Podcasts about eretz yisrael

Which firstborns became sanctified in the journey of the Jewish people from Egypt to the desert to Eretz Yisrael?

The Connection Between Yom Kippur and Sukkot Welcome to Daily Bitachon. We are currently in the days between Yom Kippur and Sukkot, and many of us are aware that Sukkot serves as a direct continuation of Yom Kippur. It is no coincidence that Sukkot follows immediately after. Many of us are familiar with the intrinsic connection between this transition and the mitzvah of the sukkah itself. The Return of the Clouds of Glory The most famous explanation comes from the Vilna Gaon. He explains that the entire process began with the Cheit Ha'eigel (sin of the Golden Calf) on the seventeenth of Tammuz. Hashem ultimately forgave us for the Golden Calf on Yom Kippur. The goal was to build the Mishkan (Tabernacle), which would bring the Shechinah (Divine Presence) down to rest among the Jewish people. Over the four days following Yom Kippur, the people gathered and prepared the materials for the Mishkan, and it was through this process that Hashem's Clouds of Glory returned. The profound insight here is that when Bnei Yisrael sinned with the Golden Calf, the Clouds of Glory departed. The clouds were an added layer of Divine affection—a spiritual luxury. Hashem continued to provide the Mahn because the people needed to eat, and He maintained the Be'er Miriam (Miriam's well) because they needed to drink. Sustenance was essential, but they lost the privilege of the Ananei HaKavod (Clouds of Glory). Those clouds only returned after Yom Kippur. This resolves a classic question: if the Clouds of Glory originally appeared when we left Egypt, why do we not celebrate them in Nisan? The Tur famously answers that if we were to sit in booths during the spring, it would not be apparent that we were doing so for the sake of a mitzvah, as people naturally sit outside when the weather turns pleasant. By dwelling in the sukkah in the autumn—when the weather cools and people normally move indoors—it is evident that our dwelling is lishmah , purely for the mitzvah. The Vilna Gaon, however, offers a deeper, internal explanation: we are not commemorating the original Clouds of Glory from the Exodus. Rather, we are celebrating the Clouds of Glory that were restored to us after our sin was forgiven on Yom Kippur. We sinned, we achieved atonement, and Hashem demonstrated His enduring love by returning His protective embrace. That is the foundational link between the sukkah and Yom Kippur. Connecting the Arba Minim to Forgiveness How do the Arba Minim (the Four Species) fit into this theme of forgiveness? At a basic level, Sukkot is Chag Ha'asif —the harvest festival. It is the time of gathering the produce, so we wave the prime agricultural species of Eretz Yisrael to thank Hashem for our sustenance. But how do the Four Species reflect the themes of teshuvah and the cleansing of sin from Yom Kippur? To understand this, look closely at the Al Cheit confessions recited throughout Yom Kippur. A striking number of these confessions specifically focus on individual bodily organs: אימוץ הלב – Hardening of the heart ביטוי שפתים – Careless utterances of the lips דיבור פה – Harsh or improper speech הרהור הלב – Impure thoughts of the heart וידוי פה – Insincere verbal confession חוזק יד – Coercive or wrongful use of the hand טומאת שפתים – Impurity of the lips לשון הרע – Slanderous speech (which Rav Shlomo Wolbe noted literally implies a "damaged tongue") נטיית גרון – Haughtiness expressed through an outstretched neck סיקור עין – Prying, inappropriate gazes שיח שפתותינו – Misguided speech of the lips עינים רמות – Haughty, arrogant eyes עזות מצח – A brazen forehead or unyielding attitude קלות ראש – Lightheadedness or levity of the head קשיות עורף – A stiffened, obstinate neck תמהון לבב – Confusion and turmoil of the heart Our confessions focus relentlessly on our physical limbs. The Spiritual Anatomy of Man As Rav Wolbe pointed out, our physical organs perform our actions, and our sins leave a direct spiritual mark upon them. The Chafetz Chaim elaborates on this in his introduction to the third volume of the Mishnah Berurah . Man possesses 248 limbs and 365 sinews, which correspond directly to the 248 positive commandments and 365 negative prohibitions of the Torah. Every mitzvah nurtures and animates its corresponding spiritual organ. Fulfilling a mitzvah properly maintains the health of that limb; neglecting it causes spiritual impairment. Just as with the human body, certain mitzvot correspond to vital organs like the brain or the heart—such as Shabbos and emunah (faith)—without which spiritual life cannot survive. Other mitzvot parallel secondary extremities like fingers or toes; they are valuable and whole, but their lack is not immediately fatal. The Chafetz Chaim adds a sobering insight: after 120 years, when a soul enters Olam Haba (the World to Come), its spiritual health will be visible for all to see. If someone was careless with their tefillin , the spiritual arm corresponding to that mitzvah may appear broken or in a sling. As Kohelet states: סוֹף דָּבָר הַכֹּל נִשְׁמָע, אֶת הָאֱלֹקִים יְרָא וְאֶת מִצְוֺתָיו שְׁמוֹר, כִּי זֶה כָּל הָאָדָם . "The end of the matter, all having been heard: fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the entirety of man." Our ultimate identity and spiritual form in eternity are determined by how we care for the limbs of our soul through our mitzvot in this world. The Forty-Day Spiritual Spa This brings us back to the work we began on Rosh Chodesh Elul. Rav Yerucham Levovitz once visited the mineral baths at Carlsbad and overheard two arriving travelers say, "Let's leave our luggage here and go straight to the baths!" They understood that when you enter a healing spa, you take advantage of every single moment. Rav Yerucham noted that the month of Elul is precisely that—a spiritual spa. It is an intensive period dedicated to nursing our spiritual bodies back into optimal shape. We spent forty days immersed in this regimen: prayer, introspective discipline, and careful self-examination. Finally, on Yom Kippur, we reached the culmination of the treatment. Through the Al Cheit prayers, we methodically examined and purified every spiritual limb, emerging renewed, atoned, and spiritually whole. The Arba Minim: Preserving the Results Having emerged from Yom Kippur in peak spiritual condition, how do we express and protect this renewed state? We take the Arba Minim , which correspond directly to the key organs of our body: The Lulav: Represents the spine. The spine is the structural foundation of the body from which all primary nerves branch. Kabbalistic tradition notes that, including the rings binding the species, the lulav incorporates 18 distinct ties (a practice prominent in Sephardic custom), corresponding to the 18 vertebrae of the human spine as taught by the Arizal. The Etrog: Represents the heart—pure, vibrant, and free of blemishes. The Hadassim: Represent the eyes, fresh and clear. The Aravot: Represent the lips, upright and cleansed of improper speech. We hold these species together: pristine, fresh, whole, and beautiful. They represent the spiritually cleansed body we worked so hard to build over the Yamim Noraim. Holding the Four Species serves as a mirror and a reminder: "Look at your heart. Look at your eyes, your lips, and your spine. Everything has been reset, purified, and aligned. Do not ruin it now." When someone spends forty days on an intensive fitness and wellness regimen, working out daily and refining their diet, they do not discard their progress the very next day. They stay mindful of their choices and maintain their discipline. Every time we pick up the lulav and etrog on Sukkot, we are reminded of the intensive spiritual labor of the preceding forty days. They stand before us as a physical blueprint of our spiritual health, urging us to guard that purity, preserve our strength, and remain spiritually whole throughout the coming year.

Yehoshua sends two spies into Eretz Yisrael to the city of Yericho and they meet Rachav, they agree to a pact with her after she protects them and eventually report back to Yehoshua

התוכן כאן המקום להודות לאלו שהביעו את איחוליהם לקראת השנה החדשה, היות ואין ביכולת להודות לכאו"א בפרטיות, וכבר נאמר "ואברכה מברכיך" – בברכתו של הקב"ה ש"תוספתו מרובה על העיקר". הודעה נוספת עבור הרבים: ישנם כאלו שמתפלאים ע"ז שאינם מקבלים מענה על השאלות ששואלים – כבר אמרתי כמ"פ שמפני רוב הטרדות בימים אלו אין הזמן גרמא לענות לכאו"א בפרטיות. והעצה לדעת כיצד להתנהג – להתקשר עם ה"חלק אלקה ממעל ממש" שבלבו פנימה, ע"י תומ"צ, וה' יאיר את מוחו ולבו. ובפרט בנוגע לענינים שכבר הבעתי את דעתי בעבר. לדוגמא: תלמידים ששואלים היכן להמשיך לימודיהם – שייך להנהלת המוסד שבו לומדים. אלו ששואלים אודות הנסיעה מאה"ק לכאן – אם יש ספק, להשאר באה"ק. ואם רוצים להתנהג באופן מסויים – לשאול רב מורה הוראה בפועל. ובודאי שאין להכנס ל"חובות" עבור הנסיעה.משיחת וא"ו תשרי, ה'תשמ"ב ל"הנחה פרטית" או התרגום ללה"ק של השיחה: https://thedailysicha.com/?date=15-09-2026 Synopsis This is the appropriate place to thank those who have expressed their good wishes for the new year; since it is not possible to thank everyone individually, and it has already been said, “I will bless those who bless you” – with the blessing of the Holy One, blessed be He, whose “bonus is greater than the principal.” Additionally: There are those who wonder why they do not receive answers to their questions. As I have already said in the past, because of the many preoccupations during this time of year, time does not permit answering everyone individually; to know how to conduct oneself, one should connect with the “actual part of G-d from above” within their heart, through Torah and mitzvos, and Hashem will illuminate the mind and heart. Especially when it comes to matters where I have already expressed my opinion in the past. For example: Students ask where they should continue their studies – this is a question for the administration of the institution in which they are studying. Those who ask about traveling here from Eretz Yisrael – if there is a doubt, they should remain in Eretz Yisrael; if one wishes to proceed in a certain way, he should ask a practicing rav; and certainly one should not go into debt for the trip.Excerpt from sichah of 6 Tishrei 5742 For a transcript in English of the Sicha: https://thedailysicha.com/?date=15-09-2026

The Rebbe advises that efforts to inspire Sephardic Jews in Eretz Yisrael regarding Torah and mitzvos should begin modestly, without publicizing or seeking rabbinic endorsements at first. Progress should be made step by step, clarifying details as the initiative develops. https://www.torahrecordings.com/rebbe/igroskodesh/018/001/6522

