Rabbi Shmuel Chaim Katz Zt”L: the Daily Song of Miracles
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Tehillat Hashem and Other Verses Before Birkat Ha-Mazon
301 Tehillat Hashem and Other Verses Before Birkat Ha-Mazon By: ZVI RON In this article we investigate the origin and development of saying vari- ous Psalms and selected verses from Psalms before Birkat Ha-Mazon. In particular, we will attempt to explain the practice of some Ashkenazic Jews to add Psalms 145:21, 115:18, 118:1 and 106:2 after Ps. 126 (Shir Ha-Ma‘alot) and before Birkat Ha-Mazon. Psalms 137 and 126 Before Birkat Ha-Mazon The earliest source for reciting Ps. 137 (Al Naharot Bavel) before Birkat Ha-Mazon is found in the list of practices of the Tzfat kabbalist R. Moshe Cordovero (1522–1570). There are different versions of this list, but all versions include the practice of saying Al Naharot Bavel.1 Some versions specifically note that this is to recall the destruction of the Temple,2 some versions state that the Psalm is supposed to be said at the meal, though not specifically right before Birkat Ha-Mazon,3 and some versions state that the Psalm is only said on weekdays, though no alternative Psalm is offered for Shabbat and holidays.4 Although the ex- act provenance of this list is not clear, the parts of it referring to the recitation of Ps. 137 were already popularized by 1577.5 The mystical work Seder Ha-Yom by the 16th century Tzfat kabbalist R. Moshe ben Machir was first published in 1599. He also mentions say- ing Al Naharot Bavel at a meal in order to recall the destruction of the 1 Moshe Hallamish, Kabbalah in Liturgy, Halakhah and Customs (Ramat Gan: Bar Ilan University Press, 2000), pp. -
Pachad David on the Torah Part II
Excerpt from the book PACHAD DAVID PART TWO Bereshit • Shemot Rabbi David Hanania Pinto ’’ Grandson of venerable and holy Rabbi Chaim Pinto Zatsal Translated by Mr Jeff Soussana New York 13th of Sivan 5778 Chevrat Pinto Institutions The Kollel of Lyon The Kollel of Dayanut The Kollel of Guemara Hevrat Pinto Ohr Haim Ve Moshe Pachad David Beith Ha-Midrash Beith Ha-Midrash The Kollel Yeshivat Chevrat Pinto Chevrat Pinto Orot Chaim U-Moshe Torat David Kollel for Kollel Kollel Baalei Batim Pninei David Kol Chaim Rehov Ha’ahouza 98 Ra’anana • Israël Tel: +972 98 828 078 +972 58 792 9003 [email protected] Translation Mr. Jeff Soussana Editions Chevrat Pinto 207 West 78th Street - New York NY 10024 Tel.: 1 212 721 0230 - e-mail: [email protected] Web: www.hevratpinto.org Offered Graciously - Not for Sale 3 BERESHIT Contents Bereshith.....................................................................................................................10 “Distance Yourself From Evil and Do Good” – And Only Good!..........................................................................10 The Infinite Wisdom of the Torah ...........................................................................................................................12 There Is no End to the Holy Torah ..........................................................................................................................14 .Humility Is an Absolute Prerequisite for Observing Torah ...................................................................................16 -
D'var Torah with Rabbi Wein Welcome to the DAT Minyan!
