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Amidah-Sustenance-Zlotchov

The 5th of Nisan is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Moshe (ben Shlomo) Rokeach(1939), Kiev-Zlotchover Rebbe. A Chassid asked the Zlotchover why he lived in great luxury. The Rabbi replied, “We are taught in the Talmud that

Tags: Amidah, God, i-Attach, i-Pray, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Shmone Esrei, Tefillah, The Foundation Stone

Morning Blessings-Tzav-The Fire on the Altar-Apt

Rabbi Feibush of Hobnover was possessed of a burning desire to serve God. Once he slept in the Ropshitzer's Beit Midrash. The Ropshitzer told his other disciples, "Watch and you will see him awake at the dot of midnight

Tags: iThank, Morning Blessings, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, The Foundation Stone

Haggadah-Bnei Brak-Apter Rav

The 5th of Nisan is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Avraham Yehoshua Heshel of Apt, the Ohev Yisrael. A man who was not a Chassid desired to witness for himself the behavior of the Apter Rav. He visited the Apter synagogue,

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

Shir HaShirim-Influencing Others-Rhyziner

The Rhyziner said: There are two ways to influence men for good. One is by sermons of a serious and profound character, when the listeners are of high intelligence. The other is by sermons of a like nature, interpolated

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

Haggadah-Rasha-Even When Doing “Good”

Rabbi Bunam's teaching of rationalism and learning prompted many of his adherents to ridicule the opposite qualities among the adherents of other tzaddikim. A Chassid of the Apter received from his teacher a snow white

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

Spiritual Tools-Three Weeks-The Rebbe RaShaB on Ahavat Yisrael

The kelipah of Midian, then, is baseless hatred, hatred that has no specific reason. It is not[aroused] because one has been harmed or opposed by another person in any particular way. Such a hatred would be derived from an individual attribute,

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

The Rebbe RaShaB on Ahavat Yisrael

The 2nd of Nisan is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Shalom Dov Ber (ben Shmuel) Schneerson, the Rebbe RaShaB, fifth Lubavitcher Rebbe. The kelipah of Midian, then, is baseless hatred, hatred that has no specific reason. It is not

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

Countdown to Pesach 12-Zbaratzer

At the Seder meal, the Zbaratzer ate only a special Matzah which is baked from special flour on the afternoon of the same day. A Chassid brought with him some ordinary matzah and began to eat it. The others rebuked

Tags: Haggadah, Pesach

Countdown to Pesach 13-Rav Shmuel Kariver

Rabbi Samuel Kariver, though very poor, resolved to ask for help from no one, no matter what. His Rebbe, the Seer of Lublin, became aware of this, and instructed a wealthy Chassid to buy all that was necessary for Pesach

Tags: Haggadah, Humility, Pesach

Shabbat Themes-Hachodesh-The Shabbat of Thought

It is written, “You shall count for yourselves from the day after the Shabbat (Leviticus 23:15).” This is the commandment to count the Omer, the days between Pesach and Shavuot, and our sages explain that in this verse,

Tags: Emor, Hachodesh, Pesach

Countdown to Pesach 14-Reb Bunim

Rabbi Bunam said, "We eat the Seder meal in the following order: the matzah first and the Maror next, though it would seem the reverse order is proper, since we first suffered and later were freed. The reason for this, however,

Tags: Haggadah, Pesach

Countdown to Pesach 15-Rhizhiner

The 27th of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Moshe Meir Rosenstein of Berditchev (1821-1902). A chassid of the Rizhuner Rebbe: On Pesach eve, the Rhiziner explained the rules of the search for Chametz in the following

Tags: Haggadah, Isaiah

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 of the following verse: “Yismichu Hashamayim

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

Prayer Skills-Hachodesh-Even HaShoham-Meditative Position

I was asked in response to “Hachodesh-Positioning Our Body,” if there were special prayers and mediations used when praying in the Pesach Offering position. I know of only the Even HaShoham offering

Tags: Hachodesh, Kavanot, Machberes Avodas Hashem, Prayer, Praying with power, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Service of God Notebooks, The Foundation Stone

Countdown to Pesach 16-Belzer Rebbe

The 24th of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Yitzchak Meyer of Alesk, originally from Belz: A woman came to the Belzer Rebbe entreating him to pray for her. The Rabbi said, “But have you a sufficient belief in the efficacy

Tags: Haggadah, Prayer, Redemption

Nisan-Perfecting Our Speech III-The Koretzer

Loquacious is proper at a banquet, and silence, at a house of mourning. It is for this reason that we must strive to persuade the child “who does not know what to ask,” to talk also at the celebration of the Seder (Nofet Tzufim,...

Tags: Jewish Calendar, Nisan, Speech

Nisan-Fighting the Fire of Anger III

The Chozeh of Lublin asked his wife to arrange for the preparations of the evening meal earlier than usual, inasmuch as he wished to have more time for the performance of a holy deed.

