Mashiach鈥檚 origins are hidden in darkness鈥擫ot, Balak, Eglon, and Rut. From incest to idolatry to devotion, the lineage of David ha-Melech reveals light emerging through klipah. Discover how redemption begins in the cracks of fear, impurity, and hidden holiness.
What Was So Wrong With Lavan? It is written (Bereshit 3:1): 讜职讛址谞指旨讞指砖讈 讛指讬指讛 注指专讜旨诐 诪执讻止旨诇 讞址讬址旨转 讛址砖指旨讉讚侄讛 讗植砖侄讈专 注指砖指讉讛 讬职讬指 讗直诇止拽执讬诐 (And the Nachash was more arum than all the animals of the field which Hashem G-d had made). What is the meaning of 注指专讜旨诐 [arum]? The Bechor Shor says it means that he spoke…
Mashiach and the Mechanics of Rebuke: A little over a year ago, we published a d'var Torah entitled To Rebuke or Not to Rebuke: That is the Question. In that article, we explained what happens to someone who receives rebuke from someone who is unfit to rebuke. In short, instead of arousing within the rebukee…
How Machloket Not for the Sake of Heaven Serves a Higher Purpose In last few articles from The Shoemaker Report we have taken the time to explain teachings from the Zohar ha-Kadosh and from the Vilna Gaon that state unequivocally that one of the worst sins we could become involved in, chas v'shalom, is the…
In last week's article, The Danger of Breathing in Poisoned Air, we learned that the transgression that led to the Jewish men leaving their holy encampment and going to the Midianite market was because they were not breathing in the pure air that emanated from the mouth of Moshe Rabbeinu. In this week's essay, we…
How does Mashiach fight his wars? And by extension, how should we fight our battles? It is taught (Likutei Moharan 2:1): 讗执讬转指讗 讘职旨住执驻职专指讗 讚执旨爪职谞执讬注讜旨转指讗 诪执谞旨讜旨拽职讘指讗 讚职旨驻址专职讚址旨砖职讉拽指讗 诪指砖址讈讱职 专讜旨讞指讗 讚职旨讞址讬值旨讬 诇执诪职砖执讈讬讞指讗 讻执旨讬 注执拽址旨专 讻职旨诇值讬 讝值讬谞讜止 砖侄讈诇 诪指砖执讈讬讞址 讛讜旨讗 讛址转职旨驻执诇指旨讛 砖侄讈讛讜旨讗 讘职旨讞执讬谞址转 讞止讟侄诐 讻职旨诪讜止 砖侄讈讻指旨转讜旨讘 讜旨转职讛执诇指旨转执讬 讗侄讞直讟指诐 诇指讱职 讜旨诪执砖指旨讈诐 注执拽址旨专 讞执讬旨讜旨转讜止 讜职讻指诇 诪执诇职讞址诪职转旨讜止 砖侄讈讬址旨注植砖侄讉讛 讜职讻指诇 讛址讻职旨讘执讬砖讈讜止转 砖侄讈讬执旨讻职讘止旨砖讈…
We are all well acquainted with Rambam鈥檚 7th article of Jewish faith, poetically rendered in our siddurim as: 讗植谞执讬 诪址讗植诪执讬谉 讘侄旨讗直诪讜旨谞指讛 砖职讈诇值诪指讛 砖侄讈谞职旨讘讜旨讗址转 诪砖侄讈讛 专址讘值旨纸谞讜旨 注指诇指讬讜 讛址砖指旨讈诇讜止诐 讛指讬职转指讛 讗植诪执转执旨讬转 讜职砖侄讈讛讜旨讗 讛指讬指讛 讗指讘 诇址谞职旨讘执讬讗执讬诐 诇址拽旨讜止讚职诪执讬诐 诇职驻指谞指讬讜 讜职诇址讘指旨讗执讬诐 讗址讞植专指讬讜 (I believe with complete faith [emunah] that the prophecy of Moshe Rabbeinu [our Teacher], may peace be upon…
William Ernest Henley was an English poet, writer, critic and editor who lived from 1849-1903. At the age of 16, he had his left leg amputated due to complications arising from tuberculosis of the bone. When he was in his 20s, he developed major problems with his other leg and was told by the doctors…
Every study that we have seen shows that levels of depression, sadness, despondency, anxiety and many types of mental health disorders have skyrocketed since the outbreak of Covid, reaching record levels across practically all demographic groups including the very young. As the verse says in describing the conditions of our world just prior to the…