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Rosh Hashanah Prayers: Gevurot The Gift of Choice

The beracha of Gevurah: What’s G-d’s ultimate Gevurah – G-d’s ultimate strength? What’s the most powerful gift G-d has given us?

Tags: Bible, Chassidic thought, Kabbala, Midrash, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Talmud, The Foundation Stone, Tools For Rosh Hashana

Rosh Hashanah Prayers: Gevurot III

Continued: So imagine, on Rosh Hashanah when we’re asking Hashem for life, it’s not simply asking, okay G-d, you know, hand over some cash, you know in years and give us an extra year and give us some extra money

Tags: Chassidic, Confessions, Kabbalah, Midrash, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Rosh Hashana, Spiritual Exercises, Spiritual Tools, Talmud, The Foundation Stone, Vidui, Yom Kippur

Building Life

“Teshuva, Tzedaka and Prayer, remove the bad parts of the decree.” (Unetane Tokef)

Tags: Chassidic, Confessions, Kabbalah, Midrash, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Rosh Hashana, Spiritual Exercises, Spiritual Tools, Talmud, The Foundation Stone, Vidui, Yom Kippur

Podcast: Rosh Hashanah Shofar

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Tags: Chassidic, Confessions, Kabbalah, Midrash, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Rosh Hashana, Spiritual Exercises, Spiritual Tools, Talmud, The Foundation Stone, Vidui, Yom Kippur

Rosh Hashanah Prayers: How God Sees Us

1. There is a difference between ‘sacrificing” what I want in order to please someone else and loving someone so much that I desire whatever he or she wants. The former is the usual ingredient of compromise

Tags: Chassidic, Confessions, Kabbalah, Midrash, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Rosh Hashana, Spiritual Exercises, Spiritual Tools, Talmud, The Foundation Stone, Vidui, Yom Kippur

Rosh Hashanah Prayers: Katveinu: A Life of Understanding

“Inscribe us in the Book of Life”
“Understand the years of generation after generation.” (Deuteronomy 32:7) A special gift of understanding is granted to

Tags: Ha'azinu, Prayer, Proverbs

Rosh Hashanah Prayers: Ata Hu Elokeinu

"Ata hu," "Chai Olamim." One of the principles of prayer is that we must know to Whom we are praying. A prayer that is not properly directed to our understanding of God, as limited as that may be, will be ineffective.

Tags: Chassidic, Confessions, Kabbalah, Midrash, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Rosh Hashana, Spiritual Exercises, Spiritual Tools, Talmud, The Foundation Stone, Vidui, Yom Kippur

Torah Reading: First Day Rosh Hashanah: The Comfortable Devil

A more earthbound version of the Devil appears in Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov. His character Ivan had a very strong sense of the earth’s evil. Unable to

Tags: Chassidic, Confessions, Kabbalah, Midrash, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Rosh Hashana, Spiritual Exercises, Spiritual Tools, Talmud, The Foundation Stone, Vidui, Yom Kippur

Rosh Hashanah Prayers: Gevurot III

Continued: So imagine, on Rosh Hashanah when we’re asking Hashem for life, it’s not simply asking, okay G-d, you know, hand over some cash, you know in years and give us an extra year and give us some extra money

Tags: Chassidic, Confessions, Kabbalah, Midrash, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Rosh Hashana, Spiritual Exercises, Spiritual Tools, Talmud, The Foundation Stone, Vidui, Yom Kippur

Rosh Hashanah Prayers: Gevurot The Gift of Choice

The beracha of Gevurah: What’s G-d’s ultimate Gevurah – G-d’s ultimate strength? What’s the most powerful gift G-d has given us?

Tags: Bible, Chassidic thought, Kabbala, Midrash, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Talmud, The Foundation Stone, Tools For Rosh Hashana

Rosh Hashanah Prayers: Kedusha

From an unedited transcript of a shiur: The third beracha of Shemoneh Esrei which is the beracha of Kedusha, right. I’m going to explain this to you. When I’m finished explaining it to you, I would like you all to say wow,

Tags: Chassidic, Confessions, Kabbalah, Midrash, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Rosh Hashana, Spiritual Exercises, Spiritual Tools, Talmud, The Foundation Stone, Vidui, Yom Kippur

Father & Child: Faithfulness

“The living, the living—they praise You, as I am doing today; parents tell their children about Your faithfulness (Isaiah 38:19).” Parents embody faithfulness and reliability to their children. They are the perfect people

Tags: Approaching God, Elul, King, King of Kings, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Rosh Hashanah, The Foundation Stone

Hearing: Expectation

“See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being, I make them heard to you (Isaiah 42:9).” This verse describes the Shofar as an announcement of what will be. It is reminding

Tags: Approaching God, Elul, Fear, Fear of God, Joy, King, King of Kings, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Rosh Hashanah, Shofar, The Foundation Stone

Voices: A Healthful Cry

“From the voice of my sighing my bone clung to my flesh (Psalms 102:6).” Constant sighing and groaning weaken the body; and healthy muscles and body fat are dissipated to the extent that the shriveled skin clings to the

Tags: Approaching God, Elul, Fear, Fear of God, Joy, King, King of Kings, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Rosh Hashanah, Shofar, The Foundation Stone

The Search: Direction

“Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother’s name was Jekoliah; she was from Jerusalem. He did what was right in the eyes of God, just as his father

