17 Nov Countdown to Chanukah 23 – Eye to the Brain II

Posted at 17:56h in Chanukah, Dreams, Hallel, Hanukkah, i-Shine: Hallel, New Post, Torah, World of Souls

The Ohr HaChaim HaKodesh goes one step beyond our description of vision as an entrance to the intellect (https://thefoundationstone.org/countdown-to-chanukah-24-from-eye-to-brain-i/), and speaks of the eye as a Spiritual sense (Devarim 32:10, ‘pupil of his eye’). This is why Rav Abba had the Divine Name in front...

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17 Nov Countdown To Chanukah 24 – From Eye To Brain I

Posted at 16:53h in Blessings, Chanukah, Hallel, Hanukkah, i-Shine: Hallel, New Post, Use of the world

Rabbeinu Bachya (Parshat Tzav, Vayikra 8:22), speaks of the different parts of the human body and the purpose and function of each.  Building on Rabbeinu Bachya, The Shulchan shel Arbah (First Gate) explains the four blessings of Havdalah as corresponding to the nature and power...

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15 Nov Countdown To Chanukah 26 – Glowing With Gobbled Light

Posted at 22:46h in Chanukah, Hanukkah, i-Shine: Hallel, Mitzvot & their effect, New Post, Spiritual realm, Tehilim - Psalms

“The climate quickly changed to cold and the trees burst into color, the reds and yellows you can’t believe.  It isn’t only color but a glowing, as though the leaves gobbled the light of the autumn sun and then released it slowly. There’s a quality...

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15 Nov Hallel Lights – Infinite Hallel

Posted at 20:15h in Chanukah, Hallel, Hanukkah, i-Shine: Hallel, Prophetic Readings, Tehilim - Psalms, The world to come

“Raising my voice in thanksgiving” – these are the Offerings.  “And telling all Your wonders” – (Is it possible to tell all Your wonders?)  Rabbi Avin said, That is Hallel, as it has of the past within it, and it has of the future within...

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15 Nov Hallel Lights – The Ever Increasing Joy of Becoming

Posted at 08:47h in Chanukah, God & Israel, Hallel, Hanukkah, i-Shine: Hallel, Man's responsibility, New Post, Pesach, Pesach, Redemption, Tehilim - Psalms

(The night of the Plague of The Firstborn,) Pharaoh went out into the street and cried out, “In the past you were my slaves. Now you are free people; you exist only as servants of the Holy One Blessed is He. You must sing Hallel...

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16 Dec Chanukah: A Taste of the Eternal Reward

Posted at 05:00h in Hanukkah

It is written, “You shall therefore keep the commandments which I command you today to do them (Deuteronomy 7:11).” Rashi comments, “today to do them, and tomorrow to receive reward.” The same idea is also

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16 Dec Chanukah: Garments of Splendor

Posted at 05:00h in Hanukkah

All of the spiritual universes, all Angels, and the entire lower world receive sustenance from God, and the existence of all worlds comes only from Him. Elijah thus said to God, “When You remove Yourself from them,

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07 Dec Morning Blessings-Chanukah Kavanah-Tallit: Cloaked in Light

Posted at 05:00h in i-Thank: Morning Blessings

“You have donned majesty and splendor; cloaked in light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a curtain (Psalms 104:2).” The Midrash asks, From where was light created? They answer, We are taught that God

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07 Dec Pesukei d’Zimrah-Chanukah- Enlighten Us with Your Kindness

Posted at 05:00h in i-Sing: Songs of Praise

“Enlighten us with Your kindness, God, and grant us Your salvation (Conclusion of Hodu; Psalms 85:8).” God’s kindnesses are everywhere. We are asking for the illumination of the kindness; that all of His kindnesses shall

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22 Nov Countdown to Chanukah 24

Posted at 05:00h in Hanukkah

There is a difference between Hallel and Hoda’ah – thanks. The latter applies for things that, from a natural perspective, were impossible without God’s extraordinary help. The person should be

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02 Dec Spiritual Tools: Chanukah: Tefillin & The Light of the Crown

Posted at 05:00h in i-Grow: Tools

It is written that God told Moses, “I will take away My hand, you will see My back, but My face shall not be seen (Exodus 33:23).” Our sages teach us that this alludes to the fact that God showed Moses the knot of His

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02 Dec Hallel: Rosh Chodesh Tevet Paragraph Four

Posted at 05:00h in Rosh Chodesh

“Neither the dead can praise the Creator, nor any who descend into silence; but we will bless the Creator from this time and forever (Psalm 115:18).”

