The Secret of Miracles We live in a world of cause and effect. The deeds of man, in particular, profoundly affect both the material and spiritual dimensions. In that light, what was the “cause,” i.e., merit that awakened the phenomenal miracles of Chanukah? The story of the Exodus from Egypt sheds light on our question. [...]
After being saved from the great flood, Noah, uncharacteristically, drank wine and became intoxicated. Due to his drunken state, he fell asleep when he was unclothed. His son, Cham, saw that his father was uncovered and disgraced Noah. Shem and Yafes, Noah’s other sons, heard of Noah’s predicament, and attended to their father with great [...]
The The Festival of Sukkos celebrates the “Time of Our Rejoicing.” This rejoicing refers to the forty years that we dwelt in the desert surrounded – and protected – by the “Clouds of Glory.” Through these “Clouds of Glory,” HaShem illuminated His light and holiness upon the People of Israel. HaShem dwelt among His [...]
The Prophet Isaiah (58:5) admonished Klal Yisrael for being downhearted on Yom Kippur – Is such gloom the fast that I have chosen? Is the purpose of the day for man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under his feet? What [...]
The Torah (Devarim 28:47) warns: Because you did not serve HaShem, your G-d, with happiness and goodness of the heart [terrible consequences will occur]. If a person is putting in a great effort to do Mitzvoth, isn’t that the main thing? Why should there be such severe implications for a lack of gladness in serving [...]
The Torah (Devarim 24:9) commands us to “Remember what HaShem your G-d, did to Miriam on the way…” The injunction is fulfilled by remembering that Miriam spoke loshon hora about Moshe Rabenu, and was punished with tza’aras (a terrible skin disease). The Torah tells us that the nature of Miriam’s loshon hora concerned Moshe’s decision [...]
In your heart of hearts-when you give tzedakah-how should you feel towards the recipient? It is conceivable that, depending on circumstances, at times you might feel somewhat distressed at giving away your money. Yet, the Torah (Devarim 15:10) advises us: “You shall surely give him, and let your heart not feel bad when you give him, [...]
A straightforward reading of the verse (Devarim 11:13) that we read every day in Krias Shema seems perplexing: “if you continually hearken to My commandments that I command you today, to love HaShem…” Is “to love HaShem” the sum total of what HaShem requires of us? Aren’t there six hundred and thirteen commandments? King Dovid [...]
The heart is our spiritual center. The Torah instructs us to cut away the barrier of your heart (Devarim 10:16). The Ramban explains: “Your hearts should be open to know the truth… and you should not err to think that there is any benefit in serving intermediate forces, i.e., angels, idols, planets, etc.” After Klal Yisrael [...]
Our Sages (Yoma 9) reveal that the Temple was destroyed because of the sin of sinas chinum – “baseless hatred.” The Talmud (Gittin 56) gives an example of the sinas chinum that occurred during that time: A man had a friend named Kamtza and an enemy named Bar Kamtza. He made a party and asked his servant [...]
Sefer Mussar Maalot HaTorah by Rabbi Avraham of Vilna (brother of the Vilna Gaon) with vowelized text – menukad and search option ספר מעלות התורה לאחיו של הגאון מוילנא, עם ניקוד ואפשרות חיפוש . . App: Esh Maalot Hatora אש מעלות התורה by Elyahu Sheetrit Compatible: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad Category: Books Released: July 20, 2011 Publisher: Elyahu Sheetrit [...]
HaShem instructed Samuel the Prophet to appoint Eliyav as king. However, before Samuel informed Eliyav of his appointment, Eliyav spoke with anger to his brother, David. Subsequently HaShem informed Samuel that the anger of Eliyav disqualified him from the kingship. What’s more, Eliyav did not have a temperamental personality. Rather, this display of anger by [...]
Once, the yetzer horah asked the yetzer tov for permission to entice a certain righteous man to go to a gambling casino – complete with a bar and disco. Having full confidence in the tzaddik, the yetzer tov agreed to the plan. And so one night, the tzaddik found himself in a Las Vegas hotel, [...]
The Saba of Kelm taught, “A little bit holds a great deal.” Meaning, there are some things in life that produce a powerful benefit in small doses. One of these “small dynamos” is encouragement. For instance, when HaShem appointed Yehoshua to succeed Moshe as the leader of Klal Yisrael, Moshe said to him, “Be strong [...]
A nobleman heard that a doctor in a distant country had formulated an ointment that renders a person invulnerable. Since he often traveled through dark forests, he made his way to the inventor and purchased the ointment. Before leaving for home, he applied the ointment to every part of his body. On the path home [...]
