Author: The Shoemaker

A Graceful Ibex and the Healing of the Moon
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A Graceful Ibex and the Healing of the Moon

Having Our Prayers and Requests Accepted: It is taught (Chullin 60b): רבי שמעון בן פזי רמי כתיב "ויעש אלקים את שני המאורות הגדולים" וכתיב "את המאור הגדול...ואת המאור הקטן" אמרה ירח לפני הקב"ה רבש"ע אפשר לשני מלכים שישתמשו בכתר אחד אמר לה לכי ומעטי את עצמך (R' Shimon ben Pazi raised a contradiction. It is...

Don't Give Up – You are Hashem's Whole Desire
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Don't Give Up – You are Hashem's Whole Desire

The Incredible Journey of Eternal Soulmates: Life has been difficult lately – not just here in Eretz Yisrael but everywhere. And when life is difficult all over, people have a tendency to lose hope and get depressed. They begin by wondering if their life has any meaning or if Hashem bothers to pay any attention...

The Danger of Relying on Self-Evaluation
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The Danger of Relying on Self-Evaluation

The Dispute Between Zimri and Pinchas: The Gemara in Berachot 32a offers different 'proof texts' to show that Moshe Rabbeinu spoke somewhat impertinently [הֵטִיחַ דְּבָרִים כְּלַפֵּי מַעְלָה, literally, 'he threw his words upward'] to Ha-Kadosh, baruch Hu when he sought to defend B'nei Yisrael on account of their sins. One such case was in defense...

To Perceive the Inner Dimension of Torah
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To Perceive the Inner Dimension of Torah

Making One's Prayers a Delight to Hashem: In Chullin 60b, Rav Asi reconciles an apparent contradiction in the account of creation regarding when the grasses grew from the ground (see Bereshit 1:12 and Bereshit 2:5 for specifics). He answered as follows: שיצאו דשאים ועמדו על פתח קרקע עד שבא אדם הראשון ובקש עליהם רחמים וירדו...

The Prison of Nature
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The Prison of Nature

The Laws of Nature vs. Divine Providence – It's Our Choice: Near the beginning of the first berachah before reciting the Shema in the morning, we praise Hashem by saying the following: וּבְטוּבוֹ מְחַדֵּשׁ בְּכָל יוֹם תָּמִיד מַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית (and in His goodness, He renews [mechadesh] every day, constantly, the work of creation). Further, toward...

How Was R' Akiva Able to Return in Peace?

How Was R' Akiva Able to Return in Peace?

Passing Through the Three Evil Klipot to Merit Prophecy: Yechezkel ha-Navi describes in great detail the 'prophetic journey' that one must go on in order to receive nevuah. He begins his description with these words (Yechezkel 1:4): וָאֵרֶא וְהִנֵּה רוּחַ סְעָרָה בָּאָה מִן־הַצָּפוֹן עָנָן גָּדוֹל וְאֵשׁ מִתְלַקַּחַת וְנֹגַהּ לוֹ סָבִיב וּמִתּוֹכָהּ כְּעֵין הַחַשְׁמַל מִתּוֹךְ הָאֵשׁ...

To Become a Litvishe Chasid – Huh?

To Become a Litvishe Chasid – Huh?

What R' Nachman Actually Taught About Limud Torah: As long-time readers of The Shoemaker Report should know by now, the predominant השקפה [hashkafah, outlook, perspective] followed in its pages comes from Breslov chasidut. However, let's face it, Breslov chasidut doesn't have the greatest reputation in the world, at least not among some people. Although it...

The Heels of Ya'akov
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The Heels of Ya'akov

How to Acquire the Attribute of Yosef ha-Tzaddik: In last week's article Ya'akov's Fear in Going Down to Egypt, we learned that through the strength of his character, specifically his shemirat einayim, Yosef was able to break the tumah of immorality that filled the land of Egypt. As a result of his unprecedented strength of...