For the New Month of Heshvan: Using the Hebrew Calendar

by Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed, translated and adapted by Hillel Fendel

There are some people, in Israel for the most part, who oppose the use of the Gregorian calendar in their every-day interactions, and choose to use the Jewish calendar instead. Let us delve into and explain the importance of the Jewish calendar. 

Breishit: Creation's Secret Internal Structure

by Rav Yehuda HaKohen, visionmag.org

There's a hidden understanding of our Torah that has yet to reach the English-speaking Jewish world.

Listen to the audio/read the transcript here (28 min)

Sukkot: The Ushpizin in Kabbalah

by Rabbi Eyal Ein-Dor, translated and adapted by Hillel Fendel

It is a widespread custom in Jewish homes that just before we begin our evening meal in the Sukkah, we invite the holy Ushpizin (guests), beginning with our Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This custom is first mentioned in the Zohar, which states that one must invite to his home the "upper-world guests" – and after them he must invite "mortal" guests, those who are needy. Inviting the poor and hungry into our home, especially on festivals, is a Torah command, as the Rambam writes: "One must feed the foreigner, the orphan and the widow, together with other poor people – and one who closes off his yard and eats and drinks only with his children and wife without giving food and drink to the poor and bitter-hearted, is not engaging in the Torah-commanded holiday joy, but is rather gladdening only his own belly."

Sukkot: Zionist Etrogim

Stories about Rav Mordechai Eliyahu zt"l, translated by Hillel Fendel

Zionist Etrogim

The late saintly Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu served as Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Israel from 1983 to 1993. His student Rabbi Yosef Alnekaveh related that he was once visiting Rav Eliyahu and they were discussing the greatness of the Baba Sali, Rav Yisrael Abuhatzeirah.

"Here, I'll show you something interesting," Rav Eliyahu told his student, and pulled out three thin sticks, asked, "Can you imagine what these are? They are dried-out etrogim that grew in Morocco; the Baba Sali would send me one every year because he felt that they were of the highest quality. But you should know that I never recited a blessing over an etrog that he sent me – because I only recite this [once-a-day] blessing over etrogim of our holy land on which the Land-dependent mitzvot [such as tithes, orlah, etc.] have been observed. Know that there is nothing like the sanctity of the Land of Israel."

The Secrets of Yom Kippur

by Rav Eliezer Melamed, yeshiva.co, translated and adapted by Hillel Fendel

Why does Yom Kippur atone for Israel's sins? The secret is rooted in the "covenant of love" between G-d and His people Israel. It started with the covenant He forged with the Patriarchs Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov; it was strengthened at the Exodus from Egypt, and was signed and sealed with the giving of the Torah to Israel at Mt. Sinai. Precisely then, however, Israel sinned with the Golden Calf – and when the first Yom Kippur arrived, G-d forgave them totally, and gave them the Torah again with the Second Tablets.

Yom Kippur: The Time Tunnel

by Rav Netanel Yosifun, yeshiva.co, translated by Hillel Fendel

The story is told about Rabbe Tzvi Yehuda of Stratin, who used to pray for many hours on Yom Kippur, finishing hours after the end of the fast. One year, he told his Hassidim, "This year will be different. We'll finish the prayers on time." The Hassidim thought he meant he would