Candle 8:04 Welcome to the DAT Minyan! Lighting pm Shabbat Nasso June 3, 2017 - 9 Sivan, 5777 Havdalah 9:11 Joseph Friedman, Rabbi | David Fishman, President pm Shabbat Schedule D’var Torah with Rabbi Wein Please help make our prayer service more meaningful by refraining from talking during The human drive to be unique and special, to stand out in a crowd, to identify one's the service. self in terms of being of a different status than others, is common to all of us. Many times in life we measure ourselves not by our own lives but rather how we differ FRIDAY from all of the people that surround us. This is true in the usual and mundane 6:35 pm: Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat/Maariv events of life that occur to us daily. But it is also true in the holy drive for eternity (Shema should be recited after 9:10 pm) and meaningfulness that is manifested by the soul that exists within each of us. SHABBAT Because of this, we look for exceptionalism in areas of life that we deem to be the Parasha: Page 748 / Haftarah: Page 1181 realm of the soul and of potential holiness. The Torah provides such an example of this inner drive for exceptional and more meaningful feelings of holiness in this Kiddush this week is sponsored by Nathan and week's Torah reading. The entire topic of a person becoming a nazir, a person of Rachel Rabinovitch in honor of the engagement of their son Avi to Beth Gindi, special holiness, with additional restrictions on one's personal life and behavior, is daughter of Alan Gindi and Barbara Goldstein an example of this yearning. -
Israel of America, 5 Beekman Street, New York, N
FIFTY CENTS VOL. 2 No. 3 DECEMBER 1964 I TEVES 5725 THE "American Orthodoxy" Yesterday and Today • The Orthodox Jew and The Negro Revolution •• ' The Professor' and Bar Ilan • Second Looks at The Jewish Scene THE JEWISH QBSERVER contents articles "AMERICAN ORTHODOXY" I YESTERDAY AND TODAY, Yaakov Jacobs 3 A CENTRAL ORTHODOX AGENCY, A Position Paper .................... 9 HARAV CHAIM MORDECAI KATZ, An Appreciation ........................ 11 THE JEWISH OBSERVER is published monthly, except July and August, ASPIRATION FOR TORAH, Harav Chaim Mordecai Katz 12 by the Agudath Israel of America, 5 Beekman Street, New York, N. Y. 10038. Second class postage paid at New York, N. Y. THE ORTHODOX JEW AND THE NEGRO REVOLUTION, Subscription: $5.00 per year; single copy: 50¢. Printed in the Marvin Schick 15 U.S.A. THE PROFESSOR AND BAR JI.AN, Meyer Levi .................................... 18 Editorial Board DR. ERNST L. BODENHFJMER Chairman RABBI NATHAN BULMAN RABBI JOSEPH ELIAS JOSEPH FRIEDENSON features RABBI MORRIS SHERER Art Editor BOOK REVIEW ................................................. 20 BERNARD MERI.ING Advertising Manager RABBI SYSHE HESCHEL SECOND LOOKS AT THE JEWISH SCENE ................................................... 22 Managing Editor RABBI Y AAKOV JACOBS THE JEWISH OBSERVER does not assume responsibility for the Kashrus of any product or service the cover advertised in its pages. HARAV CHAIM MORDECAI KATZ dedicating the new dormitory of the Telshe DEC. 1964 VOL. II, No. 3 Yeshiva, and eulogizing the two young students who perished in the fire ~'@> which destroyed the old structure. (See AN APPRECIATION on page 11, and ASPIRATION FOR TORAH on page 12.) OrthudoxJudaism in ih~ Uniied States in our ··rei~oval oi the women's gallery; or th;c~nfirma~· · . -
The Sanctity of Shul
בס''ד The Sanctity of Shul Tikkun Leil Shavuos – Home Learning Programme גמ' מגילה כט: The Gemara refers to a shul as a miniature Beis Hamikdash To what extent is it really comparable to the Mikdash? Does it have a similar level of kedusha and what are the relevant dinim associated with this status? In this shiur, we will present the various opinions among the Rishonim on this issue and how this relates to a number of practical questions including whether a shul that was destroyed by the Nazis retains its kedusha, the question of what to do with the shuls in Gush Katif before leaving, and what activities are permissible in a shul. Section 1 Background sources משנה מגילה כה: The Mishna states that one may sell an item of lower-level kedusha in order to purchase an item of higher- level kedusha, but not vice versa. A shul is on the list of items containing kedusha. What is unique about the Mishna's listing of a beis hakneses is that it is not an item STaM, ie it’s not a sefer torah, mezuzah or tefillin. So, why is a beis hakneses considered an item of kedusha? 