Study Guide The obligation of reshit ha'gez (first shearing) applies exclusively to sheep. Although the Gemara initially suggests a gezeira shava comparing "gez" in Deuteronomy 18:5 to Job 31:20 ("m'gez kvasai yitchamam"), it ultimately derives the requirement from the phrase "l'amod l'sharet", establishing that the material must be fit for priestly service. This excludes goat hair - which is used for sackcloth rather than garments - as well as coarse wool. Washing sheep, which causes some wool to be removed, is subject to a Tannaitic debate: Rabbi Yosi exempts washing from the commandment to give the first shearing because it is not the typical method of shearing, whereas the rabbis obligate it as it does remove the wool. The Tannaim dispute the minimum flock size required: Beit Shammai require two sheep based on the plural "tzon", Beit Hillel require five ("chamesh tzon asuyot"), and Rabbi Yishmael b'Rabbi Yosi requires four based on the laws of theft of "tzon" where the penalty is four "tzon". Rebbi shows preference to the ruling of Rabbi Yishmael b'Rabbi Yosi for a number of reasons, and Rabbi Yochanan explains that there is an established tradition from Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi to hold like him. Addressing fleece quantities, the rabbis disagree with Rabbi Dosa ben Harkinas, ruling that any amount of shearing from five sheep triggers liability, which the Amoraim quantify through various minimum amounts, and only one of the three positions takes their words literally that there is no minimum. Rav requires 37.5 sela'im, Shmuel requires sixty, while requiring 1:60 for the kohen, Rabbi Yochanan requires six sela'im with five going to the kohen. The Gemara tries to reconcile these views with the Mishna's rule requiring five sela'im given to the kohen. Rav and Shmuel compare this rabbinic 1:60 baseline to the standards for teruma and peah, prompting a discussion in the Gemara reconciling these baselines against conflicting sources. When Isi bar Hini travels to Eretz Yisrael, Rabbi Yochanan criticizes him both for errors in his text of the Mishna and for not demonstrating enough respect toward Rav. Rabbi Yochanan also presents his position on the Rabbis' view of "any amount" (kol shehu), which initially appears to contradict his earlier statement in the sugya. When Rav Dimi arrives from Eretz Yisrael and transmits Rabbi Yochanan's teaching, Abaye deduces from it how to resolve the contradiction.

Today is Tzom Gedaliah, which comes right after Rosh Hashanah during the Aseret Yemei Teshuvah. We fast because Gedaliah ben Achikam, the leader of the small group of Jewish people who remained in Eretz Yisrael after the Churban HaBayit, was murdered. The Gemara tells us regarding this, שְׁקוּלָה מִיתָתָן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים כִּשְׂרֵפַת בֵּית אֱלֹקֵינוּ — the death of tzaddikim is comparable to the burning of the Bet HaMikdash. But we may ask, there have been many great tzaddikim who passed away throughout the generations whom we don't fast for. What was so significant about the death of Gedaliah that we fast over it until today? In fact, at that time, the Bet HaMikdash had already been destroyed. Yerushalayim had already been devastated. Most of the Jewish people had already gone into galut. What was left? Just a small remnant of Jewish people living in Eretz Yisrael under Gedaliah. But perhaps that's the very point. That small remnant had so much potential. There was still Jewish life in Eretz Yisrael. There were still fields to plant and homes to build. Hashem could have produced an entire future just from what remained. But then Gedaliah was murdered. The people became afraid and eventually fled. There is a great lesson here for us. Sometimes a person looks at his life and thinks about what he doesn't have. Maybe things did not turn out the way he hoped. Maybe he lost an opportunity. Maybe years have gone by and he didn't accomplish what he should have. He looks at what's left and thinks, What could I possibly do with this? Tzom Gedaliah teaches us: Never underestimate what's left. Hashem can build an entire future from what looks to us like very little. Imagine a man who once had a successful business that eventually began to fail. He lost his customers, went into debt, and with no choice he had to close. He was devastated. He felt that everything he had built was gone. But sometime later, an old contact called him looking for help locating a certain product. The man knew the industry very well and was able to make the right connection. That led to another call and then another, and eventually he began working as a consultant and broker. Using all the knowledge and contacts he had gained over the years, he ended up making a much better parnassah without all the overhead and pressures of his previous business. What he thought was just what remained from his old business was exactly what Hashem used to build his future. This is a very important message now during the Aseret Yemei Teshuvah. We just stood before Hashem on Rosh Hashanah and thought about all the areas in our lives that we need to improve. We may have chalishut hada'at . We may think, Look how many years have gone by. Look at all the opportunities I've missed. What do I have left? But Hashem doesn't want us to be discouraged. He wants us to be encouraged. As long as He gives us another day, there is tremendous potential just in that day. Maybe someone hasn't learned as much Torah as he should have, but he can start right now, today. Maybe a person hasn't been praying the way he should, but he can start right now with today's tefillah, especially now when tefillah is so powerful. Maybe there's a relationship that a person needs to improve or a middah that he's been struggling with. Today he can take a step. We have no idea what Hashem can build from that one step. This is one lesson we can learn from Tzom Gedaliah. After so much had been lost, what remained still had so much value. The same is true in our lives. We should never say, "It's too late," or, "There's not enough left." We have today. Hashem has given us so much potential. Our job is to use what we have right now and trust that Hashem can build an entire future from it.

Wake up, Jewish Democrats.Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, herself Jewish, told the Michigan Democratic Jewish Caucus that Jews have “a moral imperative to place the needs of the world above even our own self-interest and, yes, even our own survival.”That was not abstract ethics. The political context was November and the U.S. Senate race: pressure on Jews uneasy about Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, and tempted by Republican Mike Rogers. El-Sayed's Israel record, and his “hurt people hurt people” line after the March 2026 terrorist attack on Temple Israel outside Detroit, already alarmed many Jewish Democrats.Nessel went further. Invoking Queen Esther, she suggested Jews may have to “sacrifice the comfort, safety and security and even the very future of our own people” to save humanity. She asked what good it is to defend Israel “if the planet upon which it rests is no longer inhabitable,” then: “Come November, what do your Jewish values tell you to do?”Esther risked herself to save the Jewish people. She did not risk the Jewish people to keep a party coalition intact.For too many Jews, Democratic affiliation has replaced Judaism as a civilization - Torah, peoplehood, history, Eretz Yisrael, continuity - with a universalist politics branded as tikkun olam. Caring for humanity is Jewish. Sacrificing Jewish survival is not. Ignoring Jew-hatred in party leadership is not a mitzvah.Nessel even admitted there are people in her camp who “seek the destruction of Israel as a Jewish state and place the Jewish diaspora in jeopardy.” Her conclusion was still: survival can come second.That is how Jew-hatred goes mainstream, when anti-Zionism is treated as morality, when the Red-Green alliance of the radical left and jihadi politics uses “Palestine” as the gateway, and when Jewish officials help sell it as Jewish values.Jewish survival is not selfish. Defending the only Jewish state is not selfish. Fighting antisemitism in your own party is not selfish.Wake up, Jewish Democrats. History has given enough warnings. Am Yisrael Chai.Join Our Whatsapp Channel: https://chat.whatsapp.com/GkavRznXy731nxxRyptCMvFollow us on Twitter: https://x.com/AviAbelowJoin our Telegram Channel: https://t.me/aviabelowpulseFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pulse_of_israel/?hl=enPulse of Israel on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IsraelVideoNetworkVisit Our Website - https://pulseofisrael.com/Donate to Pulse of Israel: https://pulseofisrael.com/boost-this-video/

Study Guide The obligation of reshit ha'gez (first shearing) applies exclusively to sheep. Although the Gemara initially suggests a gezeira shava comparing "gez" in Deuteronomy 18:5 to Job 31:20 ("m'gez kvasai yitchamam"), it ultimately derives the requirement from the phrase "l'amod l'sharet", establishing that the material must be fit for priestly service. This excludes goat hair - which is used for sackcloth rather than garments - as well as coarse wool. Washing sheep, which causes some wool to be removed, is subject to a Tannaitic debate: Rabbi Yosi exempts washing from the commandment to give the first shearing because it is not the typical method of shearing, whereas the rabbis obligate it as it does remove the wool. The Tannaim dispute the minimum flock size required: Beit Shammai require two sheep based on the plural "tzon", Beit Hillel require five ("chamesh tzon asuyot"), and Rabbi Yishmael b'Rabbi Yosi requires four based on the laws of theft of "tzon" where the penalty is four "tzon". Rebbi shows preference to the ruling of Rabbi Yishmael b'Rabbi Yosi for a number of reasons, and Rabbi Yochanan explains that there is an established tradition from Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi to hold like him. Addressing fleece quantities, the rabbis disagree with Rabbi Dosa ben Harkinas, ruling that any amount of shearing from five sheep triggers liability, which the Amoraim quantify through various minimum amounts, and only one of the three positions takes their words literally that there is no minimum. Rav requires 37.5 sela'im, Shmuel requires sixty, while requiring 1:60 for the kohen, Rabbi Yochanan requires six sela'im with five going to the kohen. The Gemara tries to reconcile these views with the Mishna's rule requiring five sela'im given to the kohen. Rav and Shmuel compare this rabbinic 1:60 baseline to the standards for teruma and peah, prompting a discussion in the Gemara reconciling these baselines against conflicting sources. When Isi bar Hini travels to Eretz Yisrael, Rabbi Yochanan criticizes him both for errors in his text of the Mishna and for not demonstrating enough respect toward Rav. Rabbi Yochanan also presents his position on the Rabbis' view of "any amount" (kol shehu), which initially appears to contradict his earlier statement in the sugya. When Rav Dimi arrives from Eretz Yisrael and transmits Rabbi Yochanan's teaching, Abaye deduces from it how to resolve the contradiction.

ROSH HASHANAThe Silent ShofarIs it a good sign that Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbos? This year and next (5787-5788) bring a once-in-fifty-year occurrence: two consecutive Rosh Hashanahs both falling on Shabbos.Historically, both the worst national tragedies (the destruction of both Batei Mikdash) and the greatest triumphs (forgiveness for the Golden Calf, the building of the Mishkan, entry into Eretz Yisrael) took place in years when Rosh Hashanah fell on Shabbos.The omen cuts both ways, so the question becomes: what actually determines which direction it goes?The Sages suspended the blowing of the shofar whenever Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbos, out of concern that someone might carry the shofar to an expert to learn from him, violating the Shabbos prohibition against carrying in a public domain. How can the sages suspend a biblically given commandment?

