The 60 Second Guide to Rosh Hashanah

The foundation of Judaism is that all existence is dependent on G-d who created, supervises and influences both the spiritual and physical realms of the universe. In addition G-d created man who was given the tools and instructions to perfect and unify the physical world and connect it back to its G-dly source. Every year, [...]

Back to School: Rosh Hoshana’s Coming!

There’s a famous segulah from the sefer Nefesh HaChaim that one who is in danger should intensely concentrate on the pusuk “Ein Od Milvado”. If he does this and thereby thinks, without interruption, how Ha-Shem controls every situation, he will merit help from above. (There’s an equally famous story with the Brisker Rav about this.) [...]

The Dreamer

Jeff ran in terror. The gigantic dog was gaining on him and he had nowhere to hide. He knew that within seconds it would sink its razor-sharp sharp teeth into him. And then suddenly, the dog lunged at somebody else and Jeff got away. Jeff Feder awoke in a cold sweat. He couldn’t shake the [...]

What Are You Working On This Elul?

As yesterday’s post pointed out inspiration serves as a motivator but strengthening your Avodas Hashem (service of Hashem) is the real goal. What are you working on this Elul a) Improving kavannah during Shomenah Esrai b) Saying Tehillim more often c) Learning with more depth d) Spending more hours per week learning e) Starting another [...]

Feeling Inspired is a Means, Not an Ends

By Yakov Spil I heard a story last week that touched me and helped clarify an aspect of our avodas Hashem. The maaseh occured in the days when Rav Yechezkel Levenstein zl was the Mashgiach of Ponovezh. There was a talmid chochom who was close to death and a few talmidim went to be with [...]

Revival of the Dead

It was every author’s worst nightmare. Summer, 2005. Just another routine morning, or so I thought. The screen went dark on my computer, with no fanfare or warning, as sudden as a solid oak door slamming shut in the wind. And nothing I did brought it back to life. I tried restarting it, davening, begging, [...]

Remembering Moshe Yosef Reichenberg

I’m sure all of you have heard of the terrible tragedy that befell, Moshe Yosef Reichenberg A”H, while trying to save the life of a six year old neighbor and his father. Click here. His petirah has left his already severely stressed family completely broken, and bereft of their pillar and support. The Reichenberg ‘s [...]

How Are You Getting Extra Inspiration?

How are you getting extra inspiration for the Yomim Noraim? a) Davening in a different shul. b) Learning a new sefer. c) Being more careful in certain halachos. d) Davening more slowly. e) Thinking about our crazy times and that now is the time for some real Teshuva f) Other

In the News: Matisyahu’s tzitzits

Reposted from Loose Ends – Ben Garson’s Tallis and Tzitzit blog Outside of the tallit and tzitzit business, it seems the term “tallit katan” is most commonly found on the Web to describe frum stage performers, especially Matisyahu. Here’s a typical example, taken from the The Taos News: Not only does the [Taos Mountain Music [...]

Do I Really Have to Wake Up?

Do I really have to wake up? I like to sleep, but I always got up for school without too much prodding (until college). However, like I wrote, I like to sleep. So, I get it when the Rambam writes that hearing the shofar relays the message: “Wake up you sleepy ones from your sleep [...]

The Battle of Our Lives

When you go out to war against your enemy…(Devarim 21:10) The Torah only speaks versus the yetzer hara- the negative inclination(Rashi) While still an unmarried yeshiva man I started learning with a friend the classic ethical work Mesilas Yesharim- The Path of the Just by Moshe Chaim Luzzato. Right before the semester was to end [...]

What Have you “given up” to be Frum?

By Charlie Hall Late last week I was invited to give a research presentation to a prestigious conference. But the time for the presentation was to be on Shabat, so I turned the invitation down immediately. Incredibly, in 16 years, this is the first time that this has happened — I’ve withdrawn presentations that were [...]

Written All Over Him

Oh, to be a squeaky-clean Ivy League “BT.” Oh, you have your “wild” times — beer pong! woo-hoo! — find religion, clean up your act a little, snag a nice job in an investment bank or law firm after a couple of years in Israel learning Rashi script, and you can be very pleased with [...]

Judgment or Feeling: Will the Real You Please Stand Up

An excerpt from Judgment or Feeling: Will the Real You Please Stand Up: Our existential situation as in-betweeners subjects us to the insistent call of two different voices that hammer away at us. The Yetzer Tov, one of our appointed judges, speaks to us with his voice – the voice of spirituality. The locus of [...]

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