Tags: Approaching God, Elul, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Rosh Hashanah, Searching for God, Seeking God, Shofar, The Foundation Stone

King & Subject: Ruling Over Desires

“For dominion belongs to God, and He rules over the nations (Psalms 22:8).” One who completely accepts on himself the Yoke of God’s Kingdom, will merit to, “Rule over the nations,” meaning, over his physical desires (Rav Mordechai Melkovich; Torat Avot)

Tags: Approaching God, Elul, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Rosh Hashanah, The Foundation Stone

Father & Child: For Your Sake

“A wise son brings joy to his father (Proverbs 10:1).” All his service of God must be performed with the intention of bringing joy to God as a child brings joy to a parent. One who serves with this intention can then pray

Tags: Approaching God, Elul, King, King of Kings, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Rosh Hashanah, The Foundation Stone

Hearing: Preparing Our Hearts

“And he said to me, ‘Son of man, listen carefully and take to heart all the words I speak to you’ (Ezekiel 3:10).” “Once you have heard what I say to you, take it to heart so that you will not forget (Radak).” Hearing is

Tags: Approaching God, Elul, Fear, Fear of God, Joy, King, King of Kings, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Rosh Hashanah, Shofar, The Foundation Stone

Voices: Perception

“If you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding (Proverbs 2:3),” “Then you will understand the fear of God and find awareness of the Lord (Verse 5).” The Voice of the Shofar is the same Voice that called to us from

Tags: Approaching God, Elul, Fear, Fear of God, Joy, King, King of Kings, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Rosh Hashanah, Shofar, The Foundation Stone

Master & Servant: Eliezer

“A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due Me? If I am a master, where is the respect due Me?’ says God, Lord of Hosts (Malachi 1:6).”

Tags: Approaching God, Elul, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Rosh Hashanah, Searching for God, Seeking God, Shofar, The Foundation Stone

The Search: With Acts of Tzedaka

“Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of kindness, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek God, until He comes and teaches righteousness to you (Hosea 10:12).”

Tags: Approaching God, Elul, Prayer, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Rosh Hashanah, Searching for God, Seeking God, Shofar, The Foundation Stone

King & Subject: The King’s Honor

“Who is He, this Honored King? God, Lord of Hosts. He is the Honored King, Selah (Psalms 24:10).” Only God can truly be called the Honored King, for the Honor is His, and does not come from others so that it can be taken

Tags: Approaching God, Elul, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Rosh Hashanah, The Foundation Stone

Joyous Trembling: Stages of Joy

“In that day they will say, ‘Surely This is our Lord; we trusted in Him, and He saved us. This is God, we trusted in Him; let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation’ (Isaiah 25:9).”

Tags: Approaching God, Elul, Fear, Fear of God, Joy, King, King of Kings, Rabbi Simcha Weinberg, Rosh Hashanah, The Foundation Stone

Sound Bites: Beautiful Words

“Naftali is a hind let loose who delivers beautiful sayings.” (Genesis 49:21 Beautiful sayings is “Imrei Shafer”. We again find the word shofar associated with beauty. (See Soundbites 1 & 2) The Panim Yafot (Genesis 49) explains the verse using the words of Isaiah: “ The...

Tags: Elul, Isaiah, Prayer, Rosh Hashana, Shofar, Veyechi

Nitzavim- Vayeilech: Haftarah of Consolation #7

Isaiah Chapter 61:10-63:1: The prophet begins this final vision of consolation and redemption with a vision of the joy that comes from a healthy relationship with God. Isaiah compares the joy to that of a marriage in

Tags: Consolation, Haftarah, Isaiah, Nechama, Redemption

Hearing: Impact

“But My people did not hear My voice and Israel did not desire Me (Psalms 81:12).” Unfortunately, the dramatic Exodus did not leave a lasting impression upon the people. Immediately afterwards, in the wilderness, they refused to obey God. They continued to neglect God in...

Tags: Elul, Shofar

Tehillim Tools: Elul: Increased Strength

“They advance from strength to strength and appear before God in Zion (Psalms 84:8).” Those who expend their strength in Your service find that their strength has not diminished, but doubled (Rashi).

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

Categories

Rosh Hashanah Prayers: Gevurot The Gift of Choice

Rosh Hashanah Prayers: Gevurot III

Building Life

Podcast: Rosh Hashanah Shofar

Rosh Hashanah Prayers: How God Sees Us

Rosh Hashanah Prayers: Katveinu: A Life of Understanding

Rosh Hashanah Prayers: Ata Hu Elokeinu

Torah Reading: First Day Rosh Hashanah: The Comfortable Devil

Rosh Hashanah Prayers: Gevurot III

Rosh Hashanah Prayers: Gevurot The Gift of Choice

Rosh Hashanah Prayers: Kedusha

Father & Child: Faithfulness

Hearing: Expectation

Voices: A Healthful Cry

The Search: Direction

King & Subject: Ruling Over Desires

Father & Child: For Your Sake

Hearing: Preparing Our Hearts

Voices: Perception

Master & Servant: Eliezer

The Search: With Acts of Tzedaka

King & Subject: The King’s Honor

Joyous Trembling: Stages of Joy

Sound Bites: Beautiful Words

Nitzavim- Vayeilech: Haftarah of Consolation #7

Hearing: Impact

Tehillim Tools: Elul: Increased Strength

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