מראי מקומות מעמדם ההלכתי של יהודי אתיופיה — חזקת יהדות, ערעור וייחוס1. תלמוד בבלי, קידושין עג ע״ב2. רמב״ם, הלכות ממרים פרק ג הלכה ג במה דברים אמורים באיש שכפר בתורה שבעל פה במחשבתו ובדברים שנראו לו, והלך אחר דעתו הקלה ואחר שרירות לבו, וכופר בתורה שבעל פה תחילה כצדוק ובייתוס וכן כל התועים אחריו. אבל בני התועים האלה ובני בניהם שהדיחו אותם אבותם, ונולדו בין הקראים וגדלו אותם על דעתם, הרי הוא כתינוק שנשבה ביניהם וגדלוהו, ואינו זריז לאחוז בדרכי המצות, שהרי הוא כאנוס. ואף על פי ששמע אחר כך שהוא יהודי וראה היהודים ודתם, הרי הוא כאנוס, שהרי גדלוהו על טעותם. כך אלו שאמרנו האוחזים בדרכי אבותם הקראים שטעו; לפיכך ראוי להחזירן בתשובה ולמשכם בדברי שלום עד שיחזרו לאיתן התורה.3. אלדד הדני ויש לנו קבלה איש מפי איש שאנחנו בני דן היינו בתחילה בארץ ישראל יושבי אהלים, ולא היה בכל שבטי ישראל בעלי מלחמה גבורי חיל כמונו... וכשעמד עליהם ירבעם בן נבט שהחטיא את ישראל ועשה שני עגלי זהב... אמרו לבני דן: קומו והלחמו עם בני יהודה. אמרו לו: בחיי ראש בן אבינו אין אנו עושין מלחמה עם אחינו ולא נשפוך דמם. מיד נטלו בני דן חרבות ורמחים וקשתות ונתנו עצמם למות לילך מארץ ישראל... לסוף נתנו עצה לילך למצרים... כדי לילך לעבור לנהר פישון לארץ כוש.4. שו״ת רדב״ז, חלק ז סימן ה שאלת ממני אודיעך דעתי במי שקנה עבד חבשי מאותם היהודים הדרים בארץ כוש, איך יתנהג עמו... תשובה: ... זה שקנה העבד החבשי, כיון שנתברר לו שהוא יהודי, אין זה אלא פדיון שבויים, לא קנין עבדים, והמצוה היתה מוטלת על כל ישראל לפדותו כדי שלא יטמע בין העכו״ם. וכ״ש הוא השתא. ואף על גב דאיכא ספק אחרינא, שהרי כל אלו החבשים הדרים בארץ כוש הם הם מתנהגים כדת הקראין שהם צדוק וביתוס, ואין אנו מצווים לא לפדותם ולא להחיותם — מכל מקום מסתברא לי דהני מילי אלו שהם דרים בתוך הרבנים ורואים דברי חכמים ומלעיבים ומלעיגים עליהם... אבל אלו הבאים מארץ כוש הם משבט דן בלי ספק, ומפני שלא היו ביניהם חכמים בעלי קבלה תפסו להם פשטי הכתובים; אבל אם היו מלמדים אותם לא היו פוקרים בדברי רבותינו ז״ל, והוי כתינוק שנשבה לבין העכו״ם... ואפילו אם תמצא לומר שהדבר ספק, מצוה לפדותם. אבל לענין יוחסין אני חושש שמא קידושיהן קידושין וגיטם אינו כתיקון חז״ל, שהרי אינם יודעים כלל בטיב גיטין וקידושין.5. שו״ת רדב״ז, חלק ד סימן ריט; ועי׳ חלק ז סימן ט עוד יש טעם כללי לכלל הקראין, שהרי ישראל הם וקידושיהן קידושין ואין גיטן כתקנת חז״ל, וכולם פסולי עדות הם מדאורייתא... ומכל מקום מודה אני שאם היו מסכימים כולם לבא לדת חברות ולקבל עליהם קבלת רבותינו ז״ל להיות כמונו, הייתי מתירם לבא בקהל עם הסכמת החכמים, והטעם כי כל קידושיהם בעדים מהם שהם פסולי עדות, וכמו שכונסה כך פוטרה, ואין לחוש לדור הראשון שהיו קידושיהם בעדים כשרים.6. שו״ת ציץ אליעזר, חלק יב סימן סו למדנו מדברי הרדב״ז כמה הלכתא גבירתא בקשר לאלו הפלשים הגרים בארץ כוש: א) את זהותם הוא קובע כיהודים משבט דן. ב) הנהגתם הוא קובע כקראים... ג) הגם שנותן להם ליהנות מן הספק... אבל לענין יוחסין, הוא קובע שיש לחשוש שמא קידושיהן קידושין וגיטם אינו כתיקון חז״ל, בהיות שאינם יודעין כלל בטיב גיטין וקידושין... ובקריאה בספר ״שבילי עולם״... יוצאים בהרושם כי עדיין לא ברור כלל אם אמנם מוצאם מהיהודים לפי דין תורה, וכי על כל פנים מעורב בתוכם הרבה ממוצא לא יהודי... כל כמה שיתברר אצלנו ביותר שבכלל לא מבני ישראל המה, תפתח לפנינו הדרך ביותר שנוכל לקבלם על ידי גירות כדת וכדין.7. שו״ת אגרות משה, יורה דעה חלק ד סימן מא הנה כפי בקשתך, באתי בזה לאשר מה שכתבת בשמי לפני כמה שנים אודות ״הפעלאשעס״, שידוע מה שכתוב בשו״ת רדב״ז (חלק שביעי סימן ט), שמשמע שמחזיקם כיהודים. אבל לדינא קשה לסמוך על זה, שלא ברור אם הרדב״ז ידע היטב המציאות אודותם, וגם לא ברור אם עד זמננו לא נשתנה מצבם. אבל לדינא אינם באיסור ממזרות וכעין שהרדב״ז מזכיר שם, שהרי יש בהם כמה וכמה ספיקות.ולגבי יהדותם, נחשב לנו בספק, ויש להצריכם גירות אמיתי קודם שנתירם לבוא בקהל. אבל גם קודם גירותם יש מצוה להצילם משמד ומסכנה כדין כל ישראל, שספק נפשות להקל... ואם נתגיירו כדין... נחשבם ככל יהודי, ויש לעוזרם ולתומכם בכל צרכי חייהם בין בגשמיות ובין ברוחניות... ופשוט שיש לקרבם... ואין לדינא חילוק במה שהם שחורים.8. שו״ת יביע אומר, חלק ח אבן העזר סימן יא — השגה על הציץ אליעזר ומה שכתב עוד בציץ אליעזר להסתמך על חוקרים שונים שלא ברור כלל שהפלשים הם יהודים לפי דין תורה, ושעל כל פנים מעורבים בהם גרים... תמיהני עליו שבא לדחות עדות גאוני עולם מפני חוקרים אשר דבריהם מהבל ימעטו. והרי הלכה רווחת בידינו בקידושין שאין ערעור בפחות משנים. ואם כן בנידון דידן, שלא היתה כאן עדות ברורה ואי אפשר שתהיה עדות כזאת, לאחר שהרדב״ז והמהריק״ש קבעו במפורש שהם משבט דן בלי ספק — מי הוא זה ואי זה הוא שיוכל לצאת נגד עדה שלמה לפוסלם ולהטיל בהם מום בקדשים, שהרי גדולה חזקה.9. שו״ת יביע אומר, חלק ח אבן העזר סימן יא — השגה על האגרות משה גם הלום שמעתי שהגאון רבי משה פיינשטיין שליט״א כתב... שאף שהרדב״ז כתב שאין ספק שהפלשים יהודים משבט דן, לדינא קשה לסמוך על זה, כי לא ברור אם הרדב״ז ידע היטב את המציאות אודותם, וגם לא ברור אם עד זמנינו לא נשתנה מצבם... ומה מאד יש לתמוה על דברים אלו, מאחר שידוע לכל גדולתו של הרדב״ז ונחשב לפוסק גדול גם בדורו, דור דעה של מרן הבית יוסף... וגם לאחר דורו של הרדב״ז מוקמינן להו אחזקתייהו, שגדולה חזקה... כשם שנוהגים כן לגבי שאר קהלות שבאו מחוץ לארץ... שמחזיקים אותם כיהודים לכל דבר, ורק בשעת נישואיהם חוקרים ודורשים כמדת האפשר.10. שו״ת יביע אומר, חלק ח אבן העזר סימן יא — מסקנת ההלכה והנה לאחר חקירה ודרישה מפי זקני העדה וכהניה, מתברר שאין לעדה האתיופית קידושין כלל בנתינה ואמירה כפי שחייבה התורה... במקום הטקס של הנישואין החתן נמצא בין האנשים והכלה בין הנשים, ולא קרב זה אל זה, אך אביו של החתן מכריז בפני הנוכחים ומודיע לאבי הכלה על כריתת ברית הנישואין בין החתן והכלה, ואינו נותן שום דבר, לא הוא ולא החתן, והכהן של העדה אומר פסוקי ברכה באמירה בלבד, ותו לא... נמצא שאין עושים מעשה קידושין באמירה ובנתינה כדת של תורה... ומעתה אין אנו צריכים לדון במה שנסתפק הרדב״ז בקידושי הפלשים הנעשים בעדיהם, אם העדים כשרים או פסולים, דמעיקרא דדינא פירכא שאין כאן קידושין כל עיקר, וממילא אין כל חשש בגירושיהם, מאחר שאינם נשואים על פי הדין...בהא סליקנא ובהא נחיתנא דליכא למיחש לפיסולי חיתון בעדת האתיופים, ומותרים לבוא בקהל ישראל ללא שום גיור אפילו לחומרא. והשי״ת יצילנו משגיאות ומתורתו יראנו נפלאות ויאיר עינינו במאור תוה״ק אמן.

