Podcasts about middot

Dans cette nouvelle série, découvrez des histoires vraies pour nous renforcer dans notre Émouna (foi), notre travail sur nos Middot (traits de caractère), et vivre plus sereinement !

La Paracha relate le décompte des Bné Israël dans le désert, à leur sortie d'Égypte et la spécificité de chacune des 12 Tribus. De nos jours, ces tribus n'existent plus mais les Juifs sont tous astreints aux mêmes Mitsvot. Néanmoins, chaque Juif a un rôle particulier, des aptitudes qui lui sont propres afin de mener à bien sa mission dans le monde. Chacun, en fonction de ses capacités, de ses Middot, va servir Hachem de son mieux, et d'une manière unique. Chaque Néchama est reliée au trône céleste et donc la Mitsva de chacun est attendue avec amour dans le ciel…. Nous sommes tous des « soldats d'Hachem » et devons accomplir Ses commandements, tout en faisant preuve de capacité d'adaptation car chaque situation requiert un tant soit peu de discernement pour savoir comment agir au mieux.

Beginning a new series on the sefer Chofetz Chaim once a week!

Bonus content pulled from my weekly class to Bnot Torah Sharfmans 

Pourquoi la Torah appelle-t-elle la fête du Don de la Torah, "la fête des semaines" ? En quoi le compte du 'Omer permet-il d'accomplir un travail sur soi, de se parfaire, de raffiner son caractère depuis la fin de Pessa'h jusqu'à Chavou'ot ? Pourquoi et comment acquérir 48 Middot en 7 semaines pour être digne de recevoir la Torah ? De quelle manière devient-on détenteur de sa propre Torah ? Quelle différence fondamentale y a-t-il entre celui qui a des connaissances intellectuelles en Torah et celui dont les mêmes connaissances influencent sa vie de Juif ?

Sommes-nous véritablement ce que nous mangeons ? Si un Juif consomme des aliments interdits, les caractéristiques de ces aliments imprègnent-elles d'une manière ou d'une autre ses Middot, ses traits de caractère ? La consommation d'aliments non Cachères obstrue-t-elle le cœur et l'esprit d'un Juif jusqu'à l'abrutir ? La retenue exigée par le respect de la Cacheroute et les jeûnes forge-t-elle un Juif à dominer ses instincts et désirs ? Celui qui ne parvient pas à résister à la tentation de manger, sera-t-il capable de maîtriser ses pulsions dans d'autres domaines ?

Just a short dvar Torah while I'm gone traveling in America lekavod Rosh Chodesh

As part of the event of Matan Torah, when G-d revealed Himself to Beneh Yisrael and gave the Torah, Moshe constructed an altar and had sacrifices offered. We read that Moshe placed half the blood in basins, from which he later sprinkled blood on the people, and he poured the other half on the altar (Shemot 24:6). Rashi, surprisingly, comments that the division of the blood into two halves was done by an angel. It would be impossible for a human being to divide the blood in two precisely equal halves, and so an angel was sent from the heavens to do this. We must wonder, why did Hashem find it necessary to dispatch an angel for this purpose? Why was it so critical for the halves to be precisely equal? Would these sacrifices have been in any way deficient if one portion of blood was slightly larger than the other? Rav Yitzchak Hutner (1906-1980) answered this question by exploring the symbolism of the division of the blood at the time of Matan Torah. If we would ask most Jews to define the term "religious Jew," to describe the defining characteristics of people referred to with this term, most would likely mention things like Shabbat observance, modest dress, eating kosher, synagogue attendance and daily Tefilot. People generally tend to define "religious" as ritual observance. In truth, however, these rituals are only half the story. Ethical conduct, integrity, kindness and sensitivity to others are no less a part of Torah than praying three times a day, Shabbat, Kashrut, and Seniut (modesty). In fact, Rashi begins his comments to our Parasha, Parashat Mishpatim, by noting the significance of the first letter of this Parasha: "VE'eleh Ha'mishpatim" – "AND these are the statutes…" Rashi writes that this letter – the conjunction "Ve-" ("And") – indicates a connection between the end of the previous Parasha, which tells of the Revelation and the Ten Commandments, and the civil laws presented in Parashat Mishpatim. Just as the Ten Commandments were proclaimed at Mount Sinai, so were the laws of Parashat Mishpatim given at Mount Sinai. We can never draw a wedge between Torah and ethical interpersonal conduct. The laws of Parashat Mishpatim, which govern the way we treat our fellow, are no less a part of the Torah as any of the other Misvot. So crucial is this message, Rav Hutner explained, that Hashem sent an angel to divide the sacrificial blood at the time of Matan Torah into two precisely equal parts. It was critical to convey the message that neither half of Torah carries even slightly more weight than the other. The two areas of Torah life – our obligations to Hashem, and our obligations to other people – are of exactly the same level of importance, and we must never allow ourselves to prioritize or emphasize one over the other to even the slightest degree. It is likely no coincidence that Parashat Mishpatim, the section in which this point is expressed, is always read around the time of 25 Shevat, the Yahrtzeit of Rav Yisrael Salanter (1809-1883), founder of the Mussar movement. Rav Yisrael placed very strong emphasis on maintaining this balance, on not allowing our pursuit of spiritual excellence to result in compromises in our Middot (character traits). One famous example is the time when his students approached him before they went to bake Masot in preparation for Pesach, to ask which stringencies are proper for them to observe when baking Masot. "Be very careful not to yell at the woman in charge of cleaning the factory," Rav Yisrael replied. "She's a widow. Concern for her feelings is the most important stringency you should observe." Rav Yisrael feared that in the students' concern to maintain the strictest Halachic standards for the Masot, they might neglect the more basic religious obligation to speak to widows with sensitivity and respect. As we approach his Yahrtzeit, let us internalize this vitally important lesson, and ensure to ascribe the same degree importance to both parts of the Torah, because this is what being a complete Jew means.

