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Morning Blessings: Iyun Tefillah: The Sweetness of a Unified Torah

The 4th of Nisan is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Yaakov Tzvi Mecklenberg, author of HaKesav Vehakabala (1785-1865). A talmid of Rav Akiva Eiger, Rav Yaakov Tzvi was appointed Rav of Kenigsberg, Germany,

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

Morning Blessings: Iyun Tefillah: The Sweetness of a Unified Torah

The 4th of Nisan is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Yaakov Tzvi Mecklenberg, author of HaKesav Vehakabala (1785-1865). A talmid of Rav Akiva Eiger, Rav Yaakov Tzvi was appointed Rav of Kenigsberg, Germany,

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

Metzorah: Tiferet Shlomo: Preserving Our Sanctity

The 29th of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Shlomo (Dov Tzvi Hakohen) Rabinowitz of Radomsk, first Rebbe of the Radomsk dynasty (1803-1866). “They shall not die as a result of their impurity if they contaminate

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

Parsha Mitzvot: Metzorah: Mitzvah 173 – Concept 450

“This shall be the law of the Metzorah on the day of his purification: He shall be brought to the Kohen. The Kohen shall go forth to the outside of the camp; the Kohen shall look, and behold! The Tzara’at affliction

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

Rav Moshe Chevroni: A Lesson in Honesty

The 28th of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Moshe Chevroni, rosh yeshiva of Chevron (1986). He authored Mas’eis Moshe and was a son-in-law of R' Moshe Mordechai Epstein (rosh yeshiva in Slobodka, Chevron).

Tags: Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Religion, Serving God, Spiritual, The Foundation Stone, Tools for Growth

Metzorah: Noam Elimelech: Thought & Action

“This shall be the Torah of the Metzorah on the day of his purification: He shall be brought to the Kohen (Vayikra 14:2).” Our Sages teach that, “A good thought; the Holy One, Blessed is He, joins it to an action.”

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

Beit Avraham: Metzorah

The 1^st of Iyar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Avraham of Slonim, the Beis Avraham (1889-1933), grandson of the founder of Slonimer Chasidus, the Chesed L’Avraham. “This shall be the Torah of the Metzorah on the day of

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

Haftarah: Metzorah: There Is A Prophet In Israel

Kings II 7:3-20: This selection is one in a series of stories about the king of Israel and the Man of the Lord, both of whom are nameless in these chapters. The theme of the series is voiced by Elisha the prophet,

Tags: Haftarah, Kings, Metzorah

Introduction to Hallel for Rosh Chodesh Nissan and the Seder Hallel

Rav Yehuda said in the name of Shmuel: The Song in the Torah was said by Moshe and Israel at the moment when they rose from the Sea. Who said this Hallel? The prophets who lived amongst them established

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

Shir ha-Shirim VIII: Part Four: Too Hot to Handle

Rabbi Shelah said: Imagine a large jug full of of water with no handle by which it could be carried, until someone came and made a handle for it, so that it began to be carried by its handle. (Shir ha-Shirim Rabbah 1:1.8, part four)

Tags: Bible, Midrash, Pesach, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Shavuot, Shir Hashirim, Song of Songs, The Foundation Stone

Shir ha-Shirim VIII: Part Three: Handles

Rabbi Yossi said: Imagine a big basket full of produce without any handle, oznaim, ('ears' in Hebrew) so heavy that it could not be lifted, until one clever man came in late handles for it, and then it began to be carried

Tags: Bible, Midrash, Pesach, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Shavuot, Shir Hashirim, Song of Songs, The Foundation Stone

Tehillim Tools: Shabbat Psalm: 92:10: Connected to the Source

“For behold Your enemies, God, for behold Your enemies shall perish; dispersed shall be all doers of iniquity (Psalms 92:10).” Even God's enemies receive their existence from Holiness, and if not for this, they

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

Tehillim Tools: Psalm 119:105: My Candle

“Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path (Psalms 119:105).” Each of us has a unique candle that burns through the Torah we study, and that illuminates the specific path of each individual. (Pri Tzaddik, Bamidbar 3)

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

Shabbat Prayers: Shabbat Mevarchim VII

The Talmud (Menachot 29a) teaches that Moshe had difficulty understanding the Mitzvah of Sanctifying the New Moon, until God pointed out the new moon. The Chozeh of Lublin explains this based on the law (Berachot 51b)

Tags: Kiddush Levana, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Rosh Chodesh, Shabbat, Shabbat Mevarchim, The Foundation Stone

Shabbat Prayers: Shabbat Mevarchim VI

“All Israel becoming comrades.” The midrash (Song of Songs, Chapter 8) teaches, “Only the Ministering Angels are true Friends.” The Angels do not have an Evil Inclination. They are all completely focused on serving God.

Tags: Kiddush Levana, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Rosh Chodesh, Shabbat, Shabbat Mevarchim, The Foundation Stone

Hachodesh: New For Us

“Sometimes there is something of which someone says: ‘Look, this is new!’ – it has already existed in the ages before us.” (Ecclesiastes 1:10) When the Children of Israel heard the Torah they thought that it was new.