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Join our WhatsApp group for weekly exclusive content: https://chat.whatsapp.com/FEgoaCOQoyU2VX49SwA8Aw?s=cl&p=a&ilr=4   This 2-part series discovers the dramatic life of Rabbi Yosef Karo, which was lived far beyond the pages of his famous legal code, the Shulchan Aruch.   Born into the upheaval of the 1492 Spanish Expulsion, he fled across borders from Lisbon to Cairo to Greece and eventually to Eretz Yisrael and was instructed by a spiritual maggid. But the 16th century of mass migrations threatened to fracture Jewish tradition into "countless Torahs". So he embarked on a monumental mission to write a master legal framework and unite the diaspora, which fundamentally reshaped our lives.   His story included an attempt to hasten the Messianic era, that led to him being banned from the main synagogue of Tzfas and a son born to him in his old age.

#Breslov #LikuteyMoharan #UmanRoshHashanaIn 1958 a twelve-year-old boy asked his mother if he could daven Rosh Hashana with the Breslover chassidim on the Lower East Side. She said no.So he went to the Mir, and he closed his eyes, and he imagined himself standing with them. And then he asked Hashem for one thing: that next year he should be by the Rebbe's tziyun.This was Cold War Russia. There was no getting into the country, let alone to Uman. Nobody was talking about Uman at all. He got there in 1969.That boy was the maggid shiur's father. The letter he wrote about it — to Moshe Yaakov Eisner a"h, an elter bochur already learning in Eretz Yisrael — turned up years later.Part 1 of Torah 4 at Breslov New Hempstead, given 16 Elul, exactly two weeks before Rosh Hashana."WHO SAYS?"The shiur opens on a question from the room, and the answer goes straight at the word itself. Who says Reb Nachman is true? Who says the Tikkun HaKlali works? Who says Reb Noson didn't write Likutey Moharan himself?The word "who says" is already kefirah. Because "who says" means: I do not want to believe, I want to understand.And the first platform of Yiddishkeit is not understanding. It is belief — and belief means I do not understand. Only from that platform does Hashem give the matanah we ask for three times a day: da'as. You start understanding from the platform of not understanding. Tachlis hayedia shelo neida.Which is the whole problem of this Torah, because Torah 4 opens k'she'adam yodea — when a person KNOWS that everything that happens to him is for his good. Knowing, not believing. The Rebbe never says the word emunah here. And yet the entire mechanism that gets you to that yedia runs through emunah and through vidui devarim to the tzaddik.THE TRAILEREverybody has had the moment: that was Hashem. That was clear Hashem.That moment is a sneak preview of a trailer of a tiny piece of the movie. Because for that one thing to happen to you at that hour, the whole briah had to be built a certain way. The dots go all the way back to brias ha'olam — and you will never see far enough back to watch them connect.ROSH HASHANA ON SHABBOSTwo weeks out — and really two weeks to the second day, which is when the ungezetzt actually starts. The first day everybody is still excited. The second day your head is already leaving, and you start asking: what did I do here? What did I get?A year when Rosh Hashana falls on Shabbos has no shofar and no tashlich the first day. October 7th was such a year. COVID was such a year. And so were good years.So what makes the difference? Not the answer you would expect — the answer given here is about what you bring, and why you came.MEN HOT ZICH GEFREGTAnd then the thing the maggid shiur heard from his shver in the name of Rav Gedalya Kenig zecher tzaddik livracha, about the years the tziyun was shut and there was not even a minyan there:מען האט זיך געפרעגט דער רבי רשות פאר מען האט פארמאכטThey asked the Rebbe's permission before they closed it.Sit with what kind of emunah says a sentence like that.Also inside: the kibbutz on 16th Avenue and 55th Street, fifty or sixty men, and a father telling his son the whole world is going to come — while the son, embarrassed, looked around the room and counted. Reb Shmuel Breines and the Breines boys before Ne'ilah, and Likutey Tefillos ayin-vav, and being told that if you say it you will stand at the tziyun next year. Reb Tzvi Aryeh Rosenfeld's Talmud Torah for boys who went to public school, and what came out of it. The Rebbe and Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai — mi ron, who will sing when they cannot come to me — and ani ron. And 216 years later, fifty thousand people, thirty hours of travel, to a town in the middle of nowhere.יא געדאווענט נישט געדאווענט, יא געשלאפן נישט געשלאפן, יא געגעסן נישט געגעסן — אבי זיי ביי מיר ראש השנה.He is not asking for your feelings. He is not asking for your da'as. He is asking for your presence.Part 2 goes inside seif ches.#Breslov #LikuteyMoharan #RebbeNachman #RebNachmanOfBreslov #Uman #UmanRoshHashana #RoshHashana #Torah4 #AnochiHashem #Emuna #EmunaPeshuta #ViduyDevarim #Tzaddik #Chassidus #NewHempstead #Shiur #TorahShiur #TzviAryehRosenfeld #GedalyaKenig #Elul #JewishSpirituality

Rabbi Shulman frames the mitzvah of ביכורים as the “pinnacle” of coming home to Eretz Yisrael: a spiritual return to the inner root of things. He addresses why the Torah emphasizes going specifically to “the kohen in those days” and why the declaration is phrased “לה׳ אלוקיך” (as if Hashem is the kohen's God). Drawing on רבי צדוק, Rabbi Shulman explains that the kohen represents the “kohen-dimension” within every Jew—accessing פנימיות and the shoresh—and he connects this to תפילה and ברכות as post-Temple pathways of the same root-reconnection, especially relevant as Rosh Hashanah approaches. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/ki-savo-bikurim-20260828-110331-outline-20260828-110406.pdf

The Rebbe writes about the crucial importance of education on the foundation of holiness, especially in our times and in Eretz Yisrael. He encourages perseverance despite obstacles, emphasizing that every effort in educating Jewish youth has immense value and long-term impact. https://www.torahrecordings.com/rebbe/igroskodesh/017/012/6490

The Journey Parashat Re'eh concludes with the Misva known as Aliya Le'regel – appearing before G-d in the Bet Ha'mikdash three times each year, on the holidays of Pesach, Shabuot and Sukkot. The Gemara in Masechet Hagiga (3a) makes a comment that sheds light on the nature of this Misva, and on the vital lesson that it teaches us. King Shelomo exclaims in Shir Hashirim (7:2), "Ma Yafu Fe'amayich Ba'ne'alim, Bat Nadib" – literally, "How beautiful are your steps in shoes, the daughter of the generous one." The Gemara interprets this verse as a reference to the journey that Beneh Yisrael would take to the Jerusalem before the holidays for the Misva of Aliya Le'regel. And the expression "Bat Nadib" ("daughter of the generous one") means that Beneh Yisrael are the descendants of Abraham Abinu, who was called "Nadib," as he was exceptionally generous and giving. The Gemara here seems to draw a comparison between two journeys: Beneh Yisrael's journey to the Bet Ha'mikdash for the holidays, and Abraham Abinu's journey. On one level, this refers to Abraham Abinu's journey from his homeland to Eretz Yisrael, about which the Midrash teaches that Abraham received reward for each and every step. Abraham's journey was not merely a means to an end, a practical necessity to fulfill G-d's command to settle in Eretz Yisrael. Rather, the journey itself was inherently meaningful and valuable, and he thus earned reward for each step. Likewise, Beneh Yisrael's journey to the Bet Ha'mikdash was itself a Misva. Indeed, we call this Misva "Aliya Le'regel" – going to the Bet Ha'mikdash for the holiday, emphasizing the process of "Aliya," of journeying. The Misva was to undertake the journey, to make the effort, to go through the trouble of going to appear before Hashem. On a deeper level, when the Gemara mentions Abraham Abinu in the context of the people's journey to Jerusalem, it refers to his journey through life. The Rambam writes that Abraham was born into a family of idolaters, and he himself worshipped idols. At the age of 3, Abraham began questioning and inquiring, thinking about the world, how it came into being, and who governs it. This theological journey which began at the age of 3 continued for 37 years, as it was only at the age of 40 that Abraham arrived at the belief in a single Creator. The journey of Aliya Le'regel parallels Abraham Abinu's extraordinary spiritual journey, his lengthy, step-by-step process of growth – because Aliya Le'regel, too, is a process of spiritual preparation. A person cannot simply appear before Hashem in the Bet Ha'mikdash without first preparing himself. The "footsteps," the trek to Jerusalem, was an obligatory process of growth, of putting oneself in the proper mindset to appear before Hashem in the Bet Ha'mikdash. The Kabbalists teach that the domain of place parallels the domain of time. The Bet Ha'mikdash, the most sacred place on earth, parallels the Yamim Noraim – the period of the High Holidays, the most sacred days of the year. Yom Kippur, the apex of this period, corresponds to the Kodesh Ha'kodashim, the inner sanctum of the Bet Ha'mikdash, whereas Rosh Hashanah, the onset of this period, is represented by the Azara, the courtyard of the Bet Ha'mikdash where the people would assemble on the three pilgrimage festivals. It emerges, then, that the period of Elul – the month of preparation for Rosh Hashanah – parallels "Aliya Le'regel," the journey to the Bet Ha'mikdash. The month that we begin this coming week is a time of journeying, of growth, of "Aliya" – elevation, lifting ourselves higher, so we come prepared to the "Bet Ha'mikdash," to Rosh Hashanah, when we stand before the Almighty for judgment. It is no coincidence that Parashat Re'eh is always read on the Shabbat preceding Rosh Hodesh Elul. Throughout the Book of Debarim, Moshe Rabbenu is preparing the people for life in the Land of Israel. But in this Parasha, for the first time, he speaks of "the place which G-d shall choose" – referring to the Bet Ha'mikdash. In this Parasha, Moshe prepares the people for the Bet Ha'mikdash, explaining what his special site is and the special laws pertaining to it. This is precisely what the month of Elul is all about – preparing ourselves for the "Bet Ha'mikdash" of time, for Rosh Hashanah, by growing and lifting ourselves, one beautiful "footstep" at a time, bringing us ever closer to Hashem and to spiritual greatness.

