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Biblical Personalities: Chizkiyahu

“Chizkiyahu was 25 years old when he became king, and he reigned for 29 years in Jerusalem. He did what was proper in the eyes of God, just as his forefather David had done. In the first year of his reign, in the

Tags: Bible, Biblical Personalities, commentaries, Midrash, Parsha, Portion of the Week, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, The Foundation Stone

Biblical Personalities: Yehoram’s Famine

“Elisha had spoken to the woman whose son he had revised, saying, 'Arise and go forth, you and your household, and sojourn where you would sojourn, for God has called for a famine, and it is coming to the

Tags: Kings, Yoel

Biblical Personalities: Ezekiel: Son of Adam

On the 1st of Nisan Ezekiel received the prophecy that hinted that the Persian empire would soon overtake Bavel (29:17-21), c. 370. It is interesting to note that it was also on the 1st of Nisan that Cyrus was

Biblical Personalities: Nadav & Avihu II

The 1st of Nisan is the Yahrtzeit of Nadav and Avihu, the two sons of Aharon who died when they brought a “Strange Fire,” to the Mishkan.

Tags: Bible, Biblical Personalities, commentaries, Midrash, Parsha, Portion of the Week, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, The Foundation Stone

The Metamir

In Primo Levi’s The Mirror Maker, he tells the story of Timoteo, one of a long line of mirror makers. Timoteo was not happy just making mirrors in different shapes and sizes. He spent all his free time designing mirrors that would change your shape...

Tags: Holocaust, man & God, Metzorah, Tazriah, Yom Hashoah

Metzorah: Chafetz Chaim: Spiritually Poor

“And if he is poor and cannot afford (Vayikra 14:21).” Just as there is an offering of a wealthy person and a different offering for the poor person, each according to what he can “reach,” - yado maseget

Tags: Bible, Chumash, Parsha, Portion of the Week, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, The Foundation Stone, Torah

Biblical Personalities: Ezra

“For the first day of the first month was the beginning of the ascent from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he arrived in Jerusalem, by the benevolence of his Lord upon him (Ezra 7:9).”

Tags: Bible, Biblical Personalities, commentaries, Midrash, Parsha, Portion of the Week, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, The Foundation Stone

Tehillim Tools: Psalm 20:6: My Only Desire

The 29th of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Shlomo (Dov Tzvi Hakohen) Rabinowitz of Radomsk, first Rebbe of the Radomsk dynasty (1803-1866).“We seemed at Your deliverance, and in the Name of our Lord,

Tags: Bible, Midrash, Psalms, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, spirituality, Tehillim, The Foundation Stone, Tools for Growth

Metzorah: Emet L’Yaakov

The 29th of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Yaakov (ben Binyomin) Kamenetsky (1891-1986). Born on the 21 Adar, in hamlet of Kalushkove (from which his family moved to Dolhinov), he left for Minsk at the age of 11. Among his friends there were the future Rav Reuven Grozovsky, and the young Aaron Kotler.

Tags: Parsha, Portion of the Week, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Spiritual Growth, The Foundation Stone

Metzorah: Tiferet Shlomo: Preparing for Instructions in Purity

The 29th of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Shlomo (Dov Tzvi Hakohen) Rabinowitz of Radomsk, first Rebbe of the Radomsk dynasty (1803-1866). Born in Volotchova, he learned with the Bris Avraham of Pietrikov

Tags: Parsha, Portion of the Week, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Spiritual Growth, The Foundation Stone

Parsha Mitzvot: Metzorah: Mitzvah 175 – Concept 462

“A man from whom there is a discharge of semen shall immerse his entire flesh in the water and remain impure until evening (Vayikra 15:16).” Every impure person must immerse himself in a Mikvah to become

Tags: Chassidic, Commandments, commentaries, Kabbalah, Midrash, Mitzvot, Parsha, Portion of the Week, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Responsa, Talmud, Taryag, The Foundation Stone

Parsha Mitzvot: Metzorah: Mitzvah 174 – Concept 451

“On the seventh day he shall shave off all his hair; his head, his beard, his eyebrows, and all his hair shall he shave off; he shall immerse his clothing and immerse his flesh in water, and become pure (Vayikra 14:9).”