Tags: Anger, Jewish Calendar, Nisan

Spiritual Tools-Hachodesh-Elevating Sparks Through Eating

The Ari, of blessed memory, speaks of the separation and elevation of the Holy Sparks. These Sparks fell at the time when God “build universes and destroyed them."

Tags: Avodas Hashem, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Religion, Service of God Notebooks, Serving God, Spiritual, The Foundation Stone, Tools for Growth

Kabbalat Shabbat-Hachodesh-Avodat Yisrael

The heresy of the Egyptians and other idolaters who followed them was as follows: They admitted God's greatness, and realized that He is Infinite, and that no thought can encompass Him at all. They also knew that

Tags: Kavanah, Kavanot, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Sabbath, Shabbat, The Foundation Stone

Prayer Skills-Rav of Alesk

The 24th of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Yitzchak Meyer of Alesk: It is written of the Rebbe of Alesk, how every morning he recited particular verses and prayers at each stage of his journey from his house to the synagogue:

Tags: Kavanot, Machberes Avodas Hashem, Prayer, Praying with power, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Service of God Notebooks, The Foundation Stone

Nisan-Vayikra-Perfecting Our Speech II-Ba’alei Tosafot

The 29th of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of Rabbeinu Yitzchak of Speyer. Grandson of the Riva, he was murdered with numerous other Jews because of a blood libel. "If a person will sin: If he accepted a demand for an oath, and

Tags: Jewish Calendar, Nisan, Speech

Amidah-Radomsk-Gathering the Exiles

The 29th of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Shlomo Rabinowitz of Radomsk, first Rebbe of the Radomsk dynasty: Many Chassidim who had heard of the piety and holiness of the Radomsker, visited him on the eve of

Tags: Amidah, God, i-Attach, i-Pray, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Shmone Esrei, Tefillah, The Foundation Stone

Peuskei d’Zimrah-Nisan-Ata Hu-Part Three

Likewise, in my humble opinion, all of the selections that Jews are unable to complete, during all the years of their affliction and wretchedness, will be achieved at the end of days. Among them will be all the nations that come

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

Prayer Skills-Hachodesh-Positioning Our Body

The Amidah is recited with the feet together, emulating the stance of the Angels. We find other physical positions described in classic sources, such as sitting and meditating (Rabbi Avraham Abulafia; Chayei Olam haBah,

Tags: Kavanot, Machberes Avodas Hashem, Prayer, Praying with power, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Service of God Notebooks, The Foundation Stone

Blessings of Shema Evening-Slonim-Ki Padah Hashem

The 28th of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Mordechai Kastelanitz of Lecovitz, the father of the Slonim Chassidic dynasty. “For God has ransomed Jacob and He redeems him from the hand of him that is stronger than

Tags: God, i-Love, i-Pray, Kavanah, Kavanot, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Shema, The Foundation Stone

Amidah-Slonim-Avot-Owns All

The 28th of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Mordechai Kastelanitz of Lecovitz, the father of the Slonim Chassidic dynasty: The Polish nobleman, Radziwil, who owned the little town of Nishwitz, chanced to be out of

Tags: Amidah, God, i-Attach, i-Pray, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Shmone Esrei, Tefillah, The Foundation Stone

Countdown to Pesach 17-Reb Bunim

Rabbi Bunam said: Manna still comes down daily in quantities sufficient for the minimum needs of each person. In the desert it came to a person without toil; today, however, it is distributed to each one of us through

Tags: Amidah, Haggadah, Manna, Pesach

Categories

Amidah-Sustenance-Zlotchov

Morning Blessings-Tzav-The Fire on the Altar-Apt

Haggadah-Bnei Brak-Apter Rav

Shir HaShirim-Influencing Others-Rhyziner

Haggadah-Rasha-Even When Doing “Good”

Spiritual Tools-Three Weeks-The Rebbe RaShaB on Ahavat Yisrael

The Rebbe RaShaB on Ahavat Yisrael

Countdown to Pesach 12-Zbaratzer

Countdown to Pesach 13-Rav Shmuel Kariver

Shabbat Themes-Hachodesh-The Shabbat of Thought

Countdown to Pesach 14-Reb Bunim

Countdown to Pesach 15-Rhizhiner

Rosh Chodesh Nissan – Kavanot

Prayer Skills-Hachodesh-Even HaShoham-Meditative Position

Countdown to Pesach 16-Belzer Rebbe

Nisan-Perfecting Our Speech III-The Koretzer

Nisan-Fighting the Fire of Anger III

Spiritual Tools-Hachodesh-Elevating Sparks Through Eating

Kabbalat Shabbat-Hachodesh-Avodat Yisrael

Prayer Skills-Rav of Alesk

Nisan-Vayikra-Perfecting Our Speech II-Ba’alei Tosafot

Amidah-Radomsk-Gathering the Exiles

Peuskei d’Zimrah-Nisan-Ata Hu-Part Three

Prayer Skills-Hachodesh-Positioning Our Body

Blessings of Shema Evening-Slonim-Ki Padah Hashem

Amidah-Slonim-Avot-Owns All

Countdown to Pesach 17-Reb Bunim

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