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Sanctity As Defined by the Silent Prayer Benjamin Blech Sanctity Isn't
145 Sanctity as Defined by the Silent Prayer Sanctity as Defined by the Silent Prayer Benjamin Blech Sanctity isn’t meant to be an esoteric subject reserved solely for rabbis, theologians, and scholars. It is a theme that has been accorded a blessing that is to be recited by every Jew three times a day as part of the Amidah, the Silent Prayer composed by the Men of the Great Assembly, in order to give voice to our collective desire to communicate with the Almighty. The Amidah is the paradigm of prayer. It is what the Talmud and rabbinic commentators refer to as “[the] t’fillah.” It is the one prayer at whose beginning and ending we take three steps backward followed by three steps forward, indicating our awareness of entering and then subsequently leaving the presence of the supreme Sovereign. The wording and structure of this prayer are profoundly significant. Its text carries the spiritual weight of authorship by saintly scholars imbued with prophetic inspiration. All this is by way of introducing the reader to the importance (as well as the practical relevance) of the insights of the Amidah regarding the theme of holiness. It is within the context of the words chosen for our daily conversations with God that we will discover how the concept of sanctity helps us resolve two of the most pressing problems of life: How can we be certain that God exists? And if indeed there is a God, what does that mean for our mission here on earth? 146 Benjamin Blech Can We Ever Prove God’s Existence? Philosophers throughout the ages have debated this issue without coming to a universally agreed-upon resolution. -
Unfazed Program Companion
PROGRAM COMPANION Art: Sefira Ross THIS PUBLICATION CONTAINS SACRED CONTENT. PLEASE TREAT IT WITH RESPECT. 2 YOU CAN OVERCOME! A Letter From The Rebbe By the Grace of G‑d of the person." 21 Cheshvan, 5737 Unlike a human who, when delegating a job to Greetings and Blessings! someone or something, can err in his calculation, I have received your letter, and I will mention it is not possible for G‑d to err, G‑d forbid, and to you in a Prayer that G‑d, blessed be He, Who demand the impossible. watches over everyone and Who sustains and It is only that something can be easy for one provides for the entire world with his Goodness person to achieve, while the other person has to and Kindness, will find your livelihood and will overcome difficulties and challenges in order to improve your situation with everything that you achieve that same thing, but it's clear that everyone and your family need. receives the strength to fulfil G‑d's Mitzvot in their It is certainly unnecessary to explain at length totality. that daily behavior according to G‑d's will is the Even more so, when one person is given extra way to receive G‑d's blessing, and it is understood difficulties and challenges, it is a sign that he was that it is not proper to give conditions to G‑d. given more strength, and with patience and a firm However, it is important to emphasize that every resolve to withstand the challenges, and with faith single Jew was given the strength to live according in G‑d, blessed be He, he will see that the obstacles to G‑d's will. -
Jason Yehuda Leib Weiner
Jason Yehuda Leib Weiner A Student's Guide and Preparation for Observant Jews ♦California State University, Monterey Bay♦ 1 Contents Introduction 1 Chp. 1, Kiddush/Hillul Hashem 9 Chp. 2, Torah Study 28 Chp. 3, Kashrut 50 Chp. 4, Shabbat 66 Chp. 5, Sexual Relations 87 Chp. 6, Social Relations 126 Conclusion 169 2 Introduction Today, all Jews have the option to pursue a college education. However, because most elite schools were initially directed towards training for the Christian ministry, nearly all American colonial universities were off limits to Jews. So badly did Jews ache for the opportunity to get themselves into academia, that some actually converted to Christianity to gain acceptance.1 This began to change toward the end of the colonial period, when Benjamin Franklin introduced non-theological subjects to the university. In 1770, Brown University officially opened its doors to Jews, finally granting equal access to a higher education for American Jews.2 By the early 1920's Jewish representation at the leading American universities had grown remarkably. For example, Jews made up 22% of the incoming class at Harvard in 1922, while in 1909 they had been only 6%.3 This came at a time when there were only 3.5 millions Jews4 in a United States of 106.5 million people.5 This made the United States only about 3% Jewish, rendering Jews greatly over-represented in universities all over the country. However, in due course the momentum reversed. During the “Roaring 1920’s,” a trend towards quotas limiting Jewish students became prevalent. Following the lead of Harvard, over seven hundred liberal arts colleges initiated strict quotas, denying Jewish enrollment.6 At Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons for instance, Jewish enrollment dropped from 50% in 1 Solomon Grayzel, A History of the Jews (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Jewish Publication Society of America, 1959), 557. -