Said during the Kollel Nefesh HaChaim TuBshvat seuda 

Women in Tanach SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/album/01QmPoPVFrdXoxsli21of5?si=G39hZX17QV6qxzdS4I73zw Mark Trencher offered to have a conversation with a Franciska Show podcast listener David Sheril about his latest survey on  the topic of Midos/Midot in the Jewish Orthodox Community as an interem episode while Franciska is on podcast Hiatus.   Enjoy the podcast and here is a link to the Orthonomics Podcast itself: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-orthonomics-podcast/id1607753307   About David Sheril: David Sheril grew up in Chigwell, a suburb of London. His family became baalei teshuvah when he was nine years old. When David was eleven, his family moved to the Bayit Vagan in Jerusalem. He moved to the U.S. at age 22, in 2005. David's yeshivah education includes Mir Yerushalayim and Ner Yisroel. He served as a rebbe at a Russian-American Jewish high school in Brooklyn for several years before going to law school. He is currently General Counsel for a privately-held real estate transactional, management, and lending company. David resides in Clifton, New Jersey, with his wife Miriam (formerly an officer at the Federal Reserve Bank and now Head of Product at an international fintech startup) and their three children      

The primary section of the Selihot service is the "Yag Middot," the recitation of G-d's Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, which was established by the Ansheh Kenesset Ha'gedola (Men of the Great Assembly). The Kaf Ha'haim (Rav Yaakob Haim Sofer, Baghdad-Israel, 1870-1939) writes (581:5; listen to audio recording for precise citation) that it is forbidden to recite the "Yag Middot" without concentrating on the words' meaning. He adds that the words must be recited with fear, awe and trepidation, and with as intense concentration as possible. One should bow when reciting the words "Va'yaabor Hashem Al Panav Vayikra," and then stand straight for the recitation of "Hashem Hashem." The custom in Yeshivat Bet-El was to stand up straight when reciting "Vayikra," and then bow again for "Hashem Hashem." The Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909) writes that when reciting "Hashem Hashem," one should lift himself with his feet, as we do when reciting "Kadosh Kadosh Kadosh" in Nakdishach. One must make a brief pause between the first "Hashem" and the second, as they are separated by a "Pesik" note. The Kaf Ha'haim writes that one who recites them without a brief pause is liable to severe punishment. One should also briefly pause in between the words "Vayikra Be'shem" and "Hashem." One must recite the "Yag Middot" in a loud voice, just as Moshe Rabbenu declared the attributes in a loud voice. There is a debate among the commentators in identifying the thirteen attributes. We accept the view of the Arizal (Rav Yishak Luria of Safed, 1534-1572), who listed the attributes as follows: 1) Kel; 2) Rahum; 3) Hanun; 4) Erech; 5) Apayim; 6) Rab Hesed; 7) Emet; 8) Noser Hesed; 9) La'alafim; 10) Noseh Avon; 11) Va'fesha; 12) Ve'hata'a; 13) Ve'nakeh. It is proper to count the attributes with one's fingers while reciting them. The "Yag Middot" may only be recited together with a Minyan. If one is in the middle of the recitation when the congregation completes it, he may nevertheless continue and complete the recitation, since he had begun to recite the "Yag Middot" together with them. This is the ruling of the Ben Ish Hai (Parashat Ki-Tisa).