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Vayakhel-A Constrained Teacher

The 18th of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Nachum Mordechai (ben Yisrael) Friedman (1946), Tchortkover Rebbe [Adar II]: “Moses assembled the entire assembly of the Children of Israel (Exodus 35:1).” Targum implies that Moshe

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

Shabbat Themes-Teshuvah

On the eve of the Shabbat one must do penance for all that transpired in the course of the week, in order to welcome the Shabbat without any impediment of sin or wrongdoing. At the end of the holy Shabbat, one must do penance

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

Shabbat Prayer-Friday Night Amidah-Rav Kook

The perception that dawns on a person to see the world not as finished, but as in the process of continued becoming, ascending, developing; this changes him from being “under the sun,” to being, “above the Sun,” from the

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

Impurity in the Relationship

This week’s Haftarah begins, “Again the word of God came to me: ‘Son of man, the house of Israel are living in their own land, they defile it by their conduct and their actions. Their conduct was as the impurity of a menstruous woman in...

Tags: Exile, Ezekiel, Haftarah, Husband & Wife, Parah

Amidah-Parah-Teshuvah-Tzidkat haTzaddik

Man's excellence is to be found in, and achieved by means of, the very thing with which he is blemished. Thus, on the verse, “And they sewed fig leaves together (Genesis 3:7),” the Sages commented, “The very thing which brought

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

Parah-Gathering

The 17th of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Avraham Menachem Danziger, the ninth Admor of Alexander: “The one who gathered the ash of the cow shall immerse his clothing (Numbers 19:10).” The purification and cleansing only

Tags: Parah, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Red heifer, Spiritual, The Foundation Stone

Shabbat Prayer-Vayakhel-Mussaf

The 23rd of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Yitzchak Yaakov (ben Nosson Dovid) Rabinowitz of Biala (Divrei Bina) (1905). A direct descendent of the Yehudi Hakadosh of Peshis’cha: The portion begins with the instructions

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

Shabbat Themes-Z’mirot-Iggra d’Kallah

The 19th of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Dovid (ben Tzvi Elimelech) of Dinov: The Shabbat Zemirot - songs at the Shabbat table - have the power to control the influence of the stars and constellations over those singing. (Rabbi

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

Pesach Preparations-Ostrov

The 19th of Adar is the Yartzeit of Rav Meir Yechiel HeLevi Haldshtok, founder of the court of Ostrovtze: Rabbi Meir Margolis walked along a muddy street on the Eve of Passover towards the river, carrying a large pitcher. The

Spiritual Tools-Pekudei-Loving Others

The 23rd of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of the Divrei Binah of Bialah: “The Cherubs were with wings spread upward sheltering the Cover with their wings, with their faces toward one another; toward the Cover were the faces of the Cherubs

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

Shabbat Themes-Vayakhel-The Importance of Targum

We are required to complete the weekly portion to gather with the congregation, reading the Hebrew text twice, and the Targum once. There is an underlying reason for including the Targum. It functions like the hair of the tefillin,

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

Parah-Avodat Yisrael

“And he shall slaughter it before him (Numbers 19:3).” Rashi explains that a Zar, or non-cohen, slaughters the Red Heifer while Elazar, the son of Aaron, the Kohen Gadol, looks on.

Tags: Parah, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Red heifer, Spiritual, The Foundation Stone

Morning Blessings-Yesod v’Shoresh haAvodah

The 18th of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Alexander (ben Moshe) Ziskind, born in Brzhen, but lived most of his life in Horodna (Grodno, Belarus), Lithuania, the product of the teaching of Rav Aryeh Leib Epstein, Rav of Nikolsberg.

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

Taking it with you-Vayakhel-Attaching to Eternal Life

The 23rd of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of the Divrei Binah of Bialah: “They were even at the bottom and together they were matching at the top (Exodus 36:29).” In all your actions, even the mundane, those that are “at the bottom,” see

Tags: Aleinu, Daveing, iPray, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Siddur, Tefillah, The Foundation Stone

Adar Joy-Alexanderer Rebbe-Saved From Tribulation

The 18th of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Chanoch Henoch HaKohen of Alexander: The Alexanderer Rebbe said: We read in Isaiah 55:12, “For you shall go out with joy.” This means, “if we are habitually joyful, we shall be

Tags: Adar, Joy, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Spiritual Tools, The Foundation Stone

Countdown to Pesach-25-Shemen HaTov

Rav Shmelke taught: We read, “I have compared you, O my love, to a steed in Pharaoh’s chariots (Song of Songs 1:9).” The Mechilta (Exodus 14:25) explains that when the chariots of the Egyptians entered the Red Sea, the force