Tags: Hachodesh, Parsha, Pesach, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, The Foundation Stone

HaChodesh: As Youths

“Who satisfies your mouth with goodness, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle.” (Psalm 103:5) “Young men and also maidens, old men together with youths.” (Psalms148:12) What is the difference between

Tags: Hachodesh, Parsha, Pesach, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, The Foundation Stone

The Music of Halacha: Hachodesh: The Power of Chiddush

“Understand the years of generation after generation (Deuteronomy 32:7).” In each generation, and in each age, there comes from Heaven a new understanding of Torah that speaks to that generation. The righteous

Tags: Ha'azinu, Hachodesh, Mishlei, Music of Halacha, Nitzavim, Rosh Chodesh, Torah

Haftarah HaChodesh: Time and Space

Ezekiel 45:16 – 46:18
Everything new becomes old. Over the years, my children were often desperate for a toy or gadget. They would plead, pester and beg for the newest thing. Inevitably,

Tags: Haftarah, Haftarot, Prophets, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, The Foundation Stone

Rosh Chodesh Nissan Kavanot

We derive the appellation for God’s Name, used in the Rosh Chodesh Mussaf – Additional Prayer – for Rosh Chodesh Nissan from the combination of letters and vowels

Tags: Appellations, God's Name, Kavanot, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Rosh Chodesh, The Ari, The Foundation Stone

Parsha Mitzvot: Tazria: Mitzvah 172 – Concept 448

“Then he shall shave himself, but he shall not shave the nesek; and the Kohen shall quarantine the nesek for a second seven-day period (Vayikra 13:33).”The Metzorah must not shave signs of impurity in his hair (Rambam,

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

Parsha Mitzvot: Tazria: Mitzvah 171 – Concept 397

“She may not touch anything sacred and she may not enter the Sanctuary, until the completion of her days of purity (Vayikra 12:4).” An impure person must not eat from the Offerings (Rambam, Hilchot Pesulei ha-Mukdashim

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

Shabbat Prayer: Shabbat Mevarchim V

“May He redeem us soon and gather in our dispersed from the four corners of the earth.” The Talmud (Megillah 17b) says, What did the Sages see that led them to institute Redemption as the seventh blessing? Rava said,

Tags: Kiddush Levana, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Rosh Chodesh, Shabbat, Shabbat Mevarchim, The Foundation Stone

Taking it With You: Divrei Binah: Aleinu

“True is our King, there is nothing beside Him, as it is written in the Torah: ‘You are to know this day and take to your heart that God is the only Lord, in heaven above and on earth below, there is none other (Deuteronomy 4:39)’

Tags: Aleinu, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Spiritual Growth, The Foundation Stone

Tehillim Tools: Psalm 109:22: A Live Heart

“For poor and destitute am I, and my heart has died, chalal bikirbi, with in me (Psalms 109:22).” "Chalal," as in, “Therefore, my heart moans for Moab like flutes, ka-challalim, (similar to chalal) and my heart moans

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

Shir ha-Shirim VIII: Part Two: Penetrating Barriers

Rabbi Nachman gave another illustration: imagine a thicket of reeds which no one could penetrate, until one clever man came and took a scythe and cut some down, and then all began to enter through the clearing.

Tags: Bible, Midrash, Pesach, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Shavuot, Shir Hashirim, Song of Songs, The Foundation Stone

Haggadah: What Really Happened

I am so confused about that final night in Egypt: Here’s what we know and wonder:

They had

Tags: Haggadah, Passover, Pesach, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Seder, The Foundation Stone

Categories

Morning Blessings: Iyun Tefillah: The Sweetness of a Unified Torah

Morning Blessings: Iyun Tefillah: The Sweetness of a Unified Torah

Metzorah: Tiferet Shlomo: Preserving Our Sanctity

Parsha Mitzvot: Metzorah: Mitzvah 173 – Concept 450

Rav Moshe Chevroni: A Lesson in Honesty

Metzorah: Noam Elimelech: Thought & Action

Beit Avraham: Metzorah

Haftarah: Metzorah: There Is A Prophet In Israel

Introduction to Hallel for Rosh Chodesh Nissan and the Seder Hallel

Shir ha-Shirim VIII: Part Four: Too Hot to Handle

Shir ha-Shirim VIII: Part Three: Handles

Tehillim Tools: Shabbat Psalm: 92:10: Connected to the Source

Tehillim Tools: Psalm 119:105: My Candle

Shabbat Prayers: Shabbat Mevarchim VII

Shabbat Prayers: Shabbat Mevarchim VI

Hachodesh: New For Us

HaChodesh: As Youths

The Music of Halacha: Hachodesh: The Power of Chiddush

Haftarah HaChodesh: Time and Space

Rosh Chodesh Nissan Kavanot

Parsha Mitzvot: Tazria: Mitzvah 172 – Concept 448

Parsha Mitzvot: Tazria: Mitzvah 171 – Concept 397

Shabbat Prayer: Shabbat Mevarchim V

Taking it With You: Divrei Binah: Aleinu

Tehillim Tools: Psalm 109:22: A Live Heart

Shir ha-Shirim VIII: Part Two: Penetrating Barriers

Haggadah: What Really Happened

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