva LeSion, "the prayers of the individual who prays there are heard." He writes, based upon the verse "lishmo'a el harina ve'el hatefilla" (to hear the praise and the prayer), that once God hears the praises of the community, He also hears the prayers of the individual. He concludes by adding that "this is certainly true regarding one who prays Shaharit in a synagogue why the congregation is saying Musaf." In conclusion, we see that even one who wakes up late, or is late for prayers, should still come to synagogue and pray while the congregation is saying other prayers, as this is considered a higher level of prayer (even if it is not actually considered to be tefilla b'tzibur).

An expert practitioner in the art of Jewish chant, Rabbi Shefa Gold describes to Rabbi Andrew Kaplan Mandel how her now-famous setting of "Ashrei" from Psalm 84 helps her enter the house of the Eternal.

Anyone who recites Tehilla L'David three times a day merits Olam Haba!

Discover the profound impact of prayer in shaping our lives and our relationship with the divine from this soul-stirring conversation. Prayer transcends simple acts and offerings, we explain, as it fosters an intimate bond with Hashem that eclipses even the most benevolent deeds. We delve into the rituals that enrich our daily lives, such as the profoundly symbolic act of washing hands before breaking bread, a gesture that acknowledges our reliance on God's grace. Listen closely and uncover how these moments of humility and trust are the true core of prayer, more significant than any physical offering we could present.In our heartfelt dialogue, we share touching tales of children in Yeshivas who pray for our IDF soldiers during this war, underscoring the miraculous nature of collective prayer. The power of words spoken with genuine hope and faith can yield astounding outcomes; this is evident in the way their prayers coincided with unexpected low casualty statistics. Furthermore, we touch upon the daily practice of reciting the Ashrei prayer (Psalm 145), a thrice-daily ritual that serves to remind us of our roles as grateful recipients of God's endless generosity. Join us and let this episode be a gateway to building your personal spiritual sanctuary, where your connection with Hashem can deepen and flourish.This episode (Ep. #3) of the Prayer Podcast by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe of TORCH is dedicated my dearest friends, Dr. Leonard Goldberg! May Hashem bless you and always lovingly accept your prayer for good health, success and true happiness!!!Recorded in the TORCH Centre - Studio B to a live audience on January 19, 2024, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on January 21, 2024_____________DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!_____________SUBSCRIBE and LISTEN to other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Prayer 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 https://www.TORCHpodcasts.com_____________EMAIL your questions, comments, and feedback: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Please visit www.torchweb.org to see a full listing of our outreach and educational resources available in the Greater Houston area! ★ Support this podcast ★

Discover the profound impact of prayer in shaping our lives and our relationship with the divine from this soul-stirring conversation. Prayer transcends simple acts and offerings, we explain, as it fosters an intimate bond with Hashem that eclipses even the most benevolent deeds. We delve into the rituals that enrich our daily lives, such as the profoundly symbolic act of washing hands before breaking bread, a gesture that acknowledges our reliance on God's grace. Listen closely and uncover how these moments of humility and trust are the true core of prayer, more significant than any physical offering we could present.In our heartfelt dialogue, we share touching tales of children in Yeshivas who pray for our IDF soldiers during this war, underscoring the miraculous nature of collective prayer. The power of words spoken with genuine hope and faith can yield astounding outcomes; this is evident in the way their prayers coincided with unexpected low casualty statistics. Furthermore, we touch upon the daily practice of reciting the Ashrei prayer (Psalm 145), a thrice-daily ritual that serves to remind us of our roles as grateful recipients of God's endless generosity. Join us and let this episode be a gateway to building your personal spiritual sanctuary, where your connection with Hashem can deepen and flourish.This episode (Ep. #3) of the Prayer Podcast by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe of TORCH is dedicated my dearest friends, Dr. Leonard Goldberg! May Hashem bless you and always lovingly accept your prayer for good health, success and true happiness!!!Recorded in the TORCH Centre - Studio B to a live audience on January 19, 2024, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on January 21, 2024_____________DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!_____________SUBSCRIBE and LISTEN to other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Prayer 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 https://www.TORCHpodcasts.com_____________EMAIL your questions, comments, and feedback: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Please visit www.torchweb.org to see a full listing of our outreach and educational resources available in the Greater Houston area! ★ Support this podcast ★

Explaining this verse and Ashrei's connection with Birchas Hamazon.

Rabbi Stark expounds upon the power of Ashrei and the effects of saying it properly.

The Mashgiach examines Ashrei and explains why one who says it 3x daily is called a "ben Olam Haba."