1 We find three major schools of thought amongst the rishonim (medieval scholars). גמ' מגילה כו: רמב''ן מגילה כה: Ramban (1194-1270) answers that a shul is considered a tashmish mitzvah. Tashmishei mitzvah have sanctity while they are still designated for mitzvah use. A shul is designated for the mitzvah of tefillah and is therefore considered a tashmish mitzvah. Ramban explains that when the beis hakneses is no longer in use, the beis hakneses no longer has special status and it may be sold because like any other tashmishei mitzvah, it is no longer in use. -
Qt4nd9t5tt.Pdf
UC Irvine FlashPoints Title Moses and Multiculturalism Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4nd9t5tt ISBN 978-0-520-26254-6 Author Johnson, Barbara Publication Date 2010 eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California Moses and Multiculturalism UCP_Johnson_Moses-ToPress.indd 1 12/1/09 10:10 AM FlashPoints The series solicits books that consider literature beyond strictly national and dis- ciplinary frameworks, distinguished both by their historical grounding and their theoretical and conceptual strength. We seek studies that engage theory without losing touch with history, and work historically without falling into uncritical positivism. FlashPoints will aim for a broad audience within the humanities and the social sciences concerned with moments of cultural emergence and transformation. In a Benjaminian mode, FlashPoints is interested in how literature contributes to forming new constellations of culture and history, and in how such formations func- tion critically and politically in the present. Available online at http://repositories .cdlib.org/ucpress s eries editors Judith Butler, Edward Dimendberg, Catherine Gallagher, Susan Gillman Richard Terdiman, Chair 1. On Pain of Speech: Fantasies of the First Order and the Literary Rant, by Dina Al-Kassim 2. Moses and Multiculturalism, by Barbara Johnson UCP_Johnson_Moses-ToPress.indd 2 12/1/09 10:10 AM Moses and Multiculturalism Barbara Johnson Foreword by Barbara Rietveld UN IVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS Berkeley Los Angeles London UCP_Johnson_Moses-ToPress.indd 3 12/1/09 10:10 AM University of California Press, one of the most distinguished university presses in the United States, enriches lives around the world by advancing scholarship in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. -
Sefirat Ha'omer Ii
SEFIRAT HA’Omer II Lag B’Omer and Striving for Spiritual Perfection n the first class on Sefirat Ha’Omer, we learned that the Torah commands us to Icount the days from Pesach to Shavuot in order to connect the Exodus on Pesach with the Giving of the Torah on Shavuot. We also learned that there are certain practices of mourning which we adopt during the days of Sefirah (counting) in order to commemorate the deaths of the 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva, who died in an epidemic that ended on Lag B’Omer, the 33rd day of the Omer. In this class, we will learn about Lag B’Omer itself – why it is a festive day, and how it is celebrated. We will also examine how we can use the Sefirah period to achieve personal growth. This class will address the following questions: What is Lag B’Omer and why do we celebrate on that day? Who was Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and why is his death a reason for happiness? What are the reasons for some of the customs of Lag B’Omer? Why is the seven-week period from Pesach to Shavuot especially suited for personal development and growth? Class Outline: Introduction. An Unusual Venue for Celebration Section I. Lag B’Omer Part A. Rabbi Akiva’s Students Stopped Dying Part B. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and the Revelation of the Zohar Part C. Lag B’Omer Customs Section II. Using the Sefirah Period to Achieve Spiritual Perfection Part A. Seven Cycles of Seven Midot Part B. -
