Rabbi Eliezer Melamed

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The price of controversy and the separation of communities

Boycotts and separation of communities has led to serious prohibitions.

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Work - Man’s role in the world

The blessing that God brings to a person comes through that person’s diligence in his work. Idleness from work involves Torah prohibitions and desecration of God’s name.

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Between Torah study and the responsibility to earn a living

Due to the expansion of Torah content, today's rabbis are required to devote all their days to study, but he who is not in a rabbinical or educational role does not act in accordance with Torah guidance when he evades the responsibility of supporting himself.

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Great is he who benefits from the labor of his own hands

The greatest of the Tannaim and Amoraim worked to support themselves, making their Torah study their main occupation and their work secondary.

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‘Cheftzei Kodesh’ - The foundation of our lives

This week, my book ‘Cheftzei Kodesh’ (‘Holy Items’) was published as part of ‘Peninei Halakha’ series, containing he laws of tzitzit, tefillin, mezuzah, Torah scroll, the writing of Sta"m, the honor of the synagogue and its construction, genizah, and the reading of the Torah.

Halakhot for this Shavuot: ERUV TAVSHILIN

When the Sanctity of the Festival meets the Sabbath

It is a commandment to place an eruv tavshilin on the eve of the festival • This permits cooking and baking for the Sabbath on the festival • Even one who does not intend to cook for the Sabbath on the festival is commanded to place an eruv tavshilin.

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The Sacred and the Secular in the Synagogue

A synagogue is a holy place, and one must conduct oneself within it with reverence • It is designated for sacred matters, for prayer and Torah • Whoever uses it for secular purposes, or behaves within it in a secular manner, disgraces its sanctity.

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The obligation of Genizah in the Age of Recycling

It is Biblically forbidden to erase any of the Names by which God is called. Ideally, source sheets and pamphlets whose purpose is Torah study should be placed in genizah.

Revivim: Mezuzah on Every Room

Obligation, Exemption, and the Blessing

All doorways of the house and its rooms, bomb shelters, Jewish-owned prisons, hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes are obligated in a mezuzah, but not bathrooms and temporary dwellings.

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To give thanks, to praise, and to triumph

It is a mitzvah to establish a festive day of joy and thanksgiving to God on the day when salvation was granted to Israel.

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A mezuzah in an elevator

In our time, when the elevator has become the accepted way of entering homes, it is appropriate to affix a mezuzah there.

Preparing for the holiday:

Koshering the kitchen for Passover

Cleaning the kitchen for Pesach (Passover) should be done more carefully than cleaning the house, to ensure that not even a small crumb of chametz (leavened food) remains. Added links: OU guides to Passover and medications as well as Israeli Health Miinistry guide for medicatiions.

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The boundaries of sanctity in a House of Prayer

A synagogue is a place that a Jewish community has designated as a place of prayer to God. It played a central role in preserving Jewish identity throughout the exile, serving as a kind of spiritual extension that continues from the Temple and the Land of Israel. Using it for mundane purposes or behaving in it in a mundane manner desecrates its sanctity.

Give honor to the Torah

When the Torah scroll is being carried, and also when it is lifted up, everyone who sees it must stand until the scroll is placed in its place in the ark, or on the bimah.

The Mitzvah of Mezuzah:

The mezuzah as protection and the Laws of affixing it

The mitzvah of mezuzah grants protection and long life to the homeowners and their children.

Increasing joy and unity while achieving victory during Adar

We should strive to extend the light of Purim, and the drawing together of hearts, throughout the entire year, but at the same time, we must remember that we are forbidden from being overly merciful toward our enemies.

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One Community, One Heart: The boundaries of division in shul

When there is room in the synagogue for all the worshippers, and there is no significant principled reason to establish an additional synagogue, it is forbidden to divide the community

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The seating of Torah Scholars in the Synagogue - and donors?

By seating the elders at the front of the synagogue, the entire congregation bestows honor upon the Torah and its Sages. Although we find various communities that practiced not seating the rabbis in the “east," it is proper to return to the original custom-in order to honor the Torah and increase its influence.

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A Home Torah Library - a halakhic obligation

The Torah commanded every Jew to write a Torah scroll for himself. From the time that it was permitted to write the Oral Torah, the commandment is fulfilled through purchasing the books by means of which one actually studies Torah. Databases do not count as books.

A Bond of Holiness:

Tefillin as a sign and as essence

Tefillin are a sign for Israel-that is, a symbol and marker that expresses their very essence. The passages of the tefillin express the foundations of faith. One of these foundations is the centrality of the Land of Israel, which is mentioned many times in the tefillin.