Dedication opportunities are available for episodes and series at ohr.edu/donate/qa   Questions? Comments? podcasts@ohr.edu   Subscribe to the Rabbi Breitowitz Q&A Podcast at https://plnk.to/rbq&a   Submit questions for the Q&A with Rabbi Breitowitz https://forms.gle/VCZSK3wQJJ4fSd3Q7   Subscribe to our YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/OhrSomayach/videos     00:00 What kind of changes in Halacha or otherwise will happen after Mashiach comes?   08:18 What's with saying G-d is of one name but He has more than that?   13:02 What is the proper kavod for wearing the begged of tzitzis outside your clothes?   17:16 What is special about Ashrei that we remove the letter nun, when we don't do that in other alphabetical supplications?   21:22 Is technology something that ideally we wouldn't have, but now that we do, we have to use it responsibly with rules and gedarim, or alternatively is it something we should embrace and prefer, while being aware and alert of potential consequences?   27:59 What is the source for a certain pasuk in sfarad mussaf?   32:35 Is it permissible to associate with friends who are not on the same Torah level as me? Should we try to be mekarev them?   37:14 What should our attitude be towards area of halacha that are seemingly less effective or suitable in a modern society compared with today's secular laws, specifically in regards to contracts and financial matters. Should our attitude be that we are not appreciating the halacha properly, or should we acknowledge it's not ideal and be extra hopeful for Mashiach to come so a Sanhedrin can make some updates.   42:36 Why is Rabbi Jonathan Sacks not so accepted in the frum world?   49:36 In uncensored Gemara Avoda Zara, it mentions that Jesus was not real, is this true?   53:20: What is a heavenly decree and when exactly are they made? How do we have the power to rip them up?   54:51 Is there a heter for a convert to use their biological father's name when called to the Torah?   56:37 How can someone tell when they are starting to burn out in their learning?   59:55 Would it be halachally mutar to buy clothes at a store in America and bring them back to Israel and sell them at a higher price to bachurim or otherwise?   1:01:03 Should we use our YH to try to be better in learning?    1:03:53 Gematria is incredible, but many seem to dismiss it as fluffy. Is there practical gain from knowing it?    1:06:03 What do we do with Gematrias of politicians or otherwise?   1:08:54 Are we allowed to calculate the messianic timeline?   1:12:50 What is Rebbe's view on reading secular books - theoretically, alternatively, one could be reading a Jewish book (even if not a Sefer); would it affect anything if there are yesodos in human psyche and/or Etzahs on life? Especially if the book has been held in a very high regard by society (a classic)? For example: Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky (a classic), or, in the other regard, Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankel (life-changing)?   1:20:26 Can I rely on a leniency just to be convenient or for pleasure?    1:21:12 Do halachos of shomer negia, yichud, etc. apply to transgender people?   1:25:40 When we read the amida we pray for the return of the Davidic dynasty, would it be possible to re-establish the kingdom without mashiach?   1:30:20 How do we understand the malchus of Shaul when he was from Binyamin?    1:32:08 Do we say amen to brachos said incorrectly?   1:33:07 Do we say brachos in order, even if I want to cover something less chashuv than others?   1:34:11 Is being clean-shaven an issur d'oraissa?   You can listen to this and many other Ohr Somayach programs by downloading our app, on Apple and Google Play, ohr.edu and all major podcast platforms. Visit us @ ohr.edu  PRODUCED BY: CEDAR MEDIA STUDIOS  

Dedicated LeRefuah Shleimah for שמחה יצחק בן מירעלע יודקא & אסתר תהלה בת אריאל ציפורה   Dedication opportunities are available for episodes and series at ohr.edu/donate/qa Questions? Comments? podcasts@ohr.edu Subscribe to the Rabbi Breitowitz Q&A Podcast at https://plnk.to/rbq&a Submit questions for the Q&A with Rabbi Breitowitz https://forms.gle/VCZSK3wQJJ4fSd3Q7 Subscribe to our YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/OhrSomayach/videos 00:00 When an urgent world event happens, how do we approach giving tzedaka to that cause?    02:40 Can I fly a country flag with a Christian or other religious symbol on it?   03:37 Do people who are heretics still somewhat believe in tefilla and is it more or less the case today?   14:34 Why is POSEACH ES YADECHA seemingly the whole reason we say the Ashrei?   19:39 What should a Yeshiva Bachur do if after a while at Yeshiva he feels disenchanted in learning/davening, etc.?   33:30 What are the Rav's views on Hisbodedus and Jewish mediation?   39:30 In terms of secular music, specifically country music which heavily focuses on their god and on women/relationships but (for the most part) is not nearly as sexually explicit or openly immoral—some find that meaningful and sometimes touching —is listening to that considered krum?    45:31 How much of Avraham Avinu's Torah is preserved in Oral Torah? And why didn't Hashem simply give him or his sons the Torah before Sinai?   52:59 What is the Rav's opinion of women (moms) who work full time and often leave kids to be raised by babysitters?   59:18 Would a different Torah narrative entail still going to Jerusalem and all the laws associated as such?   1:03:23 When the great flood happened, was it regional or global?   1:06:02 Can one value secular education for its own sake? Meaning, the value of knowledge beyond the practical use.   1:16:08 How exactly did Avraham reverse engineer the mitzvos?    1:18:11 If a single girl goes through all the required purifications, could she touch a man?   1:22:40 In terms of a person who grew up as a secular Jew and then became frum, are they accountable for all the mitzvos they didn't know about?   1:27:41 What are the exact definitions of Chochma, Bina, and Daas, and how does one relate to the other?   1:32:51 When it comes to tzedaka, we are allowed to “test Hashem”—should we take this literally and what are the parameters of that?   1:40:57 Why are there so many reasons we could be redeemed?   You can listen to this and many other Ohr Somayach programs by downloading our app, on Apple and Google Play, ohr.edu and all major podcast platforms. Visit us @ ohr.edu  PRODUCED BY: CEDAR MEDIA STUDIOS