One may not prepare from Yom Tov to Shabbat unless one does Eruv Tavshilin before Yom Tov.

Since Rosh Hashana is on Thursday & Friday, every household needs to do Eruv Tavshilin on Wednesday.

One takes piece of bread and a cooked or baked food that will be eaten on Shabbat and one says the Bracha:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה‘ אֱלקֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל מִצְוַת עֵרוּב

One continues with the following, which must be said in a language one understands:

בַּהֲדֵין עֵרוּבָא יְהֵא שָׁרֵא לָנָא לַאֲפוּיֵי, וּלְבַשּׁוּלֵי, וּלְאַטְמוּנֵי, וּלְאַדְלוּקֵי שְׁרָגָא, וּלִמֶעְבֵּד כָּל צָרְכָּנָא מִיּוֹמָא טָבָא לְשַׁבְּתָא

“With this Eruv we are permitted to bake, cook, keep things warm and light fire and do all that is needed from Yom Tov to Shabbat”.

The bread and food should be kept in a safe place; it they are eaten before Shabbat, a Rabbi should be consulted how to proceed.

Even those who don’t have to cook for Shabbat, still need to do Eruv Tavshilin in order to light Shabbat candles on Friday before sunset (from an existing flame).

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 102

Danny Schoemann (for more visit Danny’ website)

Rather, it was lovingly and wisely prepared for us by HaShem from the beginning of our existence. We find this wondrous concept revealed in the Hazinu song (Devarim 32:6): Is He not your Father, your Master? Has He not created you and established you?

He has created you differently than the others nations of the world; and established you – on every kind of firm base and foundation: out of your midst come your priests, out of your midst come your Levites, out of your midst come your kings – a city which has everything.

The Torah here divulges that if a nation needs to ‘import its talent,’ it is not a nation. Whereas, Klal Yisrael is a nation that is self-contained, a precious treasure of endless depths. Completeness that comes from within is not a natural state. For instance, there is no nation in the world that does not have to import advisors from other nations.

Yet, from our very inception, HaShem has planned – and prepared for us – a fertile and abundant source of all the elements needed to create a total spiritual nation. When we reflect on the endless stream of distinguished and illustrious leaders of our people throughout history – from Avraham Avinu to the Chofetz Chaim – we realize that HaShem has prepared us for success from ancient times until today.

Each Jew is specially gifted, so that together the contribution of each member of Klal Yisrael blends together forming a spiritually perfect nation. May we recognize the special quality in ourselves, and in others, that form us into Am Segualah, the most treasured nation (based on Rashi and Da’as Torah of  Rav Yerucham HaLevi]                 
 
Today:  Contemplate on the special gift that each one of your family members brings to the family.

Copyright © 2010 by Rabbi Zvi Miller and the Salant Foundation

At the Rosh Hashanah evening meal it’s customary to eat foods that symbolize a Good New Year. The bread from Motzi is dipped in honey and after eating it the Yehi Ratzon is said praying for a sweet new year.

יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְפָנֶיךָ שֶתְחַדֵש עָלֵינוּ שָנָה טוֹבָה וּמְתוּקָה

Then one dips an apple in honey, says the Bracha on the apple (“Borei Pri HaEtz”) and eats some. One then says the Yehi Ratzon again.

There are various other foods that are eaten with their appropriate Yehi Ratzon; one may even add new ones.

One tries to have only sweet items on the menu;  no food cooked in vinegar, for example. The custom is to not eat nuts.

One should remember to learn some Torah at the Yom Tov meals;  some learn a chapter of Mishna-Rosh-Hashanah, which has 4 chapters; one for each meal.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 129:9

Danny Schoemann (for more visit Danny’ website)

On Sukkot there’s a Mitzvah to shake the four species; a Lulav, 3 Haddasim, 2 Aravot and an Etrog.

Each Haddas is a branch of a myrtle bush, and must be at least 3 Tefachim (24 cm – 10″) long.

Myrtle leaves grow on the stem in groups of three or more. A Kosher Haddas needs to be Meshulash; with each group of leaves growing out of the branch at exactly the same height.

Preferably the Haddas should be Meshulash its entire length, though it’s Kosher if only the top half is Meshulash.

The entire Haddas needs to be covered in leaves, the top of the lower leaves must reach the bottom of the higher ones.

Myrtle bushes have berries growing on them. A Haddas should not have any berries on it; berries should be removed (with their stems) before Yom Tov.

Make sure that the top of the Haddas is not cut off, it usually ends in a set of tiny leaves.

Haddasim need to be kept fresh; dried out Haddasim are not Kosher.

Source: Shulchan Aruch 646.

Danny Schoemann (for more visit Danny’ website)

There are 3 aspects to this prohibition:

1. If one is being coerced to sin with the intention of profaning one’s religion, then one has to be prepared to be killed rather than sin. In the case of idolatry, adultery and idol worship, even if the intention is not religiously oriented one has to be prepared to die rather than sin. One who sins rather than dies has done a Chillul Hashem.

2. One who does any sin merely for the sake of rebelling against G-d, and not because he will benefit from the sin, has done a Chillul Hashem.

3. When a person who people look up to (like a Rabbi or teacher) does something which most people assume is wrong (even if technically it’s permitted) then he has done a Chillul Hashem.

The sin of  Chillul Hashem – desecrating G-d’s name – is so severe that Teshuva (repentance) and Yom Kippur are not sufficient to eradicate it; and only death completes the atonement.

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always.

Verse: “Do not desecrate My Holy Name” (Vayikra 22:32)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim’s Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 155

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always.

Verse: “And the 8th day… all work you shall not do” (Vayikra 23:36)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim’s Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 154

One does not have to help unless one will be paid for one’s effort.

