The Job of a Shoemaker: It is written (Amos 2:6): ืึนึผื ืึธืึทืจ ืึฐืึธ ืขึทืึพืฉึฐืืึนืฉึธืื ืคึดึผืฉึฐืืขึตื ืึดืฉึฐืืจึธืึตื ืึฐืขึทืึพืึทืจึฐืึธึผืขึธื ืึนื ืึฒืฉึดืืืึถื ึผืึผ ืขึทืึพืึดืึฐืจึธื ืึทึผืึถึผืกึถืฃ ืฆึทืึดึผืืง ืึฐืึถืึฐืืึนื ืึทึผืขึฒืืึผืจ ื ึทืขึฒืึธืึดืื (So said Hashem, For three crimes of Yisrael, and for four, I will not turn away, for their sale of a tzaddik and a pauper for a pair of shoes)….
The Brothers Ate Eiver Min ha-Chai? When beginning the story of Yosef, the Torah tells us (Bereshit 37:2): ืึทืึธึผืึตื ืืึนืกึตืฃ ืึถืชึพืึดึผืึธึผืชึธื ืจึธืขึธื ืึถืึพืึฒืึดืืึถื (And Yosef brought their defamation to their father). Much has been written about how the brothers defamed Yosef, but what was at the root of their disagreement with him? Rashi lists three…
The Role of the Tzaddikim in Finding What We Lost: R' Simlai taught the following Baraita about the developing Jewish child in his mother's womb (Niddah 30b): ืื ืจ ืืืืง ืื ืขื ืจืืฉื ืืฆืืคื ืืืืื ืืกืืฃ ืืขืืื ืืขื ืกืืคื…ืืืื ืื ืืืื ืฉืืื ืฉืจืื ืืืืื ืืืชืจ ืืืืชื ืืืืื…ืืืืืืื ืืืชื ืื ืืชืืจื ืืืื…ืืืืื ืฉืื ืืืืืจ ืืขืืื ืื ืืืื…
The Power of One Man's Personal Kedushah: After Ya'akov learned that Yosef was alive and well in Egypt, he knew that he needed to go and see him. He set out from his home with his family and all of his possessions and came to Be'er Sheva where he offered sacrifices to the G-d of…
The Secret Kavanah of Brit Milah (Part 1) We accept the mitzvah of brit milah without question. Even some of the outwardly less-observant members of our nation, for example, those who desecrate the kedushah of Shabbat without even the slightest pang of conscience, would never imagine not performing brit milah on behalf of their eight-day…
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…
A Teaching on Likutei Halachot Orach Chaim Chanukah 2 Many laws exist pertaining to the lighting of the menorah during Chanukah. Letโs focus on just one halachah (Shabbat 21b): ืึธืึทืจ ืจึธืึดืื ึธื ืึดืฉึผืืึผื ืึฐึผืจึทืึธึผื: ืึนืืช ืืึนืึถืจึถืช ื ึตืจ ืึฒื ืึผืึธึผื ืึดืฆึฐืึธื ืึฐืึทื ึดึผืืึธืึผ ืึฐึผืชืึนืึฐ ืขึฒืฉึธืืจึธื (Ravina said in the name of Rabbah, โThis is to say, it is a…