Moadim
“ The ‘Zamir’ of the Powerful” and Growth after war “The ‘Zamir’ of the Powerful” and Growth after War For Man is the Tree of the Field Vital Growth Emerging from the Ground Given the terrible costs of war (in every sense of the word), we must attempt to understand the kind of growth that can follow on the heels
A nation that resembles angels - against eulogists and against all odds - Shabbat Yom Kippur 5785 - Rabbi Eliezer Haim Shenvald A nation that resembles angels against eulogists and against all odds Shabbat Yom Kippur 5785 Rabbi Eliezer Haim Shenvald Praying for the IDF soldiers' success, to safeguard them lest any harm come to them, to the healing of all the wounded and the return of the abducted. כבר אמרו חז
Chanukah - Deciding the Debate about the Essence of Heroism, in Battle and in Life Chanukah Deciding the Debate about the Essence of Heroism, in Battle and in Life On Hanukkah, we mark the military victory of the Hasmoneans over the Seleucid Greeks. The war broke out over cultural and religious disputes, namely, the Greeks’ attempt to Hellenize the Jewish people, not over national or
Chanukah - Jewish Bravery – Then and Now Jewish Bravery Then and Now The gemara tells a story that, more than any other, expresses the bravery of the Hasmoneans, which itself was rooted in a sense of holiness and in the Beit Ha- Mikdash: It was taught in a beraita: Yochanan the Kohein Gadol heard a heavenly voice
Communal Growth and Planting Fruit-Bearing Trees Communal Growth and Planting Fruit- Bearing Trees Ever since the Jewish return to Zion in recent times, Tu Bi- Shvat, the new year for trees, has become a holiday for celebrating Eretz Yisrael and its fruit, especially by planting trees. Fruit trees constitute a component of man’ s diet, but
For Man is the Tree of the Field: On Growth in the Shadow of War “For Man is the Tree of the Field” The Value of Growth against the Backdrop of War[ 1] For Man is the Tree of the Field The Torah compares man to the tree of the field. The context is the commandment not to harm fruit trees during war: When you
Hanukkah Hanukkah Candles at the Door of the Home Jewish Bravery Lighting Hanukkah Candles at the Entrance to Tents and Vehicles The Essence of Heroism The Expectation of Decisive Victory on Hanukkah The legacy candles of Judah Maccabee that shine at the entrance to our Beit Midrash Contrary to the rest
Hanukkah Candles at the Door of the Home Hanukkah Candles at the Door of the Home and the Victory of Holiness and Modesty of the Jewish Home The mitzva of lighting Hanukkah candles is a unique and beloved mitzva that we fulfill at the entrance to our homes. By being meticulous about this mitzva, we will certainly prepare
Kimcha De-Pischa The Attribute of Kindness and the Taste of True Jewish Freedom Kimcha De- Pischa The Attribute of Kindness and the Taste of True Jewish Freedom The “kimcha de- Pischa” (literally, “flour for Passover”) collections for the needy is an ancient custom and decree which is mentioned in the Talmud (Yerushalmi, Bava Batra, ch. 1; Mishna Berura, 429: 3). This custom is
Like Cast Lead: The Expectation of Decisive Victory on Hanukkah Like Cast Lead: The Expectation of Decisive Victory on Hanukkah In the middle of Hanukkah, 5768 (December 2007 January 2008) the IDF launched Operation Cast Lead in Gaza. Even if the operation’ s timing was determined by human calculation, we are nevertheless “believers, the children of believers” that God, the
Month of Iyar, the Month of Jewish Renewal and Heroism Month of Iyar, the Month of Jewish Renewal and Heroism The month of heroism, once and forever This month, a number of significant events happened in our past, recent and distant, which we commemorate with special holidays. Two of these belong to the generation of the founding of the State
Pesach Kimcha De-Pischa
Shabbat Ha-gadol
Springtime for Israel — and the World
The Blessing of the Trees during Chodesh Ha-aviv
The Forge of Maror
The Matza of Haste and Faith
The Spring of Jewish Faith
Praising the Land through its Fruits “Eretz Tzvi” Praising the Land through its Fruits In order to understand the significance of Tu Bi- Shvat as the new year for trees and their fruit, we must take a broader view of the deep spiritual meaning of the fruits of the land, of “eretz ha- tzvi” When God
Preserving the Environment as a Jewish Value Protecting Nature Ecology through the Prism of Torah Preserving the Environment as a Jewish Value The past few decades have witnessed the emergence of ecological and environmental awareness, protection of species, and preservation of nature and countryside. Does the Torah address this issue specifically? And how does it relate to
Shavuot - A Holiday with No Identity A Holiday with No Identity A Holiday of Many Names The Torah lists “the festival of Shavu’ ot” as one of the three pilgrimage festivals, along with Pesach and Sukkot (Devarim 16: 16 and elsewhere). It draws its name from the fact that it is the culmination of seven weeks