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always

Verse: “…you shall surely help him reload” (Devarim 22:4)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim’s Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Positive Mitzvah 71

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always

Verse: “And on first day… all work you shall not do” (Vayikra 23:36)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim’s Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 153

Believe it or not, one of our greatest Prophets gave the answer (Ishaiah 52:1): “‘Shake off the dust and arise’ – Rebe Acha said, This is like a chicken which shakes itself f ree from the dust.”

The best – and easiest – way for the chicken to be cleaned is for the chicken to clean herself. She will shake, twist, and flap; with hardly an effort, the dust will fly off her in a matter of seconds.

The parable of the chicken alludes to the cleansing of our own souls. If another person attempts to “clean us” though constructive criticism, most people will react with resentment and defensiveness. If the criticism is delivered in a harsh way, it surely will backfire.

Rather, the best way for a person to cleanse their soul is to initiate their own cleansing process. As soon as we are motivated to spiritually awaken ourselves, we can accomplish our goal quickly and easily. Spiritual self-correction is a natural and efficient process, just as highly effective as our chicken shaking off the dust.

The daily study of  Mussar is a non-invasive approach. Rather than being berated by an external source, we willfully engage in Mussar study to stimulate and cleanse our own souls. We enhance our spiritual growth at our own pace and within the protective privacy of our own thoughts. May HaShem help us in our efforts to “Shake off the dust and arise!” (based on Da’as Chaim of  Rebe Chain Walkin, Shlita).

Today: As you study Mussar, envision all the impurities being released from your heart and soul.

 Copyright © 2010 by Rabbi Zvi Miller and the Salant Foundation

In these words, Moshe revealed the secret of completeness. The Midrash (Bereishis Raba 58:1) explains this idea from the verse (Tehillim 37:18): HaShem knows the days of those who are complete… Says the Midrash: “Just as they are complete, so too, their years are complete; HaShem completes their years from the day of their birth to full years, so that] the day of their death falls on the day of their birth.”

The worthiness of tzadikim is expressed in the term that HaShem calls them, i.e., they are called ‘complete’. The Midrash continues: “The essential principle of days is completion of a life cycle. As Rabbi Yochanon stated: ‘The days of the righteous are like a complete circle.”

The significance of this concept is that just as a circle has no angles, rather it is completley round – so too – the deeds and affairs of those who are completely righteous are whole and complete. This wholeness is reflected in the days and years of their lives – which span a complete cycle – from day of their birth to the day of their death.

A tzaddik lives every moment to the fullest, and gives his whole heart to serve HaShem – in Torah, Mitzvoth, and deeds of loving-kindness. Hence, there are no ’side moments’ in his life. He treasures every second of life that HaShem bestows upon him. Therefore, he recognizes the opportunity in every moment – and – lives it to its highest potential.

Therefore, just as he fulfills his days, so too, HaShem blesses him with days and years that are complete (based on Da’as Torah of  Rav Yerucham HaLevi)

Today: Consider every second of your life of as an opportunity to perform a vital service to HaShem or your fellow.

Copyright © 2010 by Rabbi Zvi Miller and the Salant Foundation

Traditionally, on this first night of selichot the synagogues would be filled to capacity, as the imminence of Rosh Hashana became more and more tangible. In the shtetls and towns each shul used to have a shammas who would walk the silent streets knocking on houses and rousing the inhabitants for prayer. The dark streets were soon filled with throngs of people, all heading quietly to their place of worship.

I read an article about the shammas in the Remuh shul in the city of Krakow. In particular the haunting chant he used as he passed late at night through the streets of the ancient ghetto, knocking on the wooden shutters and waking the Jews for the annual selichot prayers.“Yidelekh, yidelekh,” he would sing, “tayere kushere yidelekh, shtayt oyf, shtayt oyf tz’avoydes Haboyre un tzi slikhes.” Jews, Jews, dear, kosher Jews, please rise, please rise to worship the Creator and to pray selichot.

Possibly we no longer feel the need to pray, or perhaps we no longer sin, but whatever the reason may be, the effect is that less and less attend this important service year after year.  Perhaps the reason is that we simply no longer understand the meaning of the prayers, and feel it is hypocritical or simply a waste of time to attend without much participation.

To which the answer lies in the following story: One Yom Kippur, Rabbi Yisroel ben Eliezer, known as the “Baal Shem Tov” was praying together with his students in a small Polish village. Through his spiritual vision, the holy Baal Shem Tov had detected that harsh heavenly judgments had been decreed against the Jewish people, and he and his students were trying with all the sincerity they could muster to cry out to G-d and implore Him to rescind these decrees and grant the Jews a year of blessing.

This deep feeling took hold of all the inhabitants of the village and everyone opened their heart in deep-felt prayer.

Among the inhabitants of the village was a simple shepherd boy. He did not know how to read or even follow from the siddur; indeed, he could just barely read the letters of the alef-beit, the Hebrew alphabet. As the intensity of feeling in the synagogue began to mount, he decided that he also wanted to pray. But he did not know how. He could not read the words of the prayer book or mimic the prayers of the other congregants.

So, he opened the prayer book to the first page and began to recite the letters: alef, bet, vet – reading the entire alphabet. Then he called out: “Ribbono shel Olam, Master of the Universe, this is as much as I know how to do. You know how the prayers should be pronounced. Please, help me arrange the letters to form the correct prayers.”

This simple, genuine prayer resounded powerfully within the Heavenly Court and G·d rescinded the harsh decrees and granted the Jews blessing and good fortune.

So, this year please make the effort to attend the Selichot prayers, for – whether you can follow the prayers or not – your presence in shul and your personal prayer to G-d is something special in and of itself.

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Zalman Lent