One of the greatest lessons that Hashem taught us was through the forty years that the Jewish people spent in the desert. There they had no homes, no farms, no businesses, and no way to provide for themselves. And that was one of the greatest blessings because they knew with absolute clarity that they were completely dependent upon Hashem for every aspect of their lives. That made it much easier for them to adhere to the Torah and mitzvot. Moshe Rabbenu told the people in Parashat Ekev how their food came in the form of the mann, their water came from a rock, and their clothing never wore out. Every single day they lived with the clear recognition that Hashem alone was sustaining them. And that was a lesson they were going to need for the rest of their lives. Because Moshe warned them that everything was about to change. They were going to enter Eretz Yisrael. There they would build beautiful homes, earn their own living, buy and sell, and accumulate wealth. And at that point there would be a great danger. They were going to think that it was their own strength and ability that brought them their success. They would no longer see as clearly that Hashem was providing everything for them. Therefore, Moshe told them in advance that nothing was really going to change. The mann might stop falling, but Hashem would still be providing every meal. They would build sturdy homes, but it would not be the homes protecting them—it would be Hashem. They would work and earn money, but it would still be Hashem Who was giving them every dollar. The desert was meant to teach them a lesson that they would carry with them for the rest of their lives. Although the miracles would no longer be as open, the One providing for them was not going to change. He would still be the very same Provider. And this lesson was not written only for that generation. It was written for all generations, including us. We may no longer receive mann, but every bit of sustenance we receive comes from Hashem. We may think we're earning our own living, building our own homes, and solving our own problems, but behind every success stands the same Hashem Who sustained His nation in the desert for forty years. A man who passed away this past week, Moshe ben Nizha a"h,, left his family with many great lessons, one of which was shared by his children. Several years ago, he had to spend a month in Italy on business. While he was there, he sent his children a picture and asked them to enlarge it and frame it so he could hang it on his wall. They assumed he was going to send a picture of the beautiful hotel where he was staying. Instead, he sent them a picture of a plain stone staircase with a brick wall beside it. They couldn't understand why he wanted such a picture enlarged. He explained that years earlier he had stayed at that very same hotel. One day, after everyone had left, he was climbing that staircase to his room when he tripped, slammed his head into the stone wall, and then fell backward onto the concrete floor. He was badly injured, bleeding from his head, and unable to move. He had no phone with him, no family, no friends, and nobody knew where he was. It was an isolated area, and no one was expected to come by. Lying there helplessly, he looked up toward Shamayim, and with the little strength he had left, he prayed, "Hashem, please save me." Less than a minute later, someone unexpectedly appeared. The man was not supposed to be there at that time, yet he noticed him lying on the floor and rushed over to help. Amazingly, this man was a doctor. He treated him, bandaged his wounds, and made sure he received the care he needed. Although he had suffered a concussion, he made a complete recovery. That staircase became one of the most meaningful places in his life. He wanted that picture hanging on his wall because he never wanted to forget that moment. Whenever life became difficult or it seemed that there was no solution, he wanted to look at that picture and remember. He wanted to remember lying helplessly on the floor in a foreign country with absolutely no one to turn to for help, and how Hashem sent him his salvation in less than a minute. This is the lesson Moshe Rabbeinu wanted us to take from the desert. We all have moments in our lives when Hashem's hand is obvious and crystal clear. Those moments are not only meant to help us then—they are meant to become our own "desert." We should take a picture of those moments and carry them with us for the rest of our lives. Then, if life ever becomes too comfortable and we begin feeling that we're managing on our own, or when we face a challenge that seems impossible, we can look back and remember that nothing has really changed. The same Hashem Who helped us then is helping us now. The same Hashem Who provided the mann in the desert, and the same Hashem Who sent a doctor to a secluded staircase in Italy, is guiding every detail of our lives today. When we internalize those moments of clarity, they become a source of strength for every situation we will ever face. No matter where we are, and no matter how impossible things appear to be, Hashem is always with us, just as He always has been, and He can help us through every situation.

Gemara Shabbat 118a-b, Devarim Rabba (Re'eh) 4:11- discrepancy between the determining borders of the land and resolution based on tile periods.

The Torah says the Eyes of Hashem are always upon Eretz Yisrael, from beginning to end. Chazal say the Pasuk teaches concepts in Rosh Hashana setting the tone for the year. Something to think about as we start to turn to Hashem for a sweet new year for EY and beyond.

Eretz Yisrael is a land whose stones are iron. This is explained as a reference to the people whose character helps build it..

Join Rabbi Joey Rosenfeld as he guides us through the world and major works of Kabbalah, Hasidic masters, and Jewish philosophy, shedding light on the inner life of the soul. To learn more, visit JoeyRosenfeld.com

A person who truly knows Hashem and understands His unlimited capabilities will always remain upbeat, happy, and hopeful because he knows he can always be helped. No matter how difficult the situation becomes or how many avenues seem to close, he knows Hashem can always help him. This knowledge gives a person tremendous strength in tefillah. Since we know that Hashem can always change any situation, we continue turning to Him with hope no matter how long we've been waiting. This is very different from a person putting his faith in man. I once read a parable about a man who became very sick. His friend asked him how he was doing, and he replied, "I'm okay. I just got an appointment with a great doctor, and I'm very hopeful that he's going to help me." A month later, his friend asked how the appointment went. The man replied, "The doctor didn't have enough experience with my condition, but he referred me to a specialist who does. I have an appointment with him in two weeks, and I'm very hopeful that he's going to help." A few weeks later, the friend asked again. "The appointment went well," the man said. "He gave me medication, and I'm waiting for it to work." A month later, when asked whether the medication had helped, he replied, "No, but I'm taking a different medication now, and I'm hopeful this one is going to work." When the second medication did not work either, the man still had hope. "My specialist got me an appointment with the best doctor in the world in this field. I'm so excited because I know he's going to be able to help me." Finally, he went to see that doctor, but the doctor told him, "I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do to heal you." The moment the man heard those words, all of his hope disappeared. As long as there was another doctor, another medication, or another possibility, he was able to remain hopeful. But once the greatest expert told him there was nothing more he could do, he despaired. A person, on the other hand, who knows that he has Hashem never reaches such a point. Hashem never tells anyone, "I'm sorry, I'm not able to help you." Hashem can always help. There is never a situation beyond His capabilities and never a moment when He runs out of options. Therefore, there is never a time when we should feel that there is no longer a reason to pray. Even if we've been praying for years and have not seen the answer we're looking for, the yeshuah can always come in the blink of an eye. A few years back in Israel, a sixty-year-old woman gave birth to her first child, a healthy baby girl. After waiting so many years, she experienced the greatest happiness of her life when the staff finally placed her baby in her arms. With Hashem, there is always hope, and there is always a reason to continue praying. Furthermore, even when the yeshuah is delayed, it doesn't mean that our tefillot are not being answered. Hashem may already be using those very tefillot to bring about the salvation without us even realizing it. A man once told me he was getting older and had been trying for years to find his shidduch, but nothing was working out for him. He decided to undertake a major tefillah campaign. He flew to Eretz Yisrael and went to the Kotel for forty straight days, spending hours every day pouring out his heart to Hashem for a shidduch. He then returned home to America, but nothing seemed to change. A month passed, then another, and eventually almost an entire year went by. He wondered what had happened to all his tefillot. What had all that praying accomplished? The following summer, a shidduch was suggested, and baruch Hashem, the couple eventually got married. Afterward, he discovered something remarkable from his wife. At exactly the time he had been praying at the Kotel, a major change had taken place in her life. She had attended public high school and was not fully religious. That summer, right after she graduated, she suddenly woke up one morning and told her mother she wanted to attend seminary in Israel for the coming year. It was totally out of the blue. She went to seminary, became fully religious, and decided she wanted to marry a ben Torah. Eventually, she married this very man. For an entire year, he thought his tefillot hadn't accomplished anything. In reality, while he was standing at the Kotel praying, Hashem was already using those tefillot to prepare his yeshuah. He just couldn't see it. Hashem was working on the other side of the world, transforming the life of the woman who would eventually become his wife. The tefillot were accomplishing their purpose from the very beginning. It just took time for him to see what they had accomplished. This is something we must always remember when we pray. We should never measure the effectiveness of our tefillot by what we see immediately afterward. A person may pray today and see no change tomorrow, the next month, or even after a year, but that does not mean his tefillot were not effective. Hashem hears every word, and He may already be putting the pieces of the yeshuah into place in ways that we cannot yet see. Because we know Who we are praying to, we never despair, and we never stop praying. No situation is ever beyond Hashem's ability to change, and no salvation is beyond His ability to bring. Every tefillah matters, and even when nothing seems to be happening, Hashem may already be using our tefillot to bring our yeshuah. Knowing this enables us to continue praying with hope and anticipation, confident that Hashem can always help us and that the answer to our tefillot may already be on its way.

Parashat Va'tchanan restates the Ten Commandments and frames all mitzvot—chukim and mishpatim—not as isolated rules but as a holistic system for national life in covenant with God, ideally in Eretz Yisrael.This is generously sponsored by David Tawil for the good health and berachot for the Tawil family and Le'iluy Nishmat Jeremy Smouha - Yirmiyahu de Yehezkel Smouha HaLevi.Rabbi Dweck has held rabbinic leadership roles in the US and the UK. He is the Rosh Bet Midrash of TheHabura.com and the Rabbi Levy Chair of Jewish Wisdom at the London School of Jewish Studies.

How do you mourn a Beis Hamikdash you never knew, in a generation that's watched Klal Yisrael return to Eretz Yisrael and rebuild a country? Rav Moshe Taragin returns to Shtark Tank to help us hold two truths at once: we are living through open miracles, and we are still so far from the finish line.Rav Taragin unpacks why every question in Jewish life now splits into "before October 7th" and "after," why Tisha B'Av doesn't require manufactured grief but honest yearning, and how looking at Chazal's account of the Churban Bayis Sheni (zealotry, internal division, over-reliance on foreign powers) maps uncomfortably well onto Israeli society today. He also addresses the tension around visiting Har Habayit as a means to an end versus an end in itself, and offers a clear-eyed, non-preachy take on Aliyah, achdut, and what it means to stay grounded when the news cycle wants you anxious and reactive.In this episode:Why October 7th changed the answer to nearly every question in Jewish lifeThe difference between authentic mourning (aveilus balev) and performing grief on cueThe machlokes over changing Nusach HaTefillah to reflect our current realityWhat the internal strife of the Second Beis Hamikdash teaches us about achdut todayThe danger of turning Har Habayit visits into a photo op or political statementWhy Aliyah advocacy can tip into preachiness, and how to hold the ideal without judging the complexity of other people's livesPractical advice for gaining perspective when you're drowning in headlinesRav Taragin's new sefer, Reclaiming Redemption, HaGeula Volume 2: Faith, Identity, Peoplehood, and the Storms of War, is out now.Check out https://www.mtaraginbooks.com/ You can also join Rav Taragin's Whatsapp Chizzuk Chat: https://chat.whatsapp.com/HAER24G31VpJZW5zEXROYH for daily chizuk

Devarim Rabba (Va'etchanan) 2:8- Moshe attempts to argue that he should enter Eretz Yisrael, but to no avail.

