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Lights XX: Searching For The Cracks

“Your word is a candle for my feet and a light for my path”. King David compares the Torah both to the light of a candle and to the flame of the sun. The sun is the largest visible light. Yet, sometimes,

Tags: Chanukah, God, Lights, Miracles, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, The Foundation Stone

Countdown to Chanukah 11: Al HaNissim

“And on the wars.” (Al Hanissim) Why do we include the wars we have fought in this expression of gratitude? We mention the victories separately. The Bais Halevi (Beshalach) writes that

Tags: Chanukah, God, Lights, Miracles, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, The Foundation Stone

Me’or Einayim: Earthquake & Finding God

The 13th of Kislev is the Yahrtzeit of Azariah ben Moshe Dei Rossi, author of Me’or Einayim, essays on Jewish history. He died on November 12, 1578. “The greatest Jewish historian

Tags: Jewish History, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, The Foundation Stone

Countdown to Chanukah 11: Al HaNissim

“And on the wars.” (Al Hanissim) Why do we include the wars we have fought in this expression of gratitude? We mention the victories separately. The Bais Halevi (Beshalach) writes that

Tags: Chanukah, God, Lights, Miracles, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, The Foundation Stone

Purifying The Oil XI: The Oil of Blessing Part One

Rabbi Judah discoursed on the text, “I am my beloved’s and his desire is to me.” (Song of Songs 7:11) He said, “The inner meaning of this verse is that the stirring below is accompanied by a stirring above, for there is no stirring above till there is a stirring below. Further,

Tags: Chanukah, God, Lights, Miracles, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, The Foundation Stone

The Music of Halacha: Untying The Knot

“Then Rachel said, ‘naftulei Elokim niftalti,’ ‘The Lord has judged me, He also heard my voice.” (Genesis 30:5) Rashi compares “Naftulei” to, “Dor ikesh u’ftaltol,” “a perverse and twisted generation.” (Deuteronomy 32:5) He understands Tefillah as twisting as in,

Tags: Husband & Wife, Music of Halacha, Prayer, Shabbat, Vayeitzei

Miracles XI

“As in the days when you left Egypt I will show it wonders.” (Micah 7:15) Rabbi Yosi taught; “Why does it say, ‘ as in the days,’ not ‘on the day,’ they left Egypt on one day?” The entire period of time of the plagues and Redemption, the ‘days,’ were filled with blessing,

Tags: Chanukah, God, Lights, Miracles, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, The Foundation Stone

Derash Moshe: Miketz: Joseph’s Hidden Messages

The 13th of Kislev is the Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Moshe, Darshan of Krakow, author of Derash Moshe. He died on November 17, 1736. Everyone questions why Joseph did not inform Jacob

Tags: Joseph and his Brothers, Miketz, Parsha, Portion of the Week, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, The Foundation Stone

Vayeishev & Chanukah: Sheaves & Flames

In Joseph's dream, his sheaf stood upright, while his brothers' sheaves bowed down to his (Vayeishev 37:7-8). Joseph, as a Tzaddik, was the nurturer by definition. It is through him that

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

Lights XIII: Rav Shlomo Kluger

“Shine Your face upon Your servant, save me in Your kindness.” (Psalms 31:17) King David asks God to shine the Divine Image upon him, as in, “Let us make man in our image,”

Tags: Chanukah, God, Lights, Miracles, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, The Foundation Stone

Lights XIV

“To bring back his soul from the grave; so that his being might see the light.” (Job 33:30) In Elihu’s first response, he relates the secret of the suffering of the righteous. The Tzaddik suffers

Tags: Chanukah, God, Lights, Miracles, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, The Foundation Stone

Countdown to Chanukah 17

“And they lit candles in the courtyards of Your Holy Place.” (Al Hanissim) The Midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 15:6) says that The Holy One, Blessed is He, said to Moshe, “Go and say to

Tags: Chanukah, God, Lights, Miracles, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, The Foundation Stone

Lights XV: Rav Chaim David Vialli

“Arise! Shine! For your light has arrived, and the glory of God shines upon you.” (Isaiah 60:1) This prophecy addresses the royal family of King David that will arise suffused with all

Tags: Chanukah, God, Lights, Miracles, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, The Foundation Stone

Countdown to Chanukah 16: Vayaged Yaakov

“These candles are holy.” (Haneirot Halalu) At first glance, this seems to contradict the Talmud (Shabbat 22a), which asks: “Do these candles have any holiness? We do not benefit from

Tags: Chanukah, God, Lights, Miracles, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, The Foundation Stone

Lights XVI

“Jonathan said, ‘My father has distressed the land. See now how my eyes lit up when I tasted just a little bit of this nectar.’” (Samuel I 14:29) Our Sages taught: “A person suffering from

Tags: Chanukah, God, Lights, Miracles, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, The Foundation Stone

Countdown to Chanukah 15

It is a Mitzvah to place the Chanukah candles on the outside of the entrance to one’s home. (Shabbat 21b) This reenacts the Menorah in the Beit Hamikdash, which illuminated the world outside

