Close To Torah

The great Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Ner Yisroel in Baltimore Rav Shmuel Yaakov Weinberg zt"l said on several occasions that the Moadim that we experience annually are not anniversaries. They are reliving that initial experience once again. I heard from the Rosh Yeshiva of the Telshe Yeshvia in Cleveland Rav Mordechai Gifter zt"l that Moed comes from the word vaad, a meeting or commencement. That means that every Moed that we have is a chance to have a meeting with the Ribono Shel Olam in a way that we cannot have the rest of the year. That means that through a Moed we come to embrace something that we cannot gain the rest of the year. We then take that newly found treasure and incorporate it in to our lives… Continue reading

Machshuvah, Moadim / Tekufos Limud HaTorah, Shviras HaMidos, Zman

"והוא נער את בני בלהה ואת בני זלפה..." (לז:א).

“He (Yosef) befriended the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah” (37:1).

Rashi tells us that the sons of Yaakov were disrespectful of their four brothers born from Yaakov’s secondary wives (Dan, Naftoli, Gad, Asher) and called them, “sons of the maidservants”. Yosef was very unhappy with this disrespect and so he reported it to his father and made an effort to help out and befriend them.

What is quite impossible to understand is that despite this effort, they still sold him!? Ten brothers were involved in his sale and this included the four sons of Bilhah and Zilbah! The very four people whom Yosef dedicated his efforts to protect and care for?! More so, they were… Continue reading

Parshas Vayeishev

I mentioned earlier that TEN brothers were involved in the sale of Yosef. The Seforim say that the incident of the Ten Martyrs (Asarah Harugey Malchus) took place as an atonement for the TEN people involved in the sale of Yosef. However, this needs to be understood. We know that Yaakov had twelve sons. Three of them were not involved in the sale! Binyomin wasn’t there, Reuven was away at the time, and Yosef didn’t sell himself! In that case, only nine people were involved, who is the tenth? Here are three approaches: 1- Shlah explains that since Reuven initially agreed to throw Yosef into the pit (and to sell him), he was held accountable even though he wasn’t present at the actual sale. 2- Others state that Yosef himself… Continue reading

Parshas Vayeishev

We all know that the reason we celebrate Chanukah is to commemorate and thank Hashem for all of the Nissim - miracles - that He performed for our ancestors upon saving them from the Greeks and their harsh decrees.

Firstly, for the miraculous and crushing defeat of the mighty Greek army at the hands of the Maccabees - a small army of religious Jews led by Yehuda HaMaccabee and his father Mattisyahu. Secondly, for the miracle of the Menorah.

When the Maccabees returned victorious to the Beis HaMikdash, they found it completely defiled by the Greeks. After much searching, they managed to find a small jar of pure, untouched olive oil with the seal of the Kohen HaGadol still intact. This jar contained enough oil to… Continue reading

Chanukah

Intermarriage is the greatest problem facing the Jewish nation today. It is decimating our masses at an alarming rate as the tides of our youth assimilate into oblivion. Faced with this challenge, we have dispatched some of our best and brightest to the forefront to confront this growing problem head on.

We have sent them to college campuses around the globe. There, outreach professionals are able to reach out in an attempt to save the next generation of Jews and preserve our heritage keeping our torch of tradition burning bright.

Yet, difficult questions arise – questions which need to be answered. Here is one such question along with an approach that I heard from Rabbi Doron Kornbluth – author of “Why Marry Jewish?” – at a… Continue reading

Chanukah, Reaching Out

The Close to Torah family would like to congratulate Rabbi Yehuda Spitz on receiving word that his published work 'Kuntres Shnei Keilim' has been one of the selected winning entries (from thousands) in the Municipality of Jerusalem's Office of Torah Culture Competition. The award ceremony will take place - in the presence of Harav Ovadia Yosef Shli"ta - on December 19th at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem. May he have much continued success in all of his endeavors. The Halacha of 'Shnei Keilim' is as follows; The Rama writes that two pots (meat and milk) cooking on a stove that touch are permissible B'dieved. What are the parameters of this Halacha? Is moisture, handles or temperature a factor? Would countertops fall into this question? To learn more about Shnei Keilim or to view his… Continue reading

Announcements

Ohr Somayach is proud to offer our new Chanukah Handbook as part of our Holiday Handbook series.

With great essays, Q/A and halachic overview it is a tremendous asset for schools, synagogues and organizations.

http://ohr.edu/web/chanukah/dl.php

Best wishes for a Happy and inspirational Chanukah!… Continue reading

Chanukah

There are many opinions given by Chazal as to why we come to sin.   The gemara in Sota offers the opinion that a ruach shtuss, a wind of absurdity, enters us.  Once this ruach shtuss takes hold of us we cannot resist the temptation to commit an aveira.  The word shtuss is derived from the word shote, a person who is incompetent.  The gemara is telling us that when a ruach shtuss enters, it enables people to act in ways they otherwise would not.  This begs an important question; how can an incompetent person be responsible for his actions?  A shote is never held responsible for his actions, so how then are we responsible for our aveiros?  Let us try to understand this remarkable Chazal. My husband posed this very question… Continue reading

Women Inspired

Aah! The cool refreshing taste of the “Real Thing”! Is there anything (besides maybe baseball and apple pie) that is considered more American? Everyone also knows that around the world (pretty much) there is almost nothing more kosher than good, old-fashioned Coke. Why, you can even ask Grandma, that back in the day (before mp3s, microwaves, dishwashers, and even World War II), Coca-Cola was THE drink of choice for all, even the strict kosher consumer.

 

But, it wasn’t always that way. We all have a certain person to thank for that, Rabbi Tuvia (Tobias) Geffen, Chief Rabbi of Atlanta, Georgia for many decades. He was one of the select few who actually knew the closely guarded secret ingredient in Coke. Back in the 1920’s and 30’s, Coke… Continue reading

Halacha For the Layman Bitul B'Shishim, Coca Cola, Kashrus

On behalf of the Close To Torah family I would like to formally welcome Rabbi Yehuda Spitz, Rosh Chaburah at the Ohr Lagolah Halacha Kollel at Ohr Somayach in Yerushalayim. Rabbi Spitz will be posting halachik articles on a variety of topics. It is my brachah that Rabbi Spitz inspires and enriches the Close To Torah Community and that he will grow in his clarity and wisdom from his work… Continue reading

Announcements