Tags: Chassidic, Commandments, commentaries, Kabbalah, Midrash, Mitzvot, Parsha, Portion of the Week, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Responsa, Talmud, Taryag, The Foundation Stone

Pesukei d’Zimrah: Iyun Tefillah: Baruch Sh’amar

The 4th of Nisan is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Yaakov Tzvi Mecklenberg, author of HaKesav Vehakabala and Iyun Tefillah (1785-1865). “Blessed are You, God, the King, Who is lauded with praises.” Hallel is the external

Tags: iPraise, Pesukei d'Zimrah, Praising God, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Singing to God, The Foundation Stone

Hallel: Rosh Chodesh Nisan: Paragraph Six

The person who can sing the Nisan Hallel as a Future Song has stepped into the world of “Forever,” and sings: “Give thanks to God Who is good, for His kindness is forever! Let Israel declare that His Kindness

Tags: God, Hallel, Nisan, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Rosh Chodesh, The Foundation Stone

Shir ha-Shirim VIII: Part Six: The Candle

Our Rabbis say: Do not let the parable be lightly esteemed in your eyes, since by means of the parable a man can master the words of the Torah. If a King loses gold from his house or a precious pearl, does he not

The Judgment Of The Birds

“…and for the person being purified there shall be taken two live, clean birds…and the one bird shall be slaughtered…as for the live bird…set free upon the open field.” (Leviticus 14:4-7) Every time I study this portion, which describes the purification process of the Metzorah, who...

Tags: Holocaust, Metzorah, Yom Ha'atma'ut

Biblical Personalities: Cyrus

On the 1st of Nisan, Cyrus was crowned “King of Babylon and King of all lands.” (538 BCE) “I, Daniel, fled to Cyrus in Shustar, and Cyrus asked me, ‘How did your fathers sin to such an extent that God

Tags: Bible, Biblical Personalities, commentaries, Midrash, Parsha, Portion of the Week, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, The Foundation Stone

Metzorah: Revid haZahav: Different Generations

“And if he is poor and cannot afford (Vayikra 14:21).” We often hear and read how earlier generations went through a complex and demanding process of Teshuvah, adding fasts and physical deprivation. However,

Tags: Bible, Chumash, Parsha, Portion of the Week, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, The Foundation Stone, Torah

Metzorah: Public Purity

Rabbi Shlomo Yahaloni (Diamant) spent a few years under Stalin in a Siberian prison camp. He studied the weekly parsha from memory and from the perspective of his situation. When he came to Metzorah, and

Tags: Bible, Chumash, Parsha, Portion of the Week, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, The Foundation Stone, Torah

Hallel: Rosh Chodesh Nisan: Paragraph Five

“All you nations; Praise God!

Sing

Tags: God, Hallel, Nisan, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Rosh Chodesh, The Foundation Stone

Categories

Biblical Personalities: Chizkiyahu

Biblical Personalities: Yehoram’s Famine

Biblical Personalities: Ezekiel: Son of Adam

Biblical Personalities: Nadav & Avihu II

The Metamir

Metzorah: Chafetz Chaim: Spiritually Poor

Biblical Personalities: Ezra

Tehillim Tools: Psalm 20:6: My Only Desire

Metzorah: Emet L’Yaakov

Metzorah: Tiferet Shlomo: Preparing for Instructions in Purity

Parsha Mitzvot: Metzorah: Mitzvah 175 – Concept 462

Parsha Mitzvot: Metzorah: Mitzvah 174 – Concept 451

Pesukei d’Zimrah: Iyun Tefillah: Baruch Sh’amar

Hallel: Rosh Chodesh Nisan: Paragraph Six

Shir ha-Shirim VIII: Part Six: The Candle

The Judgment Of The Birds

Biblical Personalities: Cyrus

Metzorah: Revid haZahav: Different Generations

Metzorah: Public Purity

Hallel: Rosh Chodesh Nisan: Paragraph Five

Hallel: Rosh Chodesh Nisan: Paragraph Four

Hallel: Rosh Chodesh Nisan: Paragraph Three

Haggadah: Surprise!

Hallel: Rosh Chodesh Nisan: Paragraph Two

Hallel: Rosh Chodesh Nisan: Paragraph One

Shir ha-Shirim VIII: Part Five: Cord to Rope

Tehillim Tools: Psalm 111:4: Hints of Moshe

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