Tags: Chanukah, God, Lights, Miracles, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, The Foundation Stone

Lights XVII

“And the Lord said, ‘Let there be light!’ and there was light.” (Genesis 1:3) From where were the heavens created? They were created from the light provided by God’s garment. (Chapters of Rabbi Eliezer 3)

Tags: Chanukah, God, Lights, Miracles, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, The Foundation Stone

Countdown to Chanukah 14: Pri Eitz Chaim

The Mitzvah is to light the candles so that they burn from sunset until there are no longer people walking in the marketplace. (Shabbat 21b) The marketplace is understood by the Kabbalists as

Tags: Chanukah, God, Lights, Miracles, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, The Foundation Stone

Mishlei: The Search

“Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who obtains understanding.” (Proverbs 3:13) The Vilna Gaon connects this verse with another: “But wisdom, where shall it be found? And where is the place of understanding?” (Job 28:12) Wisdom is consistently

Tags: Book of Wisdom, Chassidut, Kabbalah, Midrash, Mishlei, Proverbs, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Spiritual Insights, The Foundation Stone

Miracles X

“As in the days when you left Egypt I will show it wonders.” (Micah 7:15) Rabbi Abba said: “God will one day bring deliverance to His sons as in the days when He sent to deliver Israel and inflicted plagues on Egypt for their sake. What is the difference between this deliverance

Tags: Chanukah, God, Lights, Miracles, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, The Foundation Stone

Purifying The Oil X

“I have found David, My servant; with My holy oil I have anointed him.” (Psalms 89:21) The Sages said, “Where did God find David? He found him in Sodom.” (Bereishit Rabbah 41:4) This means that David’s soul was among the other nations for many generations until its light

Tags: Chanukah, God, Lights, Miracles, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, The Foundation Stone

Table Talk: Vayishlach

I’d have killed him! Jacob wrestled an angel of God, whatever that means, and won. He surely could have killed, or at least, defeated Eliphaz whsent by Esau to murder Jacob. Why did he

Tags: Spiritual Realm, Vayishlach

Table Talk II: Vayishlach

“For I crossed the Jordan with only my staff.” The Midrash explains that Eliphaz was sent by Eisav to murder Yaakov, but Yaakov gave him all his money and said, “A destitute

Tags: Vayishlach

Haftarah Discussions: Vayishlach

Too Awed To Speak: Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vorki was once asked by a Chassid why he did not speak as often as other Chassidic Rebbes. He responded with his twist on a story

Tags: Chanukah, Haftarah, Obadiah, Prophecy, Spiritual Realm, Torah, Vayishlach

Welcoming The Shabbat: Alshich: Psalm 96

“These psalms all discuss the time of the final redemption. It is worth remembering the statement of the prophet, “In those days, God will not be referred to as ‘the One Who took Israel out of Egypt,’ but He will be acknowledged as ‘the Living God, Who has taken Israel

Tags: Kabbalat Shabbat, Parsha, Portion of the Week, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Shabbat, The Foundation Stone, Welcoming The Shabbat

Welcoming The Shabbat: Investment

Rabbi Tachlifa, the brother of Rabinai of Choza'ah learned: "One's yearly sustenance is fixed between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, except for the expenditure for Shabbat and festivals, and the expenditure for the teaching of children Torah. If he spends less,

Tags: Kabbalat Shabbat, Parsha, Portion of the Week, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Shabbat, The Foundation Stone, Welcoming The Shabbat

Welcoming The Shabbat: Entering As One

The academy of R' Yishmael taught: On Friday afternoon we sound six Shofar blasts announcing the arrival of the Shabbat. As the Shofar blower would sound the first blast, those standing in the field would cease digging and plowing the earth, and would stop doing all manner

Tags: Kabbalat Shabbat, Parsha, Portion of the Week, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Shabbat, The Foundation Stone, Welcoming The Shabbat

Categories

Lights XX: Searching For The Cracks

Countdown to Chanukah 11: Al HaNissim

Me’or Einayim: Earthquake & Finding God

Countdown to Chanukah 11: Al HaNissim

Purifying The Oil XI: The Oil of Blessing Part One

The Music of Halacha: Untying The Knot

Miracles XI

Derash Moshe: Miketz: Joseph’s Hidden Messages

Vayeishev & Chanukah: Sheaves & Flames

Lights XIII: Rav Shlomo Kluger

Lights XIV

Countdown to Chanukah 17

Lights XV: Rav Chaim David Vialli

Countdown to Chanukah 16: Vayaged Yaakov

Lights XVI

Countdown to Chanukah 15

Lights XVII

Countdown to Chanukah 14: Pri Eitz Chaim

Mishlei: The Search

Miracles X

Purifying The Oil X

Table Talk: Vayishlach

Table Talk II: Vayishlach

Haftarah Discussions: Vayishlach

Welcoming The Shabbat: Alshich: Psalm 96

Welcoming The Shabbat: Investment

Welcoming The Shabbat: Entering As One

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