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02 Dec Hallel: Rosh Chodesh Tevet Paragraph Three

Posted at 05:00h in Rosh Chodesh

The word came to Jeremiah from God when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur son of Malkijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah. They said: “Inquire now of God for us because Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon

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02 Dec Hallel: Rosh Chodesh Tevet Paragraph Two

Posted at 05:00h in Rosh Chodesh

The theme of this paragraph of the Hallel is: Just as we were redeemed from Egypt, so too, will we be redeemed from the Babylonian exile. The Exodus was not just something that happened in our great history; it became

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02 Dec Hallel: Rosh Chodesh Tevet Paragraph One

Posted at 05:00h in Rosh Chodesh

This Rosh Chodesh Hallel is unusual in that we recite the complete Hallel, rather than skipping the first half of Psalm 115 and that of Psalm 116, because it is also Hanukkah.

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02 Dec Spiritual Tools: Tzitzit: From Chanukah to the Tenth of Tevet

Posted at 05:00h in i-Grow: Tools

Tzitzit are always associated with light; they are even described as Clothes of Light. In this, they are also associated with Hanukkah, the Festival of Light. When we hold our Tzitzit during the Shema, we hold all four corners

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02 Dec Hallel: Rosh Chodesh Tevet: Third Paragraph Kavanot

Posted at 05:00h in Hallel, New Post, Rosh Chodesh

The Theme of this paragraph of Hallel is Trusting God: See “Hallel Rosh Chodesh Tevet: Paragraph Three”  “Trusters” and “Chanukah Hallel Paragraph Three: Becoming Trusters.”   “Let all those who put their trust in You rejoice (Psalms 5:12),” because You took vengeance upon Babylon (Tenth...

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02 Dec Hallel: Rosh Chodesh Tevet Paragraph Eight

Posted at 05:00h in Rosh Chodesh

The following is the story of King Nebuchadnezzar, who, on the Tenth of Tevet, lay siege to Jerusalem: All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal

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02 Dec Hallel: Rosh Chodesh Tevet Paragraph Seven

Posted at 05:00h in Rosh Chodesh

“Your Majesty, you are the king of kings. The Lord of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; in your hands He has placed all mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds in the sky. Wherever

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02 Dec Hallel: Rosh Chodesh Tevet Paragraphs Five & Six

Posted at 05:00h in Rosh Chodesh

In this paragraph and the next, King David is expressing gratitude for deliverance. When he thought he was at death’s door, he cried out to God. He expresses his gratitude through the medium of praise in the presence of an

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29 Nov Maharsha: Chanukah Dedication

Posted at 05:00h in Hanukkah

The Maharsha takes issue with the common understanding of Chanukah as “Chanu Kaf hey” – they rested on the 25th – because Chanukah is not a day of rest, but of Hallel and Hodaah.

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27 Nov Chanukah Kavanot II: 3rd & 4th Days

Posted at 05:00h in Hanukkah

The Ramchal in Kitzur Kavanot explains that Chanukah is the Tikkun – fixing – of the verse, “Sick throughout the day.” (Lamentations 1:13)

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27 Nov Chanukah-Al Hanissim: Alufei Yehudah

Posted at 05:00h in i-Rejoice: Festivals

“When the wicked Greek kingdom rose up against Your people Israel to make them forget Your Torah and compel them to stray from the statutes of Your Will.” Why did the Greek

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27 Nov Chanukah-Al Hanissim: Chatam Sofer

Posted at 05:00h in i-Rejoice: Festivals

“When the wicked Greek kingdom rose up against Your people Israel to make them forget Your Torah and compel them to stray from the statutes of Your Will.” The Greeks did not intend

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27 Nov Chanukah-Al Hanissim: Imrei Shaul

Posted at 05:00h in i-Rejoice: Festivals

“When the wicked Greek kingdom rose up against Your people Israel to make them forget Your Torah and compel them to stray from the statutes of Your Will.” When we speak of forgetting

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27 Nov Chanukah Exercises Part One

Posted at 05:00h in Chanukah, Serving God

Pirsumei Nissa – Publicize the Miracle L’Hodot – Thank You L’Hallel – Rejoice in Song Candle – Potential

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09 Nov Hallel: Rosh Chodesh Kislev III

Posted at 05:00h in i-Shine: Hallel

“God remembered us and will bless – Bless the House of Israel – Bless

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