Springtime for Israel - and the World Springtime for Israel and the World The Exodus from Egypt stands as the foundational event of Jewish history, and its timing has undeniable significance. The Torah stresses, in a number of places, that the Israelites leave Egypt in “chodesh ha- aviv,” “the month of spring.” In fact, Moshe mentions this
The Blessing of the Trees during Chodesh Ha-Aviv The Blessing of the Trees during Chodesh Ha- aviv As the month of Nisan, Chodesh Ha- aviv, begins, we are presented with a unique and beloved mitzva: the blessing on the trees (birkat ha- ilatnot). Let us examine the characteristics of this mitzva and its connection specifically to Chodesh Ha
The Connection between the Quality of the Fruit of Eretz Yisrael and its Sanctity The Connection between the Quality of the Fruit of Eretz Yisrael and its Sanctity R. Yoel Sirkis (author of Bayit Chadash and thus known as “the Bach”) explains (ad loc.) the opinion of those who included the words “to eat of its fruits and be satisfied by its bounty” in
The Forge of Maror The Forge of Maror Together with the festive expressions of redemption on the Seder night, there is an expression of bitterness, a memorial to the bitter exile and the great troubles which were our lot in Egypt. The redemption is reflected in our partaking of the pesach and the matza
The Legacy Candles of Judah Maccabee that Shine at the Entrance to our Beit Midrash The Legacy Candles of Judah Maccabee that Shine at the Entrance to our Beit Midrash Contrary to the rest of the country, here is Modiin “every day is Hanukkah”![ 1] Here in our Beit Midrash in the city of Modiin, we light the legacy menorah of Judah Maccabee and the
The Matza of Haste and Faith - based Activism Avoiding Hachmatza (Leavening) The Matza of Haste and Faith based Activism Avoiding Hachmatza (Leavening) At the end of Maggid, before we say the first half of Hallel, we recite the words of Rabban Gamliel, concerning the paschal offering, matza, and bitter herbs, as cited in the mishna in Pesachim:[ 1] Rabban Gamliel used
The Mitzva to Cultivate the Holy Fruit of “Eretz Ha-Tzvi The Mitzva to Cultivate the Holy Fruit of “Eretz Ha- Tzvi” The sanctity of the fruits of Eretz Yisrael, which grow from the land, finds expression in another mitzva as well: cultivating the earth of Eretz Yisrael and growing fruit in it, as Chatam Sofer explains: In my humble opinion
The Mitzvah of Lighting Hanukkah Candles in the IDF The Mitzvah of Lighting Hanukkah Candles in the IDF Lighting Hanukkah Candles at the Entrance to Tents and Armored Vehicles Yeshiva students on reserve duty asked: During Hanukkah, we will be with other reserve soldiers in the southern part of the country, in a large exercise that simulates a week
The Secret of Redemptive Memory The Secret of Redemptive Memory Remembering the Exodus from Egypt stands at the center of the Seder night[ 1]: “Remember this day that you left Egypt, from the house of slavery… and you shall tell your children on that day, saying ‘because of this that God did for me when
The Special Mitzvot of the Land of Israel The Special Mitzvot of the Land of Israel Express its Inherent Sanctity Tu Bi- Shvat is the key cut- off date for mitzvot pertaining to tree fruits grown in Eretz Yisrael. In order to understand the significance of this date, we must first explore what the Sages meant with the
The Torah Chose to Praise the Land through its Fruits Why did the Torah Choose to Praise the Land through its Fruits? Emphasis on the quality of Eretz Yisrael’ s fruits as an expression of the greatness of the land itself raises a fundamental question: shouldn’ t specifically the spiritual qualities of Eretz Yisrael be emphasized? Its surpassing holiness as
Tu Bi-Shvat Growth in the land of Israel - A Tu Bi-Shvat collection
Tu Bi-Shvat: Growth from Roots Below the Ground Tu Bi- Shvat: Growth from Roots Below the Ground Why was the new year for trees established in the month of Shvat and not Tishrei, when Rosh Hashana is observed, marking the turning of the calendar for years, Shemita and Jubilee years, planting, and vegetables (Mishna, Rosh Hashana 1: 1)?
Tu Bi-Shvat: The New Year for Trees Tu Bi- Shvat: The New Year for Trees Tu Bi- Shvat is the new year for trees. Its spiritual qualities express the meaning of “growth” and the inherent sanctity of the Eretz Yisrael that is manifest in its special mitzvot, in the sanctity of its fruits, and in the special
Yom Ha-Zikaron Le-Chalelei Tzahal Yom Ha- Zikaron Le- Chalelei Tzahal The Value of the Fallen of Israel’ s Wars Since the establishment of the State of Israel, our national day of independence, Yom Ha- atzma’ ut, has been celebrated immediately after our national day of remembrance, Yom Ha- zikaron Le- chalelei Tzahal (literally: Memorial
Yom Ha'atzmaut “On the Inherent Sanctity of Independence Day” The title of this essay is taken from the title that my revered teacher, R. Zvi Yehuda Kook (from whom I was privileged to learn at the Merkaz HaRav Yeshiva), gave to a speech he delivered at his yeshiva on Israel’ s third
גרעין קהילתי וקריית חינוך ע"ש מאיר והראל ע"ר 580444826
©מאיר הראל - ישיבת ההסדר מודיעין
LiveSites | כניסה | הצהרת הנגישות | מדיניות הפרטיות
©מאיר הראל - ישיבת ההסדר מודיעין
LiveSites | כניסה | הצהרת הנגישות | מדיניות הפרטיות