בס”ד Avot D’Rabbi Natan 4:5 Once, Rabban [our rabbi] Yohanan ben Zakkai, left Jerusalem, and Rabbi Yehoshua followed after him. And he saw the Holy Temple destroyed. [Rabbi Yehoshua said: Woe to us, for this is destroyed –] the place where all of Israel’s sins are forgiven! *I.e., via the… Read More »CHARITY ATONES FOR SIN
Develop yourself to the best of your ability וְהַמֶּ֣לֶךְ דָּוִ֔ד שָׁמַ֕ע אֵ֥ת כׇּל־הַדְּבָרִ֖ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה וַיִּ֥חַר ל֖וֹ מְאֹֽד׃ When King David heard about all this, he was greatly upset. *Septuagint adds “but he did not rebuke his son Amnon, for he favored him, since he was his first-born”; cf. 1 Kings… Read More »REBUKE
We live in an era of people looking for justice and humanity. Wars, poverty, and the division of human beings have brought us to a drastic search for solutions that can put every single human being in an equal position. Are we capable of defining what’s humane? How do we… Read More »HUMANITY DETERMINED BY HUMANS
Develop yourself to the best of your ability Psalm 119:99 מִכׇּל-מְלַמְּדַ֥י הִשְׂכַּ֑לְתִּי כִּ֥י עֵ֝דְוֺתֶ֗יךָ שִׂ֣יחָה לִֽי׃ I have gained more insight than all my teachers,for Your decrees are my study. Can be interpreted in different ways. 2. But of course, the verse can also speak of teachers who teach Torah.… Read More »CAN WE LEARN FROM ALL PEOPLE?
Develop yourself to the best of your ability Gratitude is intellectually compelling, and it is a very good trait – so why are we so often ungrateful? There are two reasons for this. The first is that a person’s first impression is that everything comes by itself, and that is… Read More »WHY ARE WE OFTEN UNGRATEFUL?
Develop yourself to the best of your ability Deuteronomy 6:5 וְאָ֣הַבְתָּ֔ אֵ֖ת ה’ אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ בְּכׇל-לְבָבְךָ֥ וּבְכׇל-נַפְשְׁךָ֖ וּבְכׇל-מְאֹדֶֽךָ׃ You shall love your Hashem with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Sometimes you come across people who try to convince others of their faith by… Read More »FAITH, LOVE AND LAUGHTER
Develop yourself to the best of your ability אָ֭דָם יְל֣וּד אִשָּׁ֑ה קְצַ֥ר יָ֝מִ֗ים וּֽשְׂבַֽע־רֹֽגֶז׃ Man born of woman is short-lived and sated with trouble. כְּצִ֣יץ יָ֭צָא וַיִּמָּ֑ל וַיִּבְרַ֥ח כַּ֝צֵּ֗ל וְלֹ֣א יַעֲמֽוֹד׃ He blossoms like a flower and withers;He vanishes like a shadow and does not endure.[1] Job 14:1-2 The physical… Read More »TURN THE FLOWER INTO A TREE
Develop yourself to the best of your ability רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, … וְהַתְקֵן עַצְמְךָ לִלְמֹד תּוֹרָה, שֶׁאֵינָהּ יְרֻשָּׁה לָךְ. וְכָל מַעֲשֶׂיךָ יִהְיוּ לְשֵׁם שָׁמָיִם Rabbi Yose said:.. Make yourself fit to study Torah for it will not be yours by inheritance; And let all your actions be for [the sake… Read More »SERVING G-D IN THE MUNDANE
Develop yourself to the best of your ability Rebbe Nachman once told a well-known rebbe who would pray in his private room adjacent to the synagoge. hearing sounds outside his door and thinking it to be his chassidim trying to catch a glimpse of thier master’s devotions, the rebbe prayed… Read More »PRAY SINCERELY – THE WAY YOU ARE
Develop yourself to the best of your ability Someone once asked Rebbe Nachman, “When I’m praying and I mention Hashem’s holy name, what profound thoughts, what deep intentions, shoud I have in mind? “Isn’t the simple meaning – G-d- enough for you?!” the Rebbe answered. G-d is an absolute and… Read More »Simply being there
