The Rebbe: “Beginning from the Chamisha Asar BeAv it’s customary to greet people with the blessing « May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year » (ספר-השיחות תנש »א ח »ב עמ’ 770). ——– The Talmud says that from the Fifteenth of Av onward, the power of the sun decreases and …
Following the reading of the weekly Torah portion each Shabbat, a selection from the Prophets, called the haftarah, is read in the synagogue. Usually, the content of the haftarah corresponds to the topic of the weekly Torah reading. However, there are weeks when the haftarah reflects the events connected …
The Sages taught: “Seven matters are concealed from people”. What are they?
Rabbi Yitzchok Luria Ashkenazi was born in Yerushalayim in 1534. The story has it that Eliyahu HaNavi came in person to his brit. He chose the name Yitzchok and blessed him that he would reveal secrets of the Torah and disseminate them. HaAri lost his father at a very …
The Shabbat before the Ninth of Av is called Shabbat Chazon (« Shabbat of Vision »). One reason is that this week’s haftorah (the selection from the prophets read after the Torah portion) relates a vision (chazon in Hebrew) seen by Yeshayahu: “The vision of Yeshayahu the son of Amoz, which …
David HaMelech foresaw that in the future Queen Esther would need to save the Jewish people from destruction. He wrote chapter 22 in the book of Tehillim with her in mind – so that she could read it as she approached the throne of Achashverosh. Esther was the first to …
The first nine days of Menachem Av are known as a period of mourning over the destruction of The Beit haMikdash in Jerusalem. We refrain from eating meat and drinking wine – except on Shabbat and on celebrations, such as a bar mitzvah, a brit (circumcision) or the completion …
On the upcoming Shabbat we conclude the reading of the Book of Bamidbar. Finishing a Chumash in Torah is an opportune time to gather strength and inspiration. The Midrash states that when Yehoshua finished studying the Torah, Hashem told him, “Be strong and courageous!”. In our time there’s a custom …