Tags: Beshalach, Haggadah, Pesach, Prayer, Song of Songs

Prayer Skills-Yesod v’Shoresh haAvodah

The 18th of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Alexander Ziskind. It is very good if you mentally translate each word of prayer, or two together, or sometimes three words together when the matter is extended. You should not take four

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

Amidah-Pekudei-Restore Our Judges-Bach

The 20th of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Yoel (ben Shmuel) Sirkes of Cracow, (the Bach) (1561-1641), author of Bayis Chadash on the Tur, in which he traced each law to its source in the gemarah. In his youth, he studied under

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

Spiritual Tools-Parah-Tzidkat haTzaddik

Our Sages state of certain individuals that they have incurred the death penalty for their transgressions. The words of our Sages are most certainly motivated by mercy for all creatures and aim to bring goodness in life to the world.

Tags: Parah, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Red heifer, Spiritual, The Foundation Stone

Parah-Dinov-Attaching to Moshe

The 19th of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Dovid (ben Tzvi Elimelech) of Dinov (1804-1874). Rav Dovid was the author of Tzemach Dovid and Divrei Dovid, and the son of the Bnei Yissoschar. He succeeded his father as Rebbe

Tags: Parah, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Red heifer, Spiritual, The Foundation Stone

Shabbat Themes-Parah-Holy Speech

Concerning mundane speech, it is written: “Not finding your own affairs, nor speaking your own words (Isaiah 58:13).” Our Sages gave the following interpretation: Your speech on the Shabbat should not be like your speech on

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

Vayakhel-We Are The Torah

Rabbi Baruch of Medzibozh said: “we read, ' And Moses assembled all the congregation of the Children of Israel, and said to them, ' These are the words which God has commanded' (Exodus 35:1).' Moses told the Children of Israel:

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

Parah-Pitgamim Kaddishin

Our sages teach us that the Torah was created two thousand years before the world (Bereishit Rabbah 8:2). This is difficult to understand, since the Torah contains the accounts of many events that happened after creation.

Tags: Parah, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Red heifer, Spiritual, The Foundation Stone

Shema-Amshinov-Running in Service

The 19th of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Yitzchak (ben Yosef) Kalish, Amshenover Rebbe, New York (1993). Grandson of Rav Menachem Kalish of Amshinov. He was buried in Tiveria. The only way of the holy Rabbi David

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

Shabbat Prayer-Pekudei-Pesukei d’Zimrah

The world view of the divine inherent in the heart of every Jew will become apparent to all in the hereafter, when the world will be renewed and emerge from its cursed state, when illumination will flow freely, without any blemish,

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

Spiritual Tools-Honoring Parents-Rabbi Avraham son of the Chiddushei HaRim

The 23rd of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of the Chiddushei HaRim: Rabbi Avraham Mordechai was the son of the Chiddushei HaRim and the father of the Sefat Emet. Whenever his father would deliver a lecture, it was usually so

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

Adar Joy-The Most Important Demand

The 17th of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Avraham Menachem Danziger, the ninth Admor of Alexander: The Alexanderer Rebbe said: Do you wish to know how important it is to be full of joy at all times? Moses enumerates

Tags: Adar, Joy, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Spiritual Tools, The Foundation Stone

Categories

Vayakhel-A Constrained Teacher

Shabbat Themes-Teshuvah

Shabbat Prayer-Friday Night Amidah-Rav Kook

Impurity in the Relationship

Amidah-Parah-Teshuvah-Tzidkat haTzaddik

Parah-Gathering

Shabbat Prayer-Vayakhel-Mussaf

Shabbat Themes-Z’mirot-Iggra d’Kallah

Pesach Preparations-Ostrov

Spiritual Tools-Pekudei-Loving Others

Shabbat Themes-Vayakhel-The Importance of Targum

Parah-Avodat Yisrael

Morning Blessings-Yesod v’Shoresh haAvodah

Taking it with you-Vayakhel-Attaching to Eternal Life

Adar Joy-Alexanderer Rebbe-Saved From Tribulation

Countdown to Pesach-25-Shemen HaTov

Prayer Skills-Yesod v’Shoresh haAvodah

Amidah-Pekudei-Restore Our Judges-Bach

Spiritual Tools-Parah-Tzidkat haTzaddik

Parah-Dinov-Attaching to Moshe

Shabbat Themes-Parah-Holy Speech

Vayakhel-We Are The Torah

Parah-Pitgamim Kaddishin

Shema-Amshinov-Running in Service

Shabbat Prayer-Pekudei-Pesukei d’Zimrah

Spiritual Tools-Honoring Parents-Rabbi Avraham son of the Chiddushei HaRim

Adar Joy-The Most Important Demand

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