There is a remarkable lesson in the Torah’s description of Vidui Maaser, the declaration made after a person has properly fulfilled his obligations concerning the tithes.This may possibly be a source for understanding why, when we daven Shemoneh Esrei three times every day, the blessings are generally formulated in the plural. We do not simply…

חלק א׳ במדרש רבה סדר שופטים. א”ר סימון בשם ריב”ל כל מי שבוטח בהקב”ה זוכה להיות כיוצא בו שנאמר ברוך הגבר אשר יבטח בה’ והיה ה’ מבטחו. אבל מי שיבטח בע”ג נתחייב להיות כיוצא בה שנאמר כמוהם יהיו עושיהם. צריך לשום לב על כונתם זוכה להיות כיוצא בו. הלא אש אוכלה הוא וכי אפשר להיות…

“Following the Holocaust, I heard the pious genius, Rabbi Mordechai Pagremansky of blessed memory, say: ‘Over the course of the Holocaust, the Jewish People endured the test which challenged their love of Gd “with all of your soul” (Deuteronomy 6:5). Would they be able to accept that it is the will of Gd that they…

I have seen, my brother, an excellent literary piece on the subject of abstinence. It was composed by one of the pious as a charge to his son. I think highly of it and have chosen to close this gate with it. I present it to you just as I found it. May it serve…

Chapter 4 — Divine Assistance, Obstacles, and Judgment Reason for what happens to an individual in this world, based on justice and recompense. The Highest Judge decreed that each individual’s deeds themselves result in God’s helping him, simplifying his task of achieving perfection and protecting him from possible stumbling blocks. This is the meaning of…

( Duties of the Heart) There are many factors that detract a person from true repentance, because true, clean repentance is very difficult to achieve. People sometimes think that waking up in the morning, going to shul, praying, saying that they are sorry, and asking God for forgiveness is repentance. That is only the beginning.…

(Based on Bartenuea) Hillel says: הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר: אִם אֵין אֲנִי לִי, מִי לִי? וּכְשֶׁאֲנִי לְעַצְמִי, מָה אֲנִי? וְאִם לֹא עַכְשָׁיו, אֵימָתָי? «“If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But if I am for myself alone, what am I? And if not now, when?”» This famous Mishnah is sometimes misunderstood to…

( https://thechesedfund.com/peoplewhocare/localarealargefamilysemergencyfinancialassistance) א. בפרק הזה יבאר מצות החזקת מי שמטה ידו, שלא יתמוטט לגמרי חלילה. והנה עד כה דברנו בענין סתם גמילות חסדים, שהאדם מיטיב לחברו עני או עשיר. ועתה נבאר עוד סוג שמצוי בענין זה, והוא — איש שמטה ידו, ובהלואה זו שילוהו יכול להחזיקו, שלא יפול ויצטרך לבריות. וענין זה הוא גדול יותר…

THE GATE OF REPENTANCEAn Explanation of the Multifaceted Obligation of Repentance, Its Essential Elements, and the Things Connected to ItHaving discussed in the preceding gate [the virtue of] humility, which is the root and beginning of repentance, I think it proper to follow with an explanation of the essential elements of repentance, and the ways…

The delay in taking another major military step against Iran does not necessarily indicate weakness or indecision. It may reflect a broader strategy in which time itself provides military, political, diplomatic, and economic advantages. 1. Building a Larger and More Accurate Target Bank A major campaign against Iran requires extensive intelligence preparation. Targets must be…