Why does this holiday of rejoicing immediately follow the High Holidays?
Based on the pattern expressed earlier of connecting the ending and beginning of the Torah, we notice that the last letter of the Torah, and the first letter of the Torah, combine to form the word “Le”v”--the Hebrew word for Heart! Undoubtedly, the Torah is expressing that the foundation that circulates lifeblood to the Jewish people is the Torah, the very essence of our existence.
A well loved Israeli children's song for Sukkot is "Shlomit builds a sukkah of peace." That is not what the sukkah is really about.
The aravah receives the pinnacle of honor among the Arba’at Haminim of Sukkot. What does that signify?
On Sukkot, we demonstrate that we are in love with life in this world; with our whole being, we immerse ourselves in the mitzvah
Just as Redemption preceded the world and is essential to it, so too did repentance.
The walls define the space, the sechach fills that space with holiness and warmth. And we need to respect the walls.
The four species which we are commanded to take for ourselves on the Festival of Sukkot are indigenous to Eretz Yisrael, just as the Torah is indigenous to Eretz Yisrael, and the Jewish People are indigenous to Eretz Yisrael.
The lessons of the last two years remind us that although our enemies in every generation devise elaborate plans to destroy us, Hashem ensures our survival.
Our prayer to G-d during the Ten Days of Repentance is analyzed here in tribute to the victims of the Manchester terror attack.
Modern assumptions about G-d have proven to be premature.
The Song of Ha'azinu is a testament of Jewish Destiny.
Jewish history isn’t random happenstance; Israel’s reconstituted national sovereign independence in the Land of Israel within living memory is woven into the very fabric of G-d’s Creation; our continued sovereignty in Israel depends not on the prowess of our military, on economics, on politics, but on our connection with G-d, His Torah, and His Mitzvot.
The safety and continuity of our people depend on vigilance, action, and adherence to the eternal covenant. Learn from history to build a stronger, safer Jewish future.
"...With this background in mind, the Rambam’s comments in Chapt. 7 Halachah 1 [Laws of Repentance] are all the more remarkable. Rambam writes: “Since free choice is granted to all men as explained, a person should always strive to do Teshuvah."
It's never all or nothing. G-d is the ultimate loving parent. When he sees that a Jew makes even the slightest movement of Teshuva, regardless of how much he has left to go, G-d immediately embraces this movement.
On a day that we're purified before G-d (Vayikra 16:30) and thrust into the holy of holies, we must contemplate our overall duty of devotion, because “in the times of Mashiach, there is only One to rely on, our G-d in Heavens.”
Rebbe Nachman of Breslov said, “If you believe that it is possible to make mistakes, then you can believe that it is also possible to make amends.”
What should be done when around the world Jewish communities are facing such challenging times?
It is the last night of the Ten Days of Repentance - use the time well.
In an interview on his 80th birthday, Carl Jung said, "But do you know who anticipated my entire psychology in the eighteenth century? The Hassidic Rabbi Ber from Mezritch, whom they called the Great Maggid. He was a most impressive man."
The Tanya compacts four millennia of Jewish wisdom to answer the great personal and existential questions of life. It has revolutionized the way we think about G -d the human soul, the world and our place in it.
We must strive to uphold our commitment to the Torah and to Am Yisrael, even as we recognize our own shortcomings and moments of faltering.
The number of a verse, its numerology - all point to the past but also to today in this week's parasha.
The significance of hakhel goes beyond the reading itself.
The answer is found here: Why do I say the two magic words?
The Fast of Gedaliah, held to mark the tragic assassination of the governor of Judea after the destruction of the First Holy Temple, is today. But the way to renewal is open before us.
A leader’s job is to preserve authentic Judaism come what may.
Does your soul dance with love and passion since the holy days of Rosh Hashanah? If not, Yom Kippur is another chance.
The mitzvah of Hakhel: A national gathering with larger dimensions.
A positive look at the new year
These are the three tools which G-d gives us to transform His judgment from bad to good: repentance, prayer, and charity. Delving into that prayer and Mussaf.
The difference between the admonitions in two successive Torah readings teach an important lesson for the New Year.
Our tradition demands that we give greater priority to regular over irregular.
A selection of concepts concerning the Jewish New Year that begins tonight.
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.
During the prayers of Rosh Hashanah - in Malchuyot, Zichronot, and Shofarot - we are to concentrate on victory in the war. And it is obligatory to have that intention (kavanah) during the shofar blasts as the obligation to blow at a time of war.
Victorious we shall be! However, the essential condition that determines the degree of our victory is the spiritual level of the Jewish nation.
This year a cloak of whiteness covers the month of Elul, the entrance to the High Holidays. Is it the cloak of purity, or of numbness?
Acts of Chessed are especially important during the season of Rosh Hashanah, the holiday commemorating Creation, the greatest act of initial Chessed by God.
Returning and renewing the Jewish presence in Judea, Samaria and Yerushalayim b’simcha with Nachala, The Gush Katif Forum and Ateret Cohanim.
Resolve to give a nickel to tzedakah every morning, resolve to put on tefillin every day, resolve to light candles before every Shabbat. Even if your heart isn’t in it, it is a good beginning.
The relationship between Yehuda and Yosef is a microcosm of the relationship between the Kingdoms of Judah and Israel (which was founded and led by kings descending from Yosef).
The Talmud teaches us that repentance (teshuvah) transforms deliberate sins into either mistakes or merits. Based on the teachings of Reish Lakish, the Maharsha, and Rav Kook, we show how repentance from love elevates wrongdoing into a catalyst for growth, deepening love of good, hatred of evil, and spiritual transformation.
One Hebrew, one Arabic - two words that sound similar but are worlds apart.
Reliving he moment when Rav Soloveitchik's face became a living commentary on the verse his son was chanting, and a living embodiment of a plea to Hashem sung by legendary Cantor Yossele Rosenblatt.
After the mourning comes the rejoicing, after the exile comes the return home, after the destruction comes the renaissance. The Redemption is swiftly approaching, and Hashem brooks no delay in its implementation.
Saying: “May the year end with its curses, may the year begin with its blessings,” is not enough - we must also act and do,
The internet poses challenges, but we can overcome them as long as we don't blame the mouse...and that's a message for all of life's challenges.
A Torah-true life doesn’t allow for half-hearted commitments.
What did Moshe seek to convey by telling us that the Torah is “not in heaven” or “on the other side of the sea”?
Genuine happiness stems from discipline, which involves protecting the mind from negativity, focusing on meaningful engagement, and allowing spiritual practice to shape daily routines.
The most famous "seruvnik" - fighter for freedom for Soviet Jews - spent 11 years imprisoned in Siberia for his Zionism. He stayed true to his beliefs and his people. Lessons for today.
Thrust aside all accountings and return in haste to the Land of Hashem, the Land of Israel, our one and only home.
May you ascend, step by step, from one level of Teshuva to the next.
If one is forced to choose between death and violating one of these prohibitions — even in private — one should (generally) choose death. These prohibitions are that severe.
Just as we were entering into the Holy Land, stones had a position of prominence.
To withdraw into solitude, imagining that this leads to closeness with God, is foreign to the Torah’s vision.
The shofar of Zechariah sounds in a great voice in our days. This is a blast that began from the time the ingathering of exiles began. Also liberation from bondage of kingdoms. Also ascent to the Land. Also heroism. Also eradication of the enemies.
