22 Nissan 5783 – 13 april 2023 זׇכְרֵ֣נִי יְ֭הֹוָה בִּרְצ֣וֹן עַמֶּ֑ךָ פׇּ֝קְדֵ֗נִי בִּישׁוּעָתֶֽךָ׃ Hashem, remember me too when You are pleased with Your people and bring about the Redemption; be mindful of me when Your salvation arrives. Today is the 8th day of Pesach, the feast of Moshiach. The Baal… Read More »Tehillim 106:4 – Feast of Moshiach
What Is Tisha B’Av? Tisha B’Av, the 9th day of the month of Av (August 6-7, 2022), is the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, on which the Jewish people observe total fasting for a full day, deprive themselves and pray. It is the culmination of the Three Weeks, a… Read More »What Is Tisha b’ Av?
The 15th of Av is sometimes jokingly called the Jewish Valentine’s Day. The Talmud tells us that many years ago the “daughters of Jerusalem went dancing in the vineyards” on the 15th of Av, and “whoever had no wife went there” to find a bride. However, the 15th of Av… Read More »Tu B’Av – The 15 of the Month of Av
Many Noahides will have no idea who Gedaliah was. As a result, it is important to first study about the historical event. Historically, four [Jewish] fasts have been associated with the destruction of the Holy Temple in a sequential order. The 17th of Tammuz, which commemorates the day the walls… Read More »May a Noahide Fast on the Fast Day of Gedaliah
Sukkot has an important universal meaning in addition to the Jewish one. How can we celebrate Sukkot? On the first night of Sukkot one can recite Psalm 104. My soul, bless the Lord. My G-d, You are very great, You are attired with majesty and beauty.[You] enwrap Yourself with light… Read More »How to celebrate Sukkot?
כִּֽי־אַתָּ֥ה נֵירִ֖י יְהֹוָ֑ה וַיהֹוָ֖ה יַגִּ֥יהַּ חׇשְׁכִּֽי׃ You, O Hashem, are my lamp; And he Hashem lights up my darkness. 2 Samuel 22:29 נֵ֣ר יְ֭הֹוָה נִשְׁמַ֣ת אָדָ֑ם חֹ֝פֵ֗שׂ … The lifebreath of man is the lamp of the Hashem Proverbs 20:27 Tonight, the first candle of Chanukkah will be lit. One… Read More »Chanukkah 5783 – the Lamp of the Soul
Chanukah and Tenach Chanukkah, unlike, say, Purim – which even has its own scroll Ester – is not specifically and openly mentioned in the Tanakh. However, this is also impossible because the story happened after the Torah was written. Moses finished writing the Torah in the year 2488 after creation… Read More »Chanukkah is not Found in Tenach or Mishnah?
Chanukah Messengers For various holidays, such as Nissan and Purim, messengers were sent from Jerusalem into the world to let people know when the new month and thus the holiday would begin. This also happened for Chanukkah. When the miracle of the oil occurred in 139 BCE, the Jews celebrated.… Read More »Chanukkah 5783 – More or Less Candles?
Public Fasts for Rain The rainy season in Israel is important because the country does not have many natural resources for water, and one depends on the goodness of Hashem to receive rain/water. As the calendar progressed to Chodesh Kisleiv without rain, the Mishnah (Ta’anis 2:5-6) prescribes a series of… Read More »Chanukkah 5783 – What is the Importance of Oil?
Chanukkah the victory of light over darkness. Idolatry, darkness, is being separate from Hashem, which produces death. Light is connecting to Hashem, to His Torah, to the Tree of Life, thus bringing forth life. Chanukah is the victory of life over death. In our everyday life we see death still… Read More »Chanukkah 5783 – Victory of Life
