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Nitzavim 5772Volume 9 · Issue 4
Individual Truth
Logically, the Mishnah should continue, “and on Rosh Hashanah for life and death.” This indeed is the subject of our judgment as stated in the prayer of Unesaneh Tokef. “On Rosh Hashanah, their verdict is written and on the fast day of Yom Kippur, their verdict is sealed—how many will pass away and how many will be created, who will live and who will
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Miketz Chanukah 5765Volume 10 · Issue 12
The Hidden Light
…were thirteen people. For this reason, Moshe Rabbeinu offered a special prayer for them. They were Kohanim, from the Tribe of Levi, and in the blessing of this Tribe, he said (Devarim 33:11), “Let God bless his…
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Vayigash 5765Volume 10 · Issue 13
Continuing the Victory
The supplication concludes with a prayer. “Let Him reveal His goodness to me, He Who says to the sea, “Until here, you may come.”” The raging waters of the sea sweep over us and threaten to drown us. Of this, we pray (cf. Zohar 3:251b
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Vaeira 5774Volume 10 · Issue 15
Exile of the Mind
The Land of Israel—from the rain of heaven—shamayim, the ultimate there—it drinks water, and to receive from there, focus is necessary. Rain does not come without prayer; it comes only when we pray for it (cf. Rashi to Bereshis 2:5). Here, we have nothing unless we are focused on destiny.
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Shelach 5774Volume 10 · Issue 35
Covenant of the Tribes
And it is well known, as the Shelah (Torah Ohr to Parshas Vayechi, at the end of chapter 3) cites in the name of the Arizal, that all the various customs and different formats of prayer that there are among the Jewish People find their roots in the Tribes. Each Tribe had its own way of life, its unique connection to the Creator.
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Mattos 5774Volume 10 · Issue 39
Inception of Destruction
The primary location of the Divine Presence is in the heavens on high, as we say in the prayer of Aleinu, “And the dwelling of His invincibility is in lofty heights.” But the Divine Presence resides in the Holy Temple: “They shall make a Holy Temple for Me and I will dwell in their midst” (Shemos
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Masei 5774Volume 10 · Issue 40
Completion of Destruction
In our prayer books, a passage from Tikunei Zohar (19a) is quoted, called Pasach Eliyahu, the Preface of Eliyahu. There, it says regarding the attribute of Kingship, “Kingship is the mouth, which we call the Oral Torah.”
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Miketz Chanukah 5775Volume 11 · Issue 10
Obligating Events
written as Havayah but I am read as Adnus. This is indeed how it is in most places throughout the Torah. At times, Havayah has the vowels of Elokim (chataf segol, cholem, chirik), but by tradition, in our prayer books and in most places in the Torah, it has the vowels of Adnus (sheva, substituting the chataf pasach due to grammatical considerations, cholem, kamatz), reflecting the way it is pronounced, although not with these letters.
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Vayigash 5775Volume 11 · Issue 11
Light from Darkness
Torah, as is well known. The Talmud states (Bava Basra 25b) that anyone who wishes to become wise, which means he wishes for the light of the Torah to shine within him—should incline himself to the south during prayer for that is where the Menorah stood. He must pray (cf. Niddah 70b) but in the direction of the Torah whose illumination is present in the Menorah.
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Vayechi 5775Volume 11 · Issue 12
Capacity of Hope
This is stated in the prayer of Aleinu, primarily in the part that begins, “We therefore place our hope in You.” We say, “Let all inhabitants of earth recognize and know that to You every knee bends, every tongue swears, and all of them will accept
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Korach 5775Volume 11 · Issue 27
Power of Sight
“Moshe pleaded before God his Lord and said…,” and the verses continue with his prayer. In continuation, “Remember Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your Essence and told them, “I will increase your descendants like the stars of the heavens, and this entire Land of which I have spoken I will give
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Vayeishev 5748Volume 12 · Issue 11
Exalted Language
Place of Prayer
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Bo 5747Volume 12 · Issue 17
Lesson of Locusts
The root word oleil in its plain sense refers to the action, as in the prophet’s prayer (Eichah 1:22; Rashi, ibid.), “And enact upon them, ve’oleil, as You have enacted upon me, olalta.” In simple terms, he means, “Do to them as You have done to me.” But the underlying concept is that
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Bo 5776Volume 12 · Issue 19
Unequivocal Faith
Water is the element in the world that corresponds to the attribute of kindness. This is well known even by schoolchildren. We also say it in our prayers. In the prayer for rain, we mention Avraham Avinu who personified the attribute of kindness (cf. Michah 7:20) by saying, “Remember the father who was drawn after you like water.”
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VaYikra-Zachor 5776Volume 12 · Issue 28
Heads and Tail
On this note, the universal custom is to conclude the Blessing of Remembrances in the Musaf Prayer of Rosh Hashanah, “And the Binding of Yitzchak, remember this day with mercy for his offspring.” Some versions had added, “for the offspring of Yaakov.” But the Halachic authorities stated that it was superfluous and even incorrect (Orach Chaim
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Bechukosai 5776Volume 12 · Issue 33
Fifty Weeks
…e is judged regarding his temporal life, as we say in the well-known prayer of Unesaneh Tokef, “Who will live, who will die, who in his time, who not in his time, who will live this kind of life, who will…
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Vayeira 5776Volume 12 · Issue 8
Rising Through Upheaval
Yet there in particular, we find the fulfillment of our prayer, “Speedily cultivate the shoot of David.” It seems very odd that the shoot that will ultimately bring the world to its destiny is found specifically in Sodom. Sodom is nonexistent, as if it were uprooted from the world, never
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Vayechi 5746Volume 13 · Issue 16
Linked to our Roots
…We are descendants of the Fathers—and as we say in the Shemoneh Esrei Prayer, the Creator remembers the kindnesses of the Fathers and brings a redeemer to the children of their children for the sake of His…
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Ki Seitzei 5758Volume 13 · Issue 2
Forefront of the Battle
judged on everything. We are judged on children, we are judged on life, and we are judged on sustenance (cf. Mo’ed Katan 28a). But the great judgment of Rosh Hashanah is as we say in the prayer of Unesaneh Tokef, “Who will live and who will die.”
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Beshalach 5746Volume 13 · Issue 20
Mirror Image
In the plain sense, a cloud conceals light, as in (Eichah 3:44), “You have covered Yourself with a cloud so that prayer should not pass through.” It obscures, conceals, covers—and clouds over. This is how it is employed in all languages. In Hebrew, it is called a’nan—or a’v, which literally means thickness—and thickness obscures and covers