God Opposes Our Rebellion Fall Sermon Series on Numbers Kenwood Baptist Church Pastor David Palmer October 16, 2016
God Opposes Our Rebellion Fall Sermon Series on Numbers Kenwood Baptist Church Pastor David Palmer October 16, 2016 TEXT: Numbers 16:1-7, 15-35 We continue this morning in our fall series on the Book of Numbers. If you are just joining us, Numbers is the fourth book of the Bible, and the Book of Numbers narrates for us an epic journey through the wilderness. It's the interval of time between when God brings His people out from Egypt and they encamp at Mount Sinai for almost a year. They then move up from Mount Sinai to take possession of the land that He has promised. The Book of Numbers takes place over a 40- year period, although the narrative focuses at certain key points, and so we find ourselves there again this morning. The Book of Numbers teaches us that there is much to learn about following God. We live in a society and a cultural moment today that offers quick rewards, inflated promises, and reels from lack of commitment. The Book of Numbers describes for us what it means to follow God. The God of Scripture draws us to Himself in a relationship that provides lasting change, unshakable promises, and everlasting covenant-commitment to us. Last week, we looked at how at a key moment in the narrative, spies went up to scope out the land. They had left from Mount Sinai, come to the Desert of Paran, and looked at the land of Canaan. Yet, they were unwilling, the vast majority of them, to enter the land because of fear of what they had encountered there and a lack of trust in God. -
Monatsschrift Für Geschichte Und Wissenschaft Des Judenthums
'^i^fiti 100 =00 iOO =o IS ico M^i^ Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from University of Toronto littp://www.archive.org/details/monatsschriftf59gese Monatsschrift FÜR GESCHICHTE UND WISSENSCHAFT DES JUDENTUMS BEGRÜNDET VON Z. FRANKEL. Organ der Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaft des Judentums Herausgegeben von Prof. Dr. M. BRANN. Neunundfünfzigster Jahrgang. NEUE FOLGE, DREIUNDZWANZIGSTEB JAHRGANG. BRESLAU. KOEBNER'SCHE VERLAGSBUCHHANDLUNG. (BARASCH UND RIESENFELD.) 1915. Der jetzige Weltkrieg und die Bibel. Vortrag gehalten in der Wiener »Urania« am g. Januar 1915 von M. Güdemann. I. Nichts wird in der Bibel als so erstrebenswert hingestellt, kein Gut wird mit so warmen, eindringlichen Worten als der Güter höchstes gepriesen, wie der Friede. Der Priestersegen, der in allen Gotteshäusern, welcher Konfession sie dienen mögen, in verehrungsvoller Übung steht, lautet in seiner Kürze und Einfach- heit: »Der Herr segne dich und behüte dich. Der Herr lasse dir sein Antlitz leuchten und sei dir gnädig. Der Herr wende dir sein Antlitz zu und gebe dir Frieden.« Der ganze Satz ist bild- haft, nur ein Gut wird ausdrücklich namhaft gemacht und er- beten: das ist nicht Reichtum, nicht Ehre, Herrschaft, Macht und Größe, sondern dasjenige Gut, um das der Mächtigste, der es nicht besitzt, den Ärmsten beneidet, der es besitzt — der Friede. Wir werden diese hohe Veranschlagung des Friedens heute mehr als je begreifen, weil wir uns in einem Weltkriege, in einem Welt- brande befinden. Denn was heute alle im tiefsten Innern bewegt, was alle Herzen ausfüllt, alle Gemüter beseelt, das läßt sich unter Anwendung und entsprechender Umänderung eines be- kannten Goetheschen Satzes in die Worte zusammenfassen: »Nach Frieden drängt, am Frieden hängt doch alles«. -
Power Struggle Lesson #7 for November 14, 2009 Scriptures: Genesis 17:10-17; Numbers 16; 17; 26:9,11; Deuteronomy 11:6; Joshua 4:3-9; Matthew 26:13; Luke 22:19