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Praise for Turning Judaism Outward “Wonderfully written as well as intensely thought provoking, Turning Judaism Outward is the most in-depth treatment of the life of the Rebbe ever written. !e author has managed to successfully reconstruct the history of one of the most important Jewish religious leaders of the 20th century, whose life has up to now been shrouded in mystery. A compassionate, engaging biography, this magni"cent work will open up many new avenues of research.” —Dana Evan Kaplan, author, Contemporary American Judaism: Transformation and Renewal; editor, !e Cambridge Companion to American Judaism “In contrast to other recent biographies of the Rebbe, Chaim Miller has availed himself of all the relevant textual sources and archival docu- ments to recount the details of one of the more fascinating religious leaders of the twentieth century. !rough the voice of the author, even the most seemingly trivial aspect of the Rebbe’s life is teeming with interest.... I am con"dent that readers of Miller’s book will derive great pleasure and receive much knowledge from this splendid and compel- ling portrait of the Rebbe.” —Elliot R. Wolfson, Abraham Lieberman Professor of Hebrew and Judaic Studies, New York University “Only truly great biographers have been able to accomplish what Chaim Miller has with this book... I am awed by his work, and am now even more awed than ever before by the Rebbe’s personality and prodi- gious accomplishments.” —Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, Executive Vice President Emeritus, Orthodox Union; Editor-in-Chief, Koren-Steinsaltz Talmud “A fascinating account of the life and legacy of a spiritual master. -
If God Is Good, Why Is the World So Bad? by Benjamin Blech Simcha
Books If God is Good, God is not in control of the world, and sion that all of his proposals stem from Why is the World So Bad? that they suffer because God lacks the the Rav’s theology. By Benjamin Blech power to prevent it. The primary dissonance between Simcha Press Rabbi Blech opens with an anec- Rabbi Blech’s approach and that con- Florida, 2003 dote demonstrating that Kushner’s view veyed by the Rav is that Rabbi Blech is 250 pages is not only in contradiction to tradition- not at all hesitant to offer confident the- Reviewed by Shalom Carmy al religion, which is pretty obvious, but ological explanations for good and bad that it is therapeutically inadequate too. occurrences. Thus he writes: A woman, who had first been comfort- And how can we know whether our ed by Kushner’s assurance that her own suffering is divine punishment or child’s death was not punishment, now heavenly warning? When God intervenes, complains that the book gives her night- when He is sending you a message, you mares: “I now have two healthy chil- will know it. How? There is one sure way dren. We are so happy. But any minute to tell—God is very specific and leaves no now I expect something terrible to hap- doubt about His meaning if you merely pen. If God doesn’t run the world like give it a little thought. this book says….” And her voice cracks. Many of Rabbi Blech’s stories This woman, Rabbi Blech says, needs about unmistakable Divine communica- assurance. -
Guide to the Yeshiva
Guide to the Yeshiva The Undergraduate Torah Experience For answers to all your Yeshiva questions, email [email protected] Our Yeshiva has a long and profound history and legacy of Undergraduate Torah Studies Torah scholarship and spiritual greatness. Our roots stretch back to the Torah of Volozhin and Brisk and continue in WELCOME TO THE YESHIVA! our Yeshiva with such luminaries as Rav Shimon Shkop We have assembled in one Yeshiva an unparalleled cadre of roshei yeshiva, rebbeim, mashgichim and support staff to enable you to have an uplifting and enriching Torah experience. We hope you will take and Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik. As you enter Yeshiva, you full advantage of all the Yeshiva has to offer. will not only partake of the great heritage of our past but, Hatzlacha Rabbah! together with your rebbeim, will forge a glorious future. Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman Rabbi Zevulun Charlop President Dean Emeritus Special Assistant to the President Rabbi Menachem Penner Rabbi Dr. Yosef Kalinsky The Max and Marion Grill Dean Associate Dean Glueck Center, Room 632 Undergraduate Torah Studies 646.592.4063 Glueck Center, Room 632 [email protected] 646.592.4068 [email protected] For answers to all your Yeshiva questions, email [email protected] 1 Undergraduate Torah Studies Programs Yeshiva Program/Mazer School The James Striar School (JSS) of Talmudic Studies (MYP) This path is intended for students new to Hebrew language and textual study who aspire to attain This program offers an advanced and sophisticated a broad-based Jewish philosophical and text classical yeshiva experience. Students engage education. Led by a dynamic, caring faculty and in in-depth study of Talmud with our world- with daily mentoring from students at YU’s renowned roshei yeshiva. -
Biographical Sketch