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Loyalty to the Torah, sensitivity towards the Family

How does one deal with non-attendance at a non-halakhic wedding without causing a hopeless rift in the family?

Rabbi Eliezer Melamed:

Attending an intermarriage wedding ceremony is forbidden

Rabbi Eliezer Melamed answers a halakhic question, stating: "Explain that despite your love for him, you will not come to his wedding, because it is forbidden according to the Jewish faith".

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Royal Garment: Tzitzit as an expression of Israel's destiny

The mitzvah of tzitzit particularly expresses faith and the unique destiny of Israel. The most honorable garment is the four-cornered fringed tallit which expresses all the latent powers within the person and within the world.

The Doctrine of Warfare:

The Levites are the proof of the obligation to enlist

The Levites were the officers responsible for the fulfillment of the commandments of war. From here we learn that yeshiva students may not be exempted from army service by claiming that they are like Levites

The Spiritual Force at the front:

The role of the Tribe of Levi in Israel’s wars

The primary role of the members of the Tribe of Levi is to lead the army spiritually, and see to its disciplined behavior.

Rabbi Eliezer Melamed:

Yeshiva students and the Tribe of Levi's obligation to serve

Numerous Kohanim and the Levites participated in the wars of Israel. Even before they participated in wars as regular soldiers, they led the soldiers of Israel in their fighting.

The Mitzvah of wearing Tefillin: Why only in the morning?

According to many halakhic authorities, the Torah obligation for men is to wear tefillin every day for just a brief moment. Others argue that one is obligated to wear tefillin all day, as was customary in the time of the Mishnah and Talmud.

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Travel notes from the United States: Dreaming of Aliyah!

Although I am a Hebrew speaker, I traveled to the USA, in order to teach Torah, meet our Jewish brethren, learn about their strengths and the challenges they face, and counteract the negative picture of Israel in the media by describing the gooness of the Land of Israel.

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The commandment to write a Torah Scroll

Every Jewish male is commanded to write a Torah scroll for himself. Today the practice is to fulfill the commandment of writing a Torah scroll in partnership. A woman too may study from the sacred Torah scroll.

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The books of Rabbi Avraham Aharon Price ztz”l

Like most rabbis, Rabbi Price held that it is appropriate to convert non-Jewish spouses, even if they do not intend to observe mitzvot, in order to preserve the Jewish identity of the Jew and their descendants.

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A glimpse into the life of Rabbi Avraham Price zt”l

The Avnei Nezer gave a special entrance exam for the young by, then ordained as a rabbi at 18. To earn a living, he invested in real estate, amassed wealth, and then opened his own bank, but when the Nazis rose to power, fled with nothing. Then in Toronto, he headed the “Torat Chaim” Yeshiva for 38 years and continued to serve as head of the Toronto Rabbinical Court until his passing.

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Build - and quickly!

Of course, it is preferable not to employ those who oppose our existence in this Land. However, as long as there is no practical alternative, it is forbidden to halt the building of our land, lest we repeat the Sin of the Spies.

An inquiry committee?

Israel requires multi-system soul-searching

Our war for the Land and the revival of our people includes numerous systems and all the systems need repair. A state commission of inquiry appointed by the Supreme Court will not help at all, because the judicial system also needs scrutiny.

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It is time for Israel to wean itself off American military aid

American military aid has turned from an asset to a liability for the State of Israel.

Returning to build in Judea and Samaria

Every time the people of Israel neglected the commandment of settling the Land, they paid heavy prices for it.

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'And of the nations it will be said'

International law permits a state to wage war in order to defend itself. For generations the West has been steeped in antisemitism and the claim that we are committing “genocide” and “war crimes” is a distinctly antisemitic claim, while it is true that much of the Arab enemy's civilian population are full partners in the war against us.

90 years since his passing:

Maran Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook ztz”l

Rabbi Kook explained in the essay ‘Ha’Dor’ (‘The Generation’) that those who abandon Torah in the new generation believe in the values of truth and goodness. Therefore, one must turn to the people of the new generation with appreciation for their aspirations and desires.

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Women wearing tallit and tzitzit

The commandment of tzitzit applies only during the day, so women are exempt from it Women are also exempt from the commandment of tefillin, since it too is a positive commandment that is time-bound. But are they allowed to don either of them and if yes, do they get a reward for doing so?

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On the wages and pensions of security personnel

Despite enormous budgets and high-quality manpower at its disposal, the security establishment failed to understand the enemy. Does that justify an increase in wages? And what about the reservists who have been in Gaza for long periods of time?

