Vaeira 5768Volume 4 · Issue 17

Kingdom of Kohanim

Thrice daily we say in the Aleinu Prayer, “True is our King and there is nothing beside Him as it says in His Torah, “Know today and bring it into your heart that God is the Lord in the heavens above and on the earth below; there

In Exile & Exodus · Chapter 24View Sefer

Bo 5768Volume 4 · Issue 18

Focus on the Future

The Hebrew word that the Torah uses for festivals, mo’ed, literally means destiny. Alternatively, the Torah refers to them as regel, foot (Shemos 23:14), as in the prayer, “There we will go up and be seen and bow before You on the three times of our festivals—shalosh pe’amei regaleinu, which literally means, “the three steps of our feet.” In other words, the festivals represent the destiny to which

In Exile & Exodus · Chapter 33View Sefer

Ki Seitzei 5767Volume 4 · Issue 2

Binding Deed and Thought

The rhythm of Jewish life also bears itself out in the Torah Reading. Our custom is to complete all Five Books of the Torah every year (Rambam Hilchos Tefillah 13:1), and their entire subject, from the very first words, “In the beginning the Lord created,” until the very last words, “In the sight of all Israel,” is the course of the Jewish Nation, from its inception until it reached

Mishpatim 5768Volume 4 · Issue 21

Anticipated Revelation

decree of death is the resurrection of the dead. Indeed, the Talmud states, “Anyone who utilizes the light of Torah, the light of Torah resurrects him (Kesuvos 111b).” Of the resurrection, we praise the Creator in the Shemoneh Esrei Prayer as the One Who resurrects the dead with abundant mercy.

Terumah 5768Volume 4 · Issue 22

The World Within

…you out of the Land of Egypt to be your Lord (Bamidbar 15:41).” Our prayer is that He in His mercy let us hear a second time, and this in the sight of all that lives, “Behold, I have redeemed you in…

VaYakhel 5768Volume 4 · Issue 24

Every Step of the Way

must reach. There, we need to celebrate before Him three times a year—pe’amim, related to pe’amei, steps, referring to the festivals, which are also called regalim, feet. In this vein, we say in the Musaf Prayer of Festivals, “There we will ascend and appear and bow before You on shalosh pe’amei regaleinu,” which contextually means, “the three times of our festivals,” but which literally translates, “the three steps of our feet” (cf. Chagigah 3a).

Emor 5768Volume 4 · Issue 29

Struggle of Majesty

In the Weekday Morning Prayer, in the first blessing that precedes the Shema, we say of the Creator, “The Good One fashioned glory for His Name.” The simple definition of the words is as we have explained above. In His Attribute of Goodness, He fashioned

In Omer & Shavuos · Chapter 32View Sefer

Lech Lecha 5768Volume 4 · Issue 6

Heritage of Faith

conclude with all of them. It therefore says, “You shall be a blessing.” With you they conclude and not with the others.” Many commentators interpret this statement not in reference to the first blessing of the Shemoneh Esrei Prayer, but allegorically, in reference to time, reading, “With you, they will conclude the order of time.”

In On the Torah I · Chapter 16View Sefer

Behar-Bechukosai 5769Volume 5 · Issue 25

Heartbeat of Life

…every Sabbath and that the Torah should be read in order, but not that it should be completed annually. Indeed, the original custom in Israel was to complete the Torah once every three years (Megillah 29b, Rambam Hilchos Tefillah 13:1). Accordingly, the Torah Reading before Shavuos and Rosh Hashanah could be far from the portions that contain the curses. Our custom of completing the Torah annually causes these portions to fall out near the respective festivals, and ordaining

In Omer & Shavuos · Chapter 21View Sefer

Bamidbar 5769Volume 5 · Issue 26

The Commandment of Shavuos

them in his commentary to the Mishnah that ascribes a portion in the World to Come to all of Israel (Sanhedrin 90a). He includes a lengthy introduction and then explains each of them in detail. They appear in our prayer books in another version, unsigned by the Rambam. One who wishes to know them must look at the source.

In Omer & Shavuos · Chapter 27View Sefer

Behaaloscha 5769Volume 5 · Issue 27

The Torah of Israel

For example, only during the Ten Days of Repentance do we end the third blessing of the Shemoneh Esrei Prayer with the praise, “The Holy King,” instead of the ordinary ending, “The Holy Lord,” for only then is He revealed as King. One who ends the blessing in this manner during the rest of the year must repeat the blessing

In On the Torah IV · Chapter 137View Sefer

Shelach 5769Volume 5 · Issue 28

Garment of Honor

threads are integral to the commandment. This is the view of the Baal Hama’or and many other earlier commentators, who indeed never wore tzitzis in their lives. Their synagogues looked much different than ours look—theirs had no prayer shawls.

In On the Torah IV · Chapter 147View Sefer

Chukas 5769Volume 5 · Issue 30

Wellspring of Torah

Of this, we say daily in the Evening Prayer, “You have loved the House of Israel Your people an eternal love. You have taught us Torah and commandments, laws and statutes.” What emerges from this? “Therefore, God our Lord, when we lie down and when we awake,” meaning ceaselessly

In On the Torah V · Chapter 163View Sefer

Lech Lecha 5769Volume 5 · Issue 5

Precondition of Perception

…enter under the wings of the Divine Presence are therefore able to recite in prayer, “Our Lord and Lord of our Fathers, Lord of Avraham, Lord of Yitzchak, and Lord of Yaakov (Jerusalem Talmud, Bikurim 1:4).” Converts…

In On the Torah I · Chapter 7View Sefer

Chayei Sarah 5769Volume 5 · Issue 7

Unanswered Question

In prayer, we refer to the Sabbath as the end purpose of the work of heaven and earth, and in the poem Lecha Dodi recited by all of Israel, we refer to it as the end action of the initial thought

In Sabbath & Prayer · Chapter 5View Sefer

Vayishlach 5769Volume 5 · Issue 9

Powers of Triumph

…icular was never actually his father-in-law (Rashi to Bereshis 28:9; 36:3). The prayer cannot speak openly of Esav and Ishmael for obvious reasons; instead, it says, “Obliterate Seir and his father-in-law, and liberators shall…

Vayigash 5770Volume 6 · Issue 13

Constraint and Restraint

There is no greater illustration of yearning for deliverance than this prayer of Samson. After everything was utterly taken from him, he turns to the Creator and says, “Strengthen me please this once; return my power to me only one more time.” Obviously, the intent of his request was that the Name of God be sanctified

In Chanukah & Purim · Chapter 15View Sefer

Vayechi 5770Volume 6 · Issue 14

Concealment of the End

them off. They encircled me like bees” whose swarm render escape impossible. “They burn like the fire of thorns,” which spreads swiftly. Still, “In the Name of God I will cut them off.” I can yet overpower them through prayer.

In On the Torah II · Chapter 73View Sefer

Nitzavim-Vayelech 5769Volume 6 · Issue 2

Rosh Hashanah: True Individuality

The Rambam writes (Hilchos Tefillah 2:1), “In the days of Rabban Gamliel,” at the end of the Second Temple era, “atheists abounded in Israel, and they oppressed Israel and seduced them to cease following God. Once he saw that this was greater than

Tazri'a Metzora 5770Volume 6 · Issue 23

On the Shores of Infinity

The blessing in which this prayer appears concludes, “Blessed are You, God, Who redeemed Israel,” and it elaborates on the Exodus, which we are obligated to relate every night (cf. Berachos 12a). We thus fulfill our obligation to relate the Exodus by saying, “He keeps

In Omer & Shavuos · Chapter 5View Sefer