Rabbi Benjamin Blech Rabbi Benjamin Blech, a Maggid-shiur at Yeshiva University, is an internationally recognized educator, religious leader, author and lecturer. He has written 12 highly acclaimed and best-selling books, with combined sales of close to half a million copies, including The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Understanding Judaism and Understanding Judaism: The Basics of Deed and Creed, which was chosen by the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations as the single best book on Judaism in our generation. Together with an accompanying six-hour video, filmed by the producers of 20/20 and featuring Rabbi Blech, Understanding Judaism: The Basics of Deed and Creed is used in study groups in numerous synagogues and universities around the country. His book Taking Stock: A Spiritual Guide to Rising Above Life’s Financial Ups and Downs was featured in a full-page article in the New York Times and his If God is Good, Why Is The World So Bad? has been translated into Indonesian, where it has had a powerful reception in the wake of the country’s tsunami. Rabbi Blech’s most recent book is The Sistine Chapel: Michelangelo’s Forbidden Messages in the Heart of the Vatican. Coinciding with the 500th anniversary of Michelangelo’s starting work on the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel, this groundbreaking book is already the subject of huge interest, discussion and controversy. Translated into 15 languages, available in 25 countries, a first printing of 100,000 copies by HarperOne, movie and TV rights presently in negotiation with three major film companies and with national TV coverage, this major work proves that Michelangelo incorporated many teachings of Jewish Midrash and Kabbalah into the Sistine Chapel. -
The Torah U-Madda Journal Devoted to the Interaction Between Torah and General Culture
THE TORAH U-MADDA JOUR NAL DEVOTED TO THE INTERACTION BETWEEN JUDAISM AND GENERAL CULTURE EDITOR : DAVID SHATZ EDITORIAL ASSISTANT : MEIRA MINTZ FOUNDING EDITOR : JACOB J. SCHACTER , 1989–1999 VOLUME SIXTEEN • 2012 –13 The Torah u-Madda Journal Devoted to the interaction between Torah and general culture. Copyright © 2013 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, an affiliate of Yeshiva University. David Shatz, Editor Meira Mintz, Editorial Assistant Jacob J. Schacter, Founding Editor A publication of The Torah u-Madda Project Max Stern Division of Communal Services Center for the Jewish Future Yeshiva University 500 West 185th Street New York, NY 10033 The Torah u-Madda Project gratefully acknowledges the support of the Joseph J. and Bertha K. Green Memorial Fund at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. Manuscripts should be sent to: Dr. David Shatz Editor, The Torah u-Madda Journal Stern College for Women Yeshiva University 245 Lexington Avenue New York, NY 10016 Before sending your submission, please consult “Instructions for Contributors” on p. v of this volume. Back issues of the journal are available electronically at www.yutorah.org. For further information on back issues and to order copies of the current issue, please contact the Center for the Jewish Future at Yeshiva University, 212.960.5263. Produced by Olivestone, Inc. PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA CONTENTS INSTRUCTIONS FOR CONTRIBUTORS V ARTICLES Orthodox Approaches to Biblical Slavery 1 Gamliel Shmalo A Halakhic-Philosophic Account of Justified Self-Defense -
685 Beis Moshiach
685:Beis Moshiach 23/02/2009 8:22 AM Page 3 contents THE ETERNAL INTERNAL SANCTUARY 4 D’var Malchus THE REBBE WAS THINKING OF US IN 6 WAR-TORN WARSAW Stories for 9 Adar ENTERING THE HOLY OF HOLIES 14 Insight PURIM 1953: THE RISE AND FALL OF A 18 MODERN DAY HAMAN Memoirs | Avrohom Reinitz USA TORAH STUDY IN A WAY OF ‘HE 744 Eastern Parkway Brooklyn, NY 11213-3409 24 DOESN’T KNOW’ Tel: (718) 778-8000 Moshiach & Geula | Boruch Merkur Fax: (718) 778-0800 [email protected] www.beismoshiach.org A PURIM PROJECT IN DISGUISE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: 26 Feature | Libby M.M. Hendel ENGLISH EDITOR: Boruch Merkur [email protected] AND THEY JOURNEYED AND THEY ASSISTANT EDITOR: 30 ENCAMPED Dr. Aryeh Gotfryd Memoirs | Rabbi Shneur Zalman Chanin HEBREW EDITOR: Rabbi Sholom Yaakov Chazan [email protected] A STONE CRIES OUT 36 Purim Story | Nosson Avrohom Beis Moshiach (USPS 012-542) ISSN 1082- 0272 is published weekly, except Jewish holidays (only once in April and October) for $160.00 in Crown Heights, Brooklyn and in all other places for $180.00 per year (45 SHIR CHADASH – THE NEW SONG issues), by Beis Moshiach, 744 Eastern 39 Moshiach Light Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11213-3409. Periodicals postage paid at Brooklyn, NY and additional offices. Postmaster: send address changes to Beis Moshiach 744 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11213-3409. Copyright 2009 by Beis Moshiach, Inc. Beis Moshiach is not responsible for the content of the advertisements. 685:Beis Moshiach 23/02/2009 8:22 AM Page 4 d’var malchus THE ETERNAL INTERNAL SANCTUARY Translated and adapted by Dovid Yisroel Ber Kaufmann will dwell in them.” The Sages The commandment “Make for Me a explain the use of the plural pronoun as a reference to the Jewish people: Sanctuary” applies to every individual. -