Why is the generation who would enter Eretz Yisrael rebuked about the wrongdoings of their forebearers?

A shiur delivered by R' Mordche Gottlieb in Miami Beach, FL, as we enter Rosh Chodesh Av and the Nine Days.Why did the Eibershter create galus at all? Wouldn't a world of pure geulah have been a better plan? Rebbe Nachman of Breslov gives an original answer: the purpose of galus is not just to escape it — the galus itself becomes part of your geulah.R' Gottlieb explains: the world is filled with countless powers, energies, and wisdoms that seem to run by themselves — money, success, strength, intelligence, and today even AI. A person can live an entire life enjoying these powers while completely disconnected from their Source. But that's exactly the point: when a person looks at a world that could be seen as disconnected and declares Hashem Echad — he gives the Eibershter true malchus, because אין מלך בלא עם, and there's no real kingship without free choice.Topics covered:• What we're really saying in Shema Yisrael — recognizing Achdus HaBorei in a fragmented world• Why Hashem created bechirah — a robot's recognition means nothing• אל יתהלל חכם בחכמתו — the chacham, gibbor and oshir: don't erase your strengths, reconnect them• Kaas is fire, gaava is greatness — how middos ra'os become fuel for avodas Hashem• True anava: not being a nebech, but knowing where your strength comes from• What nechama really means — and what we'll understand looking back at our hardships when Mashiach comes (הזורעים בדמעה ברינה יקצורו)• How to use the Nine Days: don't run from the pain — recognize the galus and demand a geulah• Divrei chizuk on Eretz Yisrael today: the open nissim of the war, the pain of machlokes among Yidden, and why davening for Klal Yisrael's geulah brings your ownR' Gottlieb also introduces Letayel B'Toraso (לטייל בתורתו) — a worldwide project where thousands of Yidden, from all communities, learn the same Torah in Likutey Moharan together, b'iyun, over months. Learning Rebbe Nachman's Torah the way Rebbe Nachman himself instructed makes this "deep sefer" accessible to everyone. To join the program in America, contact R' Nachman Fried.#RebbeNachman #Breslov #LikuteyMoharan #Galus #Geulah #NineDays #TishaBAv #Emunah #Chizuk #Nechama

One of the great benefits of having emunah is the sense of calm that it brings when we realize that Hashem is guiding every step we take in life. People may think their future depends on the decisions they make, the people they meet, or the opportunities they find, but in truth, Hashem is arranging all of that. A person is always exactly where Hashem wants him to be. He meets the people Hashem wants him to meet. He lives in the house Hashem wants him to live in. He works at the job Hashem wants him to have. Even the unexpected detours and closed doors are guiding him to exactly where he is meant to be. A woman shared the following story. Her son was learning in a yeshivah in Lakewood. For years, it had been his dream to learn Torah in Eretz Yisrael. About a month earlier, however, he spoke with his Rosh Yeshivah, who told him that since he was learning so well, he should remain in America. They accepted the Rosh Yeshivah's decision and moved on. The young man was a Canadian citizen, and because his yeshivah did not provide the visa documentation he needed to remain in the United States, he had to return home to Toronto for a short time before attempting to reenter America. When he arrived back at the border, he was denied entry. He was devastated. The entire plan had suddenly collapsed. What would they do now? That very day happened to be the last day to submit an early application to the Mir Yeshivah in Yerushalayim. Although the young man still expected to return to America, he submitted the application anyway. The mother said she worked very hard to strengthen her emunah, constantly reminding herself that Hashem was in charge. After Shabbat, her son finally reached his Rosh Yeshivah and explained everything that had happened. This time, the Rosh Yeshivah gave him completely different guidance. "You should go learn in Eretz Yisrael." Within hours, he found an affordable flight leaving that very day, and all of a sudden he was on a plane heading to Eretz Yisrael, fulfilling the dream he had cherished for years. Looking back, they realized that the closed border had never been an obstacle. It was the very vehicle Hashem used to bring him exactly where he was meant to be. Chazal tell us, " רגלוהי דאיניש אינון ערבין ביה " —a person's feet are his guarantors. They carry him to the place where Hashem has decreed he needs to be. Sometimes we set out intending to go in one direction and end up somewhere entirely different. What seems like an unexpected turn is often Hashem gently directing our steps to the place where our mission awaits us. Every encounter is carefully orchestrated. Every opportunity is handpicked. Every delay has a purpose. Every person we meet is part of Hashem's perfect plan. We don't always understand why we are led down one path instead of another, but we can be certain that every detail has been arranged with precision. When we truly internalize this, life becomes so much calmer. Instead of constantly wondering, "What if I had made a different decision?" we can say, "Hashem placed me exactly where I need to be." Instead of regretting the opportunities we think we missed, we can appreciate the opportunities that Hashem arranged specifically for us to have. And instead of worrying about the future, we can continue forward with confidence, knowing that the One Who brought us to where we are today will continue leading us to every place we need to be tomorrow.

When a person needs a yeshuah for a problem he has, his first thoughts are usually to focus on that problem, think of ways to solve it, and pray to Hashem to take it away. Sometimes, however, the salvation comes from a completely different angle—from focusing on someone else's problem and trying to help bring them a yeshuah. A woman related that her daughter needed a great deal of dental work, but she couldn't find a dentist who accepted their insurance. The treatments were going to cost $10,000. At that time, she was teaching from the Sefer Shemirat HaLashon . She came across a teaching from the Chafetz Chaim that when a person has mercy on others, Hashem has mercy on him. She immediately prayed, "Hashem, please send me someone that I can have mercy on." That very day, she received a phone call from a woman raising money for her niece's wedding. After carefully verifying the story, she found out that the kallah came from a distinguished family in Eretz Yisrael and needed exactly $10,000 to make the wedding. She felt that Hashem had answered her tefillah by giving her the opportunity to help with this great mitzvah, and help she did. That same day, she mentioned her daughter's dental situation to a friend, who suggested trying a certain dentist. The woman replied, "I know about that dentist. They aren't accepting any new patients." Her friend answered, "Don't worry. Hashem is in charge. Try anyway." On Shivah Asar B'Tammuz, she managed to get an unexpected appointment. Amazingly, not only did the dentist agree to take her daughter as a new patient, but he also accepted their insurance. The entire $10,000 bill was covered. As if that wasn't enough, she later discovered that the very friend who told her to call this dentist had been the one who canceled her own son's appointment the day before because he didn't want to go to the dentist on a fast day. The lesson that she had just learned from the Chafetz Chaim became her own reality. She looked for an opportunity to have mercy on someone else, and Hashem had mercy on her. A man told me another story with the very same message. His wife found out that a close friend needed to undergo a very dangerous medical procedure. Wanting to create a zechut on her behalf, they organized hundreds of people to learn the laws of Shemirat HaLashon for forty straight days. The man prepared a booklet and divided it into daily lessons with clear and concise halachot. Many schools joined the initiative, and hundreds of people strengthened themselves in guarding their speech. This created an enormous zechut for the woman with countless people growing in this great mitzvah. Baruch Hashem, her procedure went very well. Then something completely unexpected happened. The very man who had organized the entire undertaking was told that he himself needed to undergo a dangerous medical procedure. The timing was incredible. His procedure was scheduled just as the fortieth and final day of the Shemirat HaLashon campaign came to an end. Baruch Hashem, his procedure was a success. He had organized this learning solely to help someone else. He never imagined that the very zechut he was creating for another person would become the zechut that would help him through his own medical issue. When we are given the opportunity to help others, we may think Hashem is simply giving us the chance to help someone else. In reality, He may also be preparing the very yeshuah that we ourselves may one day need. Every act of chesed, every mitzvah, and every opportunity to help another Jew has the potential to help us in ways we could never imagine. The Chafetz Chaim wasn't just teaching a beautiful idea. He was revealing one of the ways Hashem runs this world. When we look for opportunities to care about the pain of others, Hashem looks upon our pain with greater compassion. Sometimes the yeshuah that we are hoping to receive begins with becoming the yeshuah for somebody else.

Rabbi Lawrence Hajioff takes us on a journey through the entire Jewish timeline, from Adam and Chava in Gan Eden to the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, the long exile, and the prophecies surrounding the coming of Moshiach. Together with Nachi Gordon, they explore why history unfolds the way it does, what Chazal and the Nevi'im teach about the end of days, the role of Eretz Yisrael, and whether the events unfolding in today's world fit into a much larger picture.   They also tackle some of today's biggest questions: Is there a potential Moshiach alive in every generation? What does Judaism say about Iran, Gog and Magog, artificial intelligence, and the rapid changes shaping our future? Whether you're deeply familiar with these ideas or hearing them for the first time, this conversation challenges you to think differently about Jewish history, current events, and what our generation may be living through. Episode continue on Meaningful Minute Plus   This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors:   ► PZ Deals   Download the app and never pay full price again!   https://app.pz.deals/install/mpp   ____________________   ► Colel Chabad Pushka App   The easiest way to give Tzedaka   https://pushkapp.cc/meaningful   ____________________   ► Sofer.Ai   Sofer.ai is the AI platform built to unlock your Torah, combining powerful technology with the care Torah deserves.   Transcribe shiurim into clear text, generate summaries and outlines, and organize everything so it's searchable, printable, and never lost. With Maishiv, you can instantly find any idea across your entire collection.   Preserve your Torah. Access it anytime. https://go.sofer.ai/mp   ____________________   ► EL AL   From the Hebrew announcements to the Israeli atmosphere onboard, flying EL AL feels like Israel before you even land. With nonstop flights to Israel and Jewish comfort from takeoff to landing, there's nothing like hearing: "ברוכים הבאים לישראל."   Book your next flight with EL AL: https://www.elal.com/eng/usa?utm_source=meaningful&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=gcny_incoming_usa&cid=s:el%7Cm:what%7Ccp:gcny%7Cct:incoming%7Cau:usa   ____________________   ► Ness Vacation Homes   EDEN GARDENS' LARGEST LUXURY HOME COLLECTION Handpicked, high-end homes available exclusively through Ness. OPTIONAL PROGRAM-LEVEL PESACH EXPERIENCE   Upgrade your stay with a complete A–Z Pesach setup, including kitchen preparation, catered meals, and fully arranged details by Glatt Gourmet. https://nessvacationhomes.com/   ____________________   ► Rothenberg Law Firm   Personal Injury Law Firm For 50+ years! Reach out Today for Free Case Evaluation https://shorturl.at/JFKHH   ____________________   ► Town Appliance   Visit the website or message them on WhatsApp   https://www.townappliance.com https://bit.ly/Townappliance_whatsapp  

