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Miketz Chanukah 5760Volume 20 · Issue 14
The Horn of the Ox
perhaps due to my corruption, the world is darkening over me and returning to its desolate and empty state, and this is the death taxed upon me from Heaven.” He stood and sat eight days in fast and prayer.
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Emor 5761Volume 21 · Issue 27
The Fruit Tree
reach the World to Come. “Whoever utilizes the light of Torah, the light of Torah grants him life” (Kesuvos 111b). And the World to Come is entirely goodness and honor. “The Good One formed honor for His Name” (Morning Prayer).
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Nitzavim-Vayelech 5760Volume 21 · Issue 4
Be Righteous
This is also the plain implication of the Rambam (Hilchos Tefillah 13:2). “Ezra instituted for Israel to read the curses… before Rosh Hashanah, and the standard practice is to read Nitzavim before Rosh Hashanah.”
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Tazria-Metzora 5762Volume 22 · Issue 24
Life and Sustenance
Another occasion was in the days of Haman (cf. Megillah 16a). When Mordechai saw him approaching with a horse in hand, he thought Haman was coming to kill him. He wrapped himself in his prayer shawl and stood in prayer before God, while his disciples sat and learned.
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Vayeira 5762Volume 22 · Issue 6
Excision of Defilement
have heard you…” (Bereshis 17:19-20). The sages openly state, and it emerges from the verse itself, that God’s promise regarding Yishmael was due to the plea of Avraham. Through the attribute of the One Who hears prayer, God would fulfill his request.
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Vayigash 5766Volume 2 · Issue 15
Teves: Rising Beyond
The Torah clearly delineates the greatness that the Tribe of Dan bequeathed to us. Yaakov Avinu, after he concluded the blessing of the Tribe of Dan, added a prayer that joins to the blessing and stated, “I hope for Your deliverance, God (Bereshis 49:18).”
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Shoftim 5766Volume 3 · Issue 1
Promise of Repentance
The reason the shofar is what transforms these days into a unified time of Torah acceptance is clear. On Rosh Hashanah, the prayer that precedes the Verses of Shofar begins, “You were revealed in Your cloud of glory upon Your holy people to speak to them. From the heavens, You caused them to hear Your voice, and You were revealed upon them
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Nitzavim-Vayelech 5766Volume 3 · Issue 4
Power of One
In our Rosh Hashanah Prayers, we say, “This day is the conception of the world,” and in the Prayer of Remembrance, we say, “This day is the beginning of Your works, the remembrance of the First Day; for it is a statute for Israel, a judgment by the Lord of Yaakov.”
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Tazri'a-HaChodesh 5768Volume 4 · Issue 28
The New World of Time
Yet, this word is the one we use in prayer concerning the festivals, and we say, “Blessed are You, God, Who consecrates Israel and the zemanim, times.” The difficulty is compounded when we consider that the Torah itself refers to the festivals as mo’ed, as in (Vayikra 23:4), “These
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Behar 5768Volume 4 · Issue 30
Truly Existing
Accordingly, the word yesh, the joining of the letters Yud and Shin, is reminiscent of the concept, “The end action is first in thought (Lechah Dodi Prayer).” The Yud refers to the World to Come, which is first in thought, and the Shin refers to This World, which is the end action. The connection of the two, their perfect harmony, is complete existence. When we live properly
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Miketz Chanukah 5769Volume 5 · Issue 11
Illumination of the Mind
…reek Empire, even before they assailed us directly. This occurred when the evil Greek Empire stood, but before “the evil Greek Empire stood against Your nation Israel,” as we say in the Al HaNissim prayer. This occurred yet when Alexander became emperor—the Greek Empire’s very essence is the elimination of prophecy. When they stood against Your nation Israel, they additionally abolished our religion. This was not incidental; rather, since the Greeks inherently remove prophecy
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Bo 5769Volume 5 · Issue 16
Stride to Destiny
On the Sabbath prior to Rosh Chodesh, we consecrate the new month by announcing the upcoming Rosh Chodesh during the Sabbath Morning Prayers. According to Ashkenazic custom, we begin with the prayer of the Talmudic sage Rav (Berachos 16b), in which we ask that it be a good and blessed month, and we conclude with another prayer of similar intent, “May the Holy One Who is Blessed introduce it for us…,” requesting His assistance.
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Ki Sisa 5771Volume 7 · Issue 22
Reaching Higher
Third, the Community is never despised, as it says (Iyov 36:5) “Indeed, the Lord is among the multitudes and He never despises them.” From this derives the dictum (Berachos 8a), “The Holy Blessed One never despises communal prayer.”
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Vayeishev 5773Volume 9 · Issue 12
In the Hands of the Few
In both cases, one commandment is fulfilled by the joining of two components. Proper prayer requires the wrapping of tzitzis and the placing of tefillin, and likewise, the proper doorway requires the mezuzah and Chanukah Lights, which are also a pair. For this reason, when we kindle the Chanukah Lights, it is necessary to relate
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Vayelech 5773Volume 9 · Issue 5
Hidden Wisdom
But as the prayer continues, “You are the King Who is… uplifted from the days of the world.” Meaning, within the revealed world, the internal realm is secreted, sealed, and concealed. It remains unrevealed and esoteric.
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Bo 5775Volume 11 · Issue 14
Escape From Aimlessness
In another well-known verse, which some recite in prayer, it says (Tehillim 107:40): “He pours derision upon nobles and misleads them upon pathless tohu.” This defines tohu as a matter that lacks a course; it leads nowhere.
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Acharei-Kedoshim 5775Volume 11 · Issue 20
Of Days and Weeks
Assembly (Berachos 33a) instituted for us to say in our Morning Prayers, in the first blessing before the Reading of Shema, “He is the One Who originates in His goodness each day, constantly, the work of the beginning.”
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Nitzavim-Vayelech 5774Volume 11 · Issue 4
New Year New Life
In the words of the aforementioned prayer, “From such a beginning, You have made known, and from long ago you revealed it, this day is the beginning of Your works, the remembrance of the First Day.” This reason is the very concept of man’s judgment on Rosh
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Vayelech 5755Volume 13 · Issue 4
Enflaming the Embers
punishment are, “The words of Yirmiyahu…,” “Hear the word of God…,” and, “The vision of Yeshayahu….” The seven of comfort are…,” and all of them are listed. “And on the day of the Fast of Gedaliah by the Afternoon Prayer, the Haphtarah is, “Seek God when He is found…,” and on the Sabbath between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the Haphtarah is, “Return, Israel, to God your Lord….”
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Miketz Chanukah 5750Volume 14 · Issue 13
Chain of Continuity
before the Creator as His children or as His servants. We may beg as a child begs his father (cf. Taanis 19a) or stand as one who stands before the King, which in fact is the primary law of prayer (Rambam Hilchos Tefillah 5:11).