Education and Sharing Day
ב“ה EDUCATION AND SHARING DAY ————— Sparks of Wisdom on Education from the Teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson April 2019 / Nissan 5779 SPECIAL THANKS TO: Rabbi Levi Greenberg El Paso, TX Rabbi Mendy Greenberg Wasilla, AK Rabbi Meir Moscowitz Chicago, IL THE ROHR JEWISH LEARNING INSTITUTE, a subsidiary of Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch, is the adult education arm of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. INTRODUCTION Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902–1994), known as “the Lubavitcher Rebbe” or simply as “the Rebbe,” was born in Nikolaev, Ukraine, on the 11th of Nisan, 5662 (April 18, 1902). When World War II erupted, he made his way to America, settling in Brooklyn, New York. A towering spiritual leader of the twentieth century, the Rebbe inspired and guided people from across all walks of life to live a kinder and more purpose-oriented life. 1 In his hundreds of addresses and thousands of writings, there is hardly another subject the Rebbe discussed as frequently and passionately as education. His contributions have been recognized by leaders within the field of education, as well as by leaders of the civic, religious, and political spheres. Indeed, every U.S. president since Jimmy Carter has paid tribute to the Rebbe by declaring Education and Sharing Day USA each year on his birthday. The U.S. Congress and many state and local governments have issued similar declarations as well. Society is woefully mistaken, the Rebbe insisted, to view education as the pursuit of knowledge as a step stool to a career. Rather, an educator must prepare a child for life in its entirety—a life of purpose, benevolence, justice, and morality. -
Ben Gurion University of the Negev
Ben Gurion University of the Negev Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Department of Hebrew Thought The Role of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, the Sixth Admor of Lubavitch, in the Creation of Modern Habad in the USA 1930‐1950 Thesis submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts by Roland Julian Mureinik Under the Supervision of Prof Jonatan Meir October 2018 Dedicated with love to Inez, without whose support, patience and understanding this thesis would not have been completed My grateful thanks to Professor Jonatan Meir, who introduced me to the fascinating world of Hasidism and Habad. Contents Introduction and Historical Background .............................................................................1 Biography of R Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn ...................................................................2 Bringing the Sixth Admor to live in the USA ...................................................................5 Historical Development of American Jewry ....................................................................6 Chapter 1: R Yosef Yitzchak’s efforts to manage Habad from afar .....................................9 1.1 Initial Attempts to Organize (1920-1930) .............................................................. 10 1.2 The Impact of Rayatz’ Visit (1929-1930) ............................................................... 17 Chapter 2: Consolidation and Expansion of American Habad under Rayatz .................. 26 2.1 Ideology and Leadership ...................................................................................... -
THE BENJAMIN and ROSE BERGER TORAH TO-GO® Established by Rabbi Hyman and Ann Arbesfeld April 2016 • Pesach-Yom Haatzmaut 5776
Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary Yeshiva University Center for the Jewish Future THE BENJAMIN AND ROSE BERGER TORAH TO-GO® Established by Rabbi Hyman and Ann Arbesfeld April 2016 • Pesach-Yom Haatzmaut 5776 Dedicated in memory of Cantor Jerome L. Simons Featuring Divrei Torah from Rabbi Benjamin Blech • Rabbi Reuven Brand Rabbi Daniel Z. Feldman • Rabbi Aaron Goldscheider Rabbi Yona Reiss • Mrs. Shoshana Schechter • Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner Ilana Turetsky, Ed.D • Rabbi Daniel Yolkut Insights on the Pesach Seder from the Rabbinic Alumni Committee of the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary Rabbi Binyamin Blau • Rabbi Eliezer Muskin • Rabbi Moshe Neiss Rabbi Shmuel Silber • Rabbi Eliezer Zwickler Insights on Yom Haatzmaut from Rabbi Nissim Abrin • Rabbi David Bigman • Mrs. Dina Blank Rabbi Jesse Horn • Rabbi Shaya Karlinsky • Rabbi Moshe Lichtman Rabbi Chaim Pollock • Rabbi Azriel Rosner • Rabbi Ari Shvat 1 Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary • The Benjamin and Rose Berger CJF Torah To-Go Series • Pesach 5776 We thank the following synagogues who have pledged to be Pillars of the Torah To-Go® project Congregation Ahavas Congregation Young Israel of Achim Shaarei Tefillah Century City Highland Park, NJ Newton Centre, MA Los Angeles, CA Congregation Ahavath The Jewish Center Young Israel of Torah New York, NY New Hyde Park Englewood, NJ New Hyde Park, NY Young Israel of Beth El in Congregation Beth Boro Park Young Israel of Shalom Brooklyn, NY West Hempstead Rochester, NY West Hempstead, NY Richard M. Joel, President