We spend a lot of time making different calculations. We think about what's going to bring us the greatest benefit, what's going to produce the best outcome, and what will help us accomplish the most. That's a good approach when it comes to our physical lives, but when it comes to avodat Hashem, there is a different rule. Our job is not to calculate what we think will accomplish the most. It is to do exactly what Hashem asks us to do and trust that His calculations are infinitely greater than ours. Rabbi Eliyahu Lopian brings out this lesson very clearly in the first of this week's two parashiyot. In Parashat Matot, Hashem tells Moshe Rabbeinu to go to war against Midyan, and immediately afterward he would leave this world. Rashi, quoting the Midrash, points out the greatness of Moshe Rabbeinu. Even though he knew that fulfilling this command would bring about his own death, he did not hesitate for a moment. He fulfilled Hashem's command with joy and without delay. Rabbi Lopian notes that we find what appears to be a different approach by Yehoshua bin Nun. Hashem also commanded Yehoshua to wage war and conquer Eretz Yisrael, and after that mission was complete, his life would come to an end. Chazal tell us that Yehoshua delayed the war, and as a result, he lost ten years of his life. Rabbi Lopian explains that Yehoshua had the best of intentions. He knew Moshe Rabbeinu's prophecy that after Moshe died, the Jewish people would eventually stray from the proper path. Yehoshua understood that as long as he remained alive, it was considered as if Moshe was still alive, because Chazal teach that as long as a student lives, it is as if his rebbe is still living. Indeed, the Jewish people remained loyal to Hashem throughout Yehoshua's lifetime, and only after he died did they begin serving avodah zarah. Yehoshua therefore made a calculation. If he delayed the war, he would live longer, and Klal Yisrael would remain on the proper path for a longer period of time. It seemed like a wonderful calculation. Moshe Rabbeinu could have made the very same calculation. He could have thought, "If I delay the war against Midyan and remain alive longer, I'll continue leading the Jewish people, and they too will remain on the proper path." But Moshe Rabbeinu did not make calculations. Hashem told him to do something, and he did it immediately. In the end, Yehoshua's calculation accomplished just the opposite of what he intended. Instead of gaining years, he lost ten years of his life, and consequently, the Jewish people strayed from the proper path earlier than they would have had he fulfilled Hashem's command immediately. Moshe Rabbeinu, on the other hand, only gained. Because he fulfilled Hashem's command without delay, the prophecy that the Jewish people would stray from the path was postponed until after Yehoshua's passing. Hashem fulfilled the prophetic words אחרי מותי כי השחת תשחיתון to mean not only after Moshe's death, but after the death of his faithful student as well. By trusting Hashem, Moshe accomplished far more than he ever could have by making his own calculations. Very often we also make calculations when it comes to Torah and mitzvot. We say, "I know I should give tzedakah, but first I want to become more financially secure." "I know I should spend more time learning Torah, but right now I need to build my career." "I know I should do this mitzvah, but maybe if I wait a little longer, it will work out better." Our job is not to calculate how Hashem's commands will produce the best results. Our job is to do what Hashem wants now. Hashem, Who sees the past, present, and future all at once, has already made every calculation. Living with emunah means recognizing that Hashem's calculations are infinitely greater than ours. If we do our job by fulfilling His will with joy and without delay, trusting that we only gain by listening to Him, then we will fulfill our mission in this world properly. Shabbat Shalom

The Gemara (Shabbat 129a) teaches that one should ensure to purchase shoes for his feet even if this necessitates selling the "ceiling beams of his house." This might mean that the protection provided by shoes for the feet is more important than the protection provided by the roof of one's home. Elsewhere (Pesahim 113b), the Gemara warns that one who goes about barefoot is "excommunicated by G-d." Different reasons have been given for why one should not walk about without shoes. Rashi explains that walking around barefoot is undignified, and Torah Jews are obligated to conduct themselves in a dignified manner as befitting the children of the Almighty. Others explain, very simply, that walking around barefoot is dangerous, as one's feet might be bitten or stung, or might step on a sharp object. Some have noted that the Hebrew word for shoe – Na'al – may be read as an acrostic for the words "Nahash" (snake), "Akrab" (scorpion), "Lahash" ("hissing"). Similarly, some sources warn that one who walks about barefoot is more susceptible to catching a cold or some other virus. Rav Abraham Azulai (d. 1643) offered a Kabbalistic reason for this Halacha, explaining that after Adam and Hava's sin in Gan Eden, G-d placed a cursed upon the ground ("Arura Ha'adama Ba'aburecha" – Bereshit 3:17). It became the domain of the snake, which represents the Yeser Ha'ra (evil inclination) and forces of impurity, and slithers on the ground and eats the dirt. One who walks barefoot, touching the ground without any obstruction, exposes himself to the ground's impurity. Indeed, some commentators explain that the Egyptian sorcerers, who succeeded in mimicking some of the wonders that Moshe Rabbenu performed – such as changing their staffs to snakes, and transforming the water into blood – received their magical powers from the forces of impurity within the ground. For this reason, they were unable to match Moshe after he brought the third plague – the plague of Kinim (lice) – because the earth underneath Egypt was overrun by vermin (Shemot 8:13), and thus they could not access the forces of impurity. According to the Kabbalists, then, one must wear shoes in order not to connect himself to the Tum'a (impure) in the ground. In fact, some suggest that the word "Na'al" is an acrostic representing the phrase "Nahash Afar Lahmo" – "the snake's bread is dirt," alluding to the function of shoes to shield a person from the impurity of the ground, the domain of the snake. In theory, these different reasons yield interesting exceptions to this Halacha. For example, in warm climates, or during the summertime, walking about barefoot will not likely result in illness. And, in societies where walking barefoot has become accepted, it is not considered undignified. The Kabbalists teach that the ground of Eretz Yisrael does not contain the Tum'a that is present in the ground throughout the rest of the world. In practice, however, since we must concern ourselves with all these reasons, one should avoid walking about barefoot everywhere – even in warm regions, in societies where this is accepted, and in Eretz Yisrael. Inside one's home, however, none of these reasons apply: there is no concern of getting sick or being bitten or stung; there is no requirement to appear especially dignified within the privacy of one's home; and the floors are tiled such that one does not step directly on the ground. Thus, it is entirely permissible to walk about barefoot in one's home. This is the ruling of Hacham Ovadia Yosef. One should avoid walking about outside without shoes even if he wears socks. Although the socks protect the feet from the Tum'a of the ground, they do not offer protection from small creatures or sharp objects, and, in most societies, this would be considered undignified. Some sources mention the practice of going outside barefoot as a form of self-affliction for the purpose of achieving atonement for one's sins. People would intentionally endure the discomfort of walking barefoot and hurting themselves, or getting sick, so they could earn expiation for their wrongdoing. (This resembles the account of how the Arizal would roll in the snow during the winter in order to earn atonement.) Hacham Ovadia Yosef, however, opposed all practices of self-affliction, including voluntary fasts. He noted the Gemara's teaching that the Nazir must bring a sin-offering to atone for his self-denial, abstaining from wine. All the more so, we are discouraged from afflicting ourselves unnecessarily by fasting and causing ourselves pain. Hashem expects us to enjoy – in moderation – the comforts and joys of our world, not to deprive ourselves of them. Moreover, voluntary fasts and other extreme measures of piety can often bring more spiritual harm than benefit, as they frequently result in arrogance. Many people who observe such practices ensure to put themselves on display, or to tell their peers about what they do, in order to earn their admiration and esteem – a kind of exhibitionism which is the diametric opposite of piety. Primarily, though, Hacham Ovadia opposed these practices because they lead a person to overlook the most important and most beneficial means of atonement – Torah study. King Shlomo teaches in Mishleh (16:6), "Be'hesed Ve'emet Yechupar Avon" – "Iniquity shall be atoned through kindness and truth," and "Emet" ("truth") refers to Torah learning. In fact, in the blessing of the Amida in which we ask Hashem to help us repent, we begin, "Hashibenu Abinu Le'Toratecha" – "Bring us back, our Father, to Your Torah." The most important and most effective way to rectify one's wrongdoing and earn atonement is through Torah study. The sanctity of Torah has the ability to purge and cleanse the soul of all impurities. I am often approached by people seeking advice for how to attain forgiveness for various sins, and my response is always to attend more Torah classes and devote more time to Torah learning. This isn't my idea – it was written explicitly by Rabbenu Yona (Spain, 1200-1263) in his famous Iggeret Teshuba – a brief guide for those seeking to repent. He says that on the day that a person decides to perform Teshuba, he should immediately commit to increase his Torah learning: if he is accustomed to learning one page, then he should learn two; if he is accustomed to learning for one hour, then he should learn for two hours. Even regarding the six weeks of Shobabim, when there is a time-honored custom to fast on Mondays and Thursdays, the Sadikim teach that spending several hours a day learning achieves more than fasting. This is especially so in today's day and age, when we are not accustomed to abstaining from food, and fasting thus causes frailty which diminishes our productivity and our ability to learn Torah and observe Misvot. It must be emphasized that Torah learning has the ability to atone for even the most grievous sins. The Gemara in Masechet Menahot (110) teaches that one who learns Torah does not need to offer sacrifices for atonement. Even the sin of Lashon Ha'ra – a sin as severe as murder, idol-worship and immorality combined – can be atoned through genuine repentance and Torah learning. Rav Chaim of Volozhin (1749-1821) related that people would ask his mentor, the Gaon of Vilna (1720-1797), how they could atone for the severe sin of Hosa'at Zera ("wasting seed"), and he would respond, "If they devote themselves to Torah study, then they have nothing to worry about." The Gaon of Vilna did not advise these individuals to observe fasts or practice forms of self-affliction or self-deprivation; instead, he urged them to devote time to Torah learning, as this is the universal remedy for all spiritual maladies. (It goes without saying that rectifying this sin also requires common-sense measures such as avoiding places and devices that trigger the Yeser Ha'ra.) We should add that reading the Zohar, too, is beneficial for achieving forgiveness. Even if one does not understand what he reads, the words themselves have inherent sanctity that spiritually cleanse a person. In fact, the Arizal had the custom of reading a section of Tikkuneh Zohar each day from Rosh Hodesh Elul through Yom Kippur, when he would complete the entire work. Clearly, then, one should avoid all measures of self-deprivation, and should instead care for his physical wellbeing so he has the strength and mental energy to devote himself to Torah learning as much as he can.

One of the hardest experiences in life is watching an opportunity that we almost had slip away. A person may have worked so hard for something, and everything seemed to be falling into place, only for it to disappear at the very last minute. At that moment, it feels as if we lost something that was meant to be ours. That is precisely when we need to dig deep and access our emunah, trusting that not only was it not meant for us, but it would have been the worst thing for us to have. Rabbi Yaakov Tzvi Meir Ehrlich related the following story. A heartbroken man came to him. He had been living in a tiny apartment for a long time and had finally found what seemed to be the perfect house. He had already spoken with the owner, and everything looked very promising. The real estate agent told him that another buyer had made an offer, but if he would submit a bid that was even one euro higher, the house would be his. The man was thrilled. He prepared all the paperwork, and on Friday, just before faxing in his proposal, something very unusual happened. The papers suddenly became soaked, the writing smudged, and he had to start all over again. Time passed, and he realized he was not going to finish before Shabbat. His wife told him, "Shabbat is almost here. Put everything away. You'll continue afterward." She wanted the house just as much as he did, but she wanted to honor Shabbat even more. Together they put everything aside and welcomed the Shabbat. After Shabbat, he contacted the agent only to hear the disappointing news. The house had been sold to the other buyer. The man was devastated. "Maybe I should have ignored the clock and kept writing," he asked the rabbi. The rabbi comforted him. "Don't you see that Hashem orchestrated this? Is it natural for the papers to become ruined at the exact moment you were about to send them? You don't yet understand why, but you can be certain that this house was not good for you." The rabbi later related that after telling this story to a man sitting next to him on an airplane, the passenger replied, "Please tell that Jew my story. He doesn't yet know the happy ending to his, but I was privileged to see mine." This man then related that seventeen years earlier, he had wanted to buy a beautiful apartment in Herzliya. The negotiations dragged on until they finally agreed on a price. Then the Second Lebanon War broke out, and the seller became willing to accept his offer. The agreement came during the Nine Days, and before signing, he asked his rabbi, Rabbi Yosef Cohen, what to do. His rabbi told him, "Do not sign during the Nine Days. Wait until the fifteenth of Av." He listened. But by the time the fifteenth of Av arrived, the war had ended, the prices had risen again, and the owner refused to sell the apartment for that price. The deal fell apart. The man was crushed. After spending six months in Eretz Yisrael hoping to buy an apartment, he returned home empty-handed. Some time later, he returned to Herzliya to continue looking. He told the new agent, "Please don't take me down the street where the first apartment I almost bought is. It will hurt too much to see it." The agent tried to avoid that street, but by mistake they found themselves there. Unable to resist, the man glanced toward the house and froze. The house wasn't there. It was just an empty lot. The agent asked, "That was the apartment you almost bought? Didn't you hear what happened?" After the new owner began renovating, an architect discovered that the entire structure was dangerously unsound. The municipality declared it unsafe, and the house had to be demolished completely. The buyer, who thought he had purchased a beautiful home, suffered an enormous financial loss and tremendous aggravation. At that moment, the man realized that what had seemed like his greatest disappointment had actually been one of Hashem's greatest acts of kindness towards him. How many times in life do we cry over opportunities that we think we lost? The job that didn't work out, the house that someone else got, the investment we couldn't make, or the shidduch that never came to fruition. We only see the closed door, but we don't see what is behind it. Sometimes Hashem allows us to discover years later why He said no, and sometimes we never find out. But our responsibility is always the same—to believe that if Hashem prevented something from happening, then that opportunity was never ours to begin with. The opportunities that Hashem takes away are no less an expression of His love than the ones that He gives us. We call them disappointments, but in Shamayim they are called salvations. One day, we will look back and realize that some of the greatest blessings in our lives were not only the things that Hashem gave us, but also the things that He lovingly withheld from us.

ArtScroll will be offering many books at 50% off in the upcoming weeks including some volumes of Living Emunah. Click the link to view the selection. artscroll.com/categories/wk1.html Life is filled with tests. The greatness of a person is determined by how he overcomes the tests that Hashem gives him. Everybody gets tested according to the level they are on. I was in a taxi the other day, and the driver asked me a question that made it obvious he was Jewish. We got into a conversation, and he told me about a major test that he once faced. Although he doesn't keep the mitzvot, including Shabbat, he understands the value of Torah and mitzvot. He told me that in 2002 he had bought tickets to the U.S. Open Finals and couldn't wait to go. Then his wife reminded him that the match fell on Rosh Hashanah, the one time each year that they go to synagogue. He struggled tremendously because he had been anticipating that match for so long. But in the end, he heroically sold the tickets and went to shul. Everybody gets tested. Naturally, we don't like to be tested. We even pray not to be tested. But we have to know that when tests do come, they present us with golden opportunities. Many times we pray fervently for things that we want, and when the answer doesn't seem to come, we begin to wonder if Hashem values our tefillot. The Or HaChaim in Parashat Vayera teaches us a remarkable lesson. When Hashem wants to give a person a blessing, one of the ways He does it is by presenting him with an opportunity to perform a mitzvah or a heroic deed whose segulah is the very blessing that he needs. Every nisayon that we overcome contains a hidden blessing, besides the eternal reward awaiting us in the Next World. When Hashem gives a person this type of opportunity, it is truly a gift. If he knew what was at stake, he would beg Hashem to give him that test. At the beginning of Parashat Pinchas, Hashem gave Pinchas the greatest gift—an eternal kehunah that would never be disputed. Pinchas was the only one in his family who was not a Kohen, and he had long yearned to become one. Without his realizing it, Hashem placed before him a mitzvah opportunity whose reward would be the very blessing he had been longing for. Pinchas witnessed the terrible chillul Hashem when Zimri ben Salu brought Kozbi into the tent to commit an aveirah. He had an enormous nisayon. Zimri was over 250 years old and was considered one of the great leaders of the generation. If Pinchas acted, he would be risking his life. He had to be acting with completely pure intentions, l'shem Shamayim, or his act would be considered murder. He also had to be prepared to face criticism and ridicule from the rest of Klal Yisrael for what he was about to do. Yet he rose to the challenge. He acted solely for the honor of Hashem, stopped the plague, and prevented countless more deaths. There was someone else in Klal Yisrael who also yearned to be a Kohen. Originally, Moshe Rabbeinu himself had the kehunah. However, because he repeatedly declined Hashem's mission to lead the Jewish people out of Egypt, the kehunah was taken from him. We know how desperately Moshe wanted every opportunity to serve Hashem. That is why he pleaded so much to enter Eretz Yisrael—to perform the mitzvot that could only be fulfilled there. Now another opportunity to attain the kehunah had been placed before Klal Yisrael, and Moshe Rabbeinu was there. Moshe Rabbeinu, the Rabban Shel Kol Yisrael, certainly knew this halachah. He was the one who had taught it to everyone else. Yet at that moment, Hashem caused him to forget it, and therefore he did not perform the mitzvah. Instead, Pinchas remembered the halachah and carried it out. We see from here that a person needs merits not only to pass a test, but even to be given the opportunity to face the test. Because Moshe had lost the kehunah through his earlier actions, Hashem did not give him this opportunity to regain it. Instead, that opportunity was reserved for Pinchas. When a person is confronted with a difficult nisayon, he naturally wonders, "Why is Hashem doing this to me?" But perhaps the better question is, "What blessing is Hashem giving me the opportunity to earn?" If we truly knew what we could gain by overcoming our tests, we would thank Hashem from the bottom of our hearts for giving them to us. Every nisayon is a precious gift, allowing us to earn blessings in this world and immeasurable reward in the Next World.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Elana Moskowitz, an educator at Michlelet Mevasseret Yerushalayim, about how her American Jewish upbringing shaped her life and worldview.Moskowitz grew up Orthodox in America in the 1990s—alongside her brother David Bashevkin—before moving to Israel and joining a Haredi community in Jerusalem. In this episode we discuss: —What is the unique new contribution of American Judaism to the Jewish story? —What have been the successes and failures of Judaism on American shores? —How do familial and institutional influences shape the lives we believe we ought to lead?Tune in to hear an inside conversation about the Bashevkin family and what it means to live in a medina shel chesed.Interview begins at 19:40. Mrs. Elana Moskowitz grew up in New York and earned her B.Ed in English from Michlalah Jerusalem College. She is a passionate and energetic educator who has been teaching and mentoring in various seminaries in Eretz Yisrael for the past 25 years. She currently teaches at Michlelet Mevasseret Yerushalayim (MMY) where she heads their second-year program. In addition to guest lecturing for both Anglo and Israeli-American women, Elana is a writer for Mishpacha magazine where she develops and contributes Torah content. She lives with her husband and children in Yerushalayim.References:“An apology from your American Jewish parents” by David Magerman“A Kosher Home” by Elana Moskowitz“​​The Grandfather I Thought I Knew” by Elana Moskowitz"Sounds of My Childhood” by Elana MoskowitzReb Mendel and His Wisdom by Yisroel Greenwald“When life is like weaving a quilt” with Frieda Vizel“Yiddishkeit Without Ideology: A Letter To My Son” by Moshe KoppelFor more 18Forty:NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/joinCALL: (212) 582-1840EMAIL: info@18forty.orgWEBSITE: 18forty.orgIG: @18fortyX: @18_fortyWhatsApp: join hereBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.