People on the Move: The Book of Numbers Power Struggle Lesson #7 for November 14, 2009 Scriptures: Genesis 17:10-17; Numbers 16; 17; 26:9,11; Deuteronomy 11:6; Joshua 4:3-9; Matthew 26:13; Luke 22:19. 1. This lesson covers the power struggle between Moses and Aaron–who were doing their best to direct the people under God’s guidance–and Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and On who challenged their leadership. It also covers the consequences of that rebellion and what God did to deal with it. This is the most serious rebellion that occurred in those 40 years. 2. Let us sympathize for a moment with the rebels. How would you feel if you knew every possibility of reversing God’s verdict was gone? They had just been sentenced to spend the rest of their lives wandering in the desert eating a very simple diet and eventually dying right there in the desert, never having seen the land of promise, the land flowing with milk and honey. Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and On were apparently among the 70 leaders chosen earlier by Moses to help administer the children of Israel. Korah was a cousin of Moses. 3. On the other hand, how much evidence did those rebels have that God was their leader and not Moses and Aaron? Who brought the plagues on Egypt? Who split the Red Sea? Who brought the manna and water every day? Who had spoken to them from the top of Mount Sinai? Who was embodied in the cloud and the pillar of fire? Did they really believe that Moses and Aaron had managed to do those things on their own? They may have felt desperate, but who could they blame? 4. -
VAYISHLACH (And He Sent)
VAYISHLACH (And He Sent) GENESIS (B‟RESHIYT 32:3 – 36:43) INTRODUCTION: 1. Jacob‟s flight from Esau now comes full circle. a. He had left to flee Esau‟s anger and vengeful plan to kill him. b. As Jacob approached Canaan, Esau approached him with a 400 man army. c. However, Isaac was still alive at this time. “And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, „The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.” – Genesis 27:41 2. It seems inevitable that Jacob was going to have to confront Esau in order to enter land. a. Prophetically: Israel under Moses/Joshua had to confront Esau as well as giants. b. To possess the Land (fulfill purpose) requires confronting the obstacles. 3. Also see how and when Jacob became Israel. a. From “hand on heel” to “prince of God.” 4. Some rabbinic writers consider this even to have been a prophetic vision. a. Many see it as symbolic – each person has to struggle with God to become whole. b. In face of crisis, Jacob was left alone with God. 5. Yet, in the haftarah it says: “In the womb he took his brother by the heel [literally occurred], and in his manhood he strove with God. He strove with the angel and prevailed; he wept and sought his favor. He met God at Bethel [literally occurred], and there God spoke with us.” – Hosea 12:3-4 6. Jacob had struggled with men and overcome through persistency, morality and wit. -
Rabbi Tanchum Cohen
National Tragedies Rabbi Tanchum Cohen and Individual Rebbe, Yeshiva University High School for Boys Suffering Director / Rosh Chabura, The Undergraduate Chabura, Yeshiva University Assistant Director, Masmidim Program, Yeshiva University Assistant Rabbi, Congregation Beth Abraham, Bergenfield, NJ PORTAL TO PROFUNDITY:¹ A FIRST INTRODUCTION TO RAMBAM’S LETTER ON TECHIYAS HA-MEISIM, AND SOME OF THE DOORS IT OPENS TO EMUNA DEPTH ince the days of the Rishonim, The Narrative Background The thirteenth principle is techiyas ha- discussions of aveilus have often meisim. I have already explicated it above.6 One of the most direct formulations included a hashkafic look at life Earlier he also stated, succinctly and Safter death.2 The tragic experience of emuna principles throughout unambiguously, that techiyas ha- of personal loss and often mishna appears near the end of aveilus meisim is a cardinal principle of the Masseches Sanhedrin, in which the awaken many questions about the Jewish faith: details of the postmortem state of the first individual identified as losing ּותְחִ יַת הַמֵתִ ים הוא יסוד מיסודי תורת משה -neshama, as well as the specifics and his footing in Olam ha-Ba, the world רבנו עליו השלום, ואין דת ולא דבקּות בדת reality of techiyas ha-meisim, the future to-come, is one who denies techiyas יהודית למי שלא יאמין זה ... :resurrection of the deceased. ha-meisim, future resurrection Techiyas ha-meisim is a cardinal ואלו שאין להם חלק לעולם הבא: האומר אין A particularly intriguing conversation 5 principle of Toras Moshe, a necessary תחיית המתים, … on this topic appears in a lengthy belief for one who wishes to subscribe to letter3 penned by Rambam in 1190- The following have no portion in the the Jewish religion.