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When Tisha B'Av falls on Sunday - Laws and Customs

From sunset until the time of the departure of Shabbat is a time shared by Shabbat and the fast. Before sunset one stops eating and drinking.

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Customs of the Nine Days

From the days of the early halakhic authorities, Jewish communities refrained from eating meat and drinking wine during the days of mourning over the Temples' destruction.

Parents take the place of sons fighting in Gaza at Yeshiva

While some students are still fighting in Gaza, their parents took their place at the Har Bracha Yeshiva's end-of-year ceremony.

Tefillin of Rashi and Tefillin of Rabbenu Tam

A major dispute exists regarding the order of the four passages in tefillin. According to Rashi, the order of the passages is their order in the Torah, according to Rabbenu Tam, the third passage is “Ve-haya im shamoa”, and the fourth is “Shema” * The kabbalists explained that there is value to both methods, and optimally, one should put on both types of tefillin.

Benjamin Ze’ev Herzl

It is difficult to exaggerate the value of Herzl’s work for the Jewish people and the realization of the vision of redemption.

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'Techelet' in Halakha

Following the loss of the tradition of placing techelet in tzitzit, there are disputes and doubts that we have no possibility to resolve.

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By miracle or by natural means?

Is it proper to recite a blessing on the military success in Iran? Is it correct to define what happened there as a miracle?

Tzitzit Techelet

The white expresses the kindness and the supreme divine conduct, and the color techelet expresses the judgment that is revealed in the world. About the fascinating issue of techelet, and the deep spiritual element within it.

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Settling the Land of Israel

Large-scale construction in Judea and Samaria will positively impact the entire country. Precious time is being wasted.

Rabbi Eliezer Melamed

The attitude toward sinners

There is a commandment to love every Jew as even if he transgresses many sins as he has not left the general community of Israel. But yhere is no obligation to love sinners who have removed themselves from the general community of Israel.

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The world's existence depends on the giving of the Torah

Without the Torah the world could not have fulfilled its destiny. Laws for Shavuot.

The crisis of faith, its historical roots, and its correction

The Jewish people were particularly drawn to the Enlightenment movement, and gave it their energy and talent. Unfortunately, most Jews abandoned Israel’s unique vision, and stopped observing Torah and commandments . To bring them back to repentance, we must appreciate their aspirations and desires.

The awakening of heresy in recent generations

In recent generations, human consciousness has developed and expanded greatly, while the study and clarification of faith has not been sufficiently established to cope with it. The more we clarify faith and refine the guidance of the Torah, the more faith in God and His Torah will return to beat in hearts.

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New Book: “Faith and Its Commandments”

Questions of faith in our generation regarding foreign cultures and religions are becoming increasingly significant and widespread. Last week, the new book “Faith and Its Commandments” was published in two volumes as part of the “Peninei Halakha” series.

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Redemption through natural means

The process of redemption will unfold in such a way that initially, Israel will return to their Jewish identity, ascend to the Land, and settle it.

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Laws and customs for Erev Pesach that falls on Shabbat

When the 14th of Nisan falls on Shabbat, the chametz is checked with a blessing on the night of the 13th of Nisan. On Friday, the chametz is burned. More below.

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Enhancing the Mitzvah of Matzot for Seder Night

The matzah comes to remind us of faith, and therefore its entire process of preparation must be done with great care. One must guard the matzot designated for the Seder night in a special manner so that they do not become chametz.

The blessing of “Matziv Gvul Almanah”

The blessing should be recited over homes in regions where significant effort is still required to uphold the mitzvah of settling the Land, such as homes along the northern border, and near the Gaza Strip—especially when residents return after an extended period of abandonment. (At end: microwave ovens on Pesach)

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Letting Purim joy last all year- and when to have a Friday seuda

If Purim falls on Friday, the custom is preferably to begin the meal before noon, but there are other possibities (see below). Purim joy was observed even when the Jewish people were in harsh exile It is an answer to suffering, since in Purim we learned that even evil will eventually turn to good, so it is the greatest joy of all

The attitude of Halakha towards Buddhism

Most Buddhists in the Indian subcontinent also worship Buddha statues, which classifies them as non-monotheisic idolators. However, Buddhism itself primarily focuses on calming human desires and achieving a life of tranquility rather than addressing God.

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Miracles and Torah Scholars

The great rabbis did not engage in miracles; they deeply contemplated God’s word as revealed through the commandments of the Torah and its teachings, and based on this, they guided the public.