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Who Is Really Talking?: The Child Who Doesn’t Care to Ask

We explained in “Who Is Really Talking?: The Wicked Child,” that the child reflects the Makom, the environment, in which he is being raised. What is the context of the Child Who Doesn’t Care Enough to Ask?

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

Shabbat Psalm 92:8: Leaves & Grass

“When the wicked boom like grass, and all the evildoers blossom; it is so that they may be destroyed forever (Psalms 92:8).” We can look at nature and see that with so many things that grow there is an abundance of leaves

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

Countdown to Pesach 5: The Right to MY Food

We do two things with our Chametz. One is we are “mevatel” our chametz. We cancel out any rights we have to the chametz we own. And we also destroy the chametz.

Tags: Adam's Sin/Garden of Eden, Chametz, use of the world

Countdown to Pesach 4: The Arrogance of Chametz

The Kli Yakar says the chametz always is a symbol of arrogance and that arrogance merits destruction. In other words, certain personal attributes demand that a person

Tags: Chametz, Self-perfection

The Foundation Stone Haggadah: Go Out and Learn

The usual expression in Talmudic literature is “Ta Shma” – Come and Hear. The Zohar uses “Ta Chazi” – Come and See – to introduce a teaching. The Haggadah uses

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

The Foundation Stone Haggadah: Compelled By The Word

“Then he went down into Egypt.” This teaches us that he; Jacob was compelled by the “word”. Although this is commonly understood as the “word of God”,

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

The Foundation Stone Haggadah: Structured Freedom

Why is our celebration of Independence so structured? It is clear how ridiculous it is when a teenager, financially and emotionally dependent, insists on his or her independence.

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

The Ohev Yisrael: Shabbat HaGadol

The Ohev Yisroel says in his explanation of Shabbos Hagadol: [The Egyptians] would worship the constellation of "tleh" – the head of all the constellations, the b’chor ("firstborn")

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

Customs of Shabbat HaGadol

The Minhag Yisroel Torah brings two interesting minhagin regarding special food to eat on Shabbos HaGadol. The first is a minhag from Frankfurt where the people would

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

Ba’al Haturim: Shabbat HaGadol

Our Parsha this week deals with the laws of offerings and sacrifices that were to be given by the Children of Israel and the priests in the Mishkan (the Tabernacle) and it ends with the

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

Shir ha-Shirim X Part Six: Three Adversaries

Three adversaries fought against him, as it is said, “And God raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite (I Kings 11:14),” and it is also written, “And the Lord raised up another adversary against him,

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

Parsha Mitzvot: Acharei Mot: Mitzvah 193 – 195 – Concept 143 – 145

“The nakedness of your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, you shall not uncover their nakedness; for they are your own shame (Vayikra 18:10) You may not have relations with your son’s daughter or your daughter’s

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

Parsha Mitzvot: Acharei Mot: Mitzvah 192 & 196 – Concept 141-142

“The nakedness of your sister, whether your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether born to one who may remain in the home or born to one who must remain outside of it, you shall not uncover their nakedness

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

Parsha Mitzvot: Acharei Mot: Mitzvah 191 – Concept 140

The nakedness of your father’s wife you shall not uncover; it is your father’s shame (Vayikra 18:8).” A man may not have relations with his father’s wife (Rambam, Hilchot Issurei Bi’ah - The Laws of Forbidden

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

Parsha Mitzvot: Acharei Mot: Mitzvah 190 – Concept 139

“The nakedness of your father and the nakedness of your mother you shall not uncover; she is your mother, you shall not uncover her nakedness (Vayikra 18:7) A Man may not have relations with his mother (Rambam, Hilchot

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

Haggadah: Karpas Four: The Ishbitzer Continued

Transcribed and prepared by Anna Beller: The Ishbitzer says this is why you do Karpas with the vegetables. First of all you recreate what God did to the Jews, He gives you the light that you haven’t acquired on your own

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

Who Is Really Talking?: The Wicked Child

“What does the Wicked Son say?” “Say,” not ask, because nothing says more about a person than the questions he asks. What’s the context of the Wicked Child’s question? Moshe’s presentation of the laws of the

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

Haggadah: “Becoming Parents” From The Diary of a Former Slave

We were accustomed to Moshe’s favorite expression, “And there’s more.” We enjoyed, even thrived, the sense that God would ask us to do things that would make us more important to ourselves. We felt that God was

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

Tehillim Tools: 45:16: Approaching and Approaching

“They are brought with rejoicing and gladness, they enter into the palace of the King (Psalms 45:16).” There is a difference between this stage at which, “they are brought,” meaning, when we are approaching our prayer, service,

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

Countdown to Pesach 6: The Effects of Actions

Mitzvah one-eleven (According to the Rambam's order): is to destroy all the chametz in your possession before Pesach. The pasuk is, “You should destroy chametz on the

Tags: Bo, Chametz, Mitzvot & their effect

Shir ha-Shirim X Part Five: Three Sins

He committed three sins. He acquired too many horses, he took too many wives, he accumulated too much silver and gold, as it says, “And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones (II Chronicles 9:27).” Was as common

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

Shir ha-Shirim X Part Four: Three Lives

He saw three worlds. Rabbi Yudan and Rabbi Chunia explained this differently. Rabbi Yudan said: He was a king, then a subject, then a king again; he was wise, then foolish, then wise again; he was rich, then poor, then

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

Tehillim Tools: 40:8-9: Removing Doubt

“Then I said, Here I have come; in the Scroll of a Book is written of me. To fulfill Your will, my Lord, I desired, and Your Torah is in my innermost parts (Psalms 40:8–9).” “Scroll of a Book,” the purpose of writing books

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

Tehillim Tools: 35:8-9

“Let desolation come upon him, under a where's, and as for his own net that he hated, let him trap it, and desolation let him fall. And my soul will exult in God, it will rejoice in His deliverance (Psalms 35:8–9).” Although

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

Pesukei d’Zimrah: Nefesh Shimshon: Yehi Chivod: The Spinal Column

The 12th of Nisan is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Shimshon Dovid Pincus (1944-2001). “Yehi Chivod,” is the introduction to Ashrei, the Keter, or, Crown, of Pesukei d’Zimrah that expresses the beauty of all the other Psalms

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

Acharei Mot: Mevaser Tzeddek

The 7th of Nisan is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Yitzchak of Drovitch (Drohobitch, Drohobycz, Drohobich, Drogobycz, Drogobich, Drobich, Dobrowlany, Dobrovlyany) (1758). He was the father of Rav Yechiel Michel,

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

Acharei Mot: B’eir Moshe

The 7th of Nisan is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Aryeh Yehuda Leib (ben Yechiel Chaim) Epstein (Leibush the 2nd) of Oztrov [Ozhorov] (1852-1928), grandson of Rav Aryeh Yehuda Leib HaLevi (Leibush HaGadol), founder of

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

Categories

Who Is Really Talking?: The Child Who Doesn’t Care to Ask

Shabbat Psalm 92:8: Leaves & Grass

Countdown to Pesach 5: The Right to MY Food

Countdown to Pesach 4: The Arrogance of Chametz

The Foundation Stone Haggadah: Go Out and Learn

The Foundation Stone Haggadah: Compelled By The Word

The Foundation Stone Haggadah: Structured Freedom

The Ohev Yisrael: Shabbat HaGadol

Customs of Shabbat HaGadol

Ba’al Haturim: Shabbat HaGadol

Shir ha-Shirim X Part Six: Three Adversaries

Parsha Mitzvot: Acharei Mot: Mitzvah 193 – 195 – Concept 143 – 145

Parsha Mitzvot: Acharei Mot: Mitzvah 192 & 196 – Concept 141-142

Parsha Mitzvot: Acharei Mot: Mitzvah 191 – Concept 140

Parsha Mitzvot: Acharei Mot: Mitzvah 190 – Concept 139

Haggadah: Karpas Four: The Ishbitzer Continued

Who Is Really Talking?: The Wicked Child

Haggadah: “Becoming Parents” From The Diary of a Former Slave

Tehillim Tools: 45:16: Approaching and Approaching

Countdown to Pesach 6: The Effects of Actions

Shir ha-Shirim X Part Five: Three Sins

Shir ha-Shirim X Part Four: Three Lives

Tehillim Tools: 40:8-9: Removing Doubt

Tehillim Tools: 35:8-9

Pesukei d’Zimrah: Nefesh Shimshon: Yehi Chivod: The Spinal Column

Acharei Mot: Mevaser Tzeddek

Acharei Mot: B’eir Moshe

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