The Introduction to the sefer Sha’arei Yosher by Rabbi Shimon Yehudah haKohein Shkop zt”l! In just a few pages, Rav Shimon describes nothing less than our purpose in life, what holiness is, the way to happiness, how to be kind, and more.
Anyone know of any sources which discuss why certain zmirot are associated friday night while others are associated with shabbat day? bsorot tovot Joel Rich
. I found some comments about this in the Taamei Haminhagim uMakorei Hadinim, page 233, paragraph 538. His comments are in two parts. First he writes, "The reason that we discard a little from the cup with one's finger when reaching Dam Va'esh V'simros Ashan, and likewise when mentioning the plagues [and] D'tzach Adash B'achav, […]
. Sometimes, a person will defend himself by saying, "No, I didn't lie; I just left out some things." Bereshis 31:20 seems to disagree: Because Yaakov failed to tell Lavan that he was leaving, it *does* count as Geneivas Daas. Comments? Akiva Miller
I am unsurprised that R Dr Goldberg routinely gives food to homeless people. But this article takes a position close to my own about what role Qiddush haSheim ought to have in this kind of behavior. The way I would put it is that it is our job in the world to emulate Hashem and […]
Nowadays/in recent times, the *tzibbur* arguably is also involving itself in/enunciating other aspects of *t'fila* that originally were meant to be enunciated only by the SHaTZ -- three examples are => during Bircas Kohanim, "kohanim am q'doshecha"; => during Mei'ein Sheva, the "magen avos" paragraph; and => at the beginning of Q'dusha, at least the […]
I recently heard R H Schacter say that R YBS took an infusion in his old age in order to be able to fast on Yom Kippur. Anyone know any details? bsorot tovot joel rich
Fascinating quantum physics/observer effects from the gemara chulin 121. Any thoughts, halachic or philosophical would be appreciated. 1 a jew shechts a non-kosher animal for a non-jew. If the jew intends that it will be eaten by a non-jew it will be subject to tumat ochlin even though the animal is still shuddering (i) apparently […]
. In today's Kitzur Shulchan Aruch Yomi, halacha 17:10 is mostly about a couple of different scenarios where a person is in shul while the tzibur is saying Shema, and how he must say it together with them. That halacha ends with this: "Likewise, other things which the tzibur says - such as Ashrei, and […]
> > The name "Yishmael" .... I think it would be quite reasonable for > the Ayin to have a shva, and the Aleph to have a tzere, forming a > compound word: Yish-ma*-el, God-heard. That's the usual way to > construct this kind of name. Betzal-el, Mahalal-el, Nesan-el, > Sh'lumi-el, and many others - […]
. The name "Yishmael" means "G-d heard". I don't even need Rashi for that; Bereshis 16:11 says it explicitly. If so, I think it would be quite reasonable for the Ayin to have a shva, and the Aleph to have a tzere, forming a compound word: Yish-ma*-el, God-heard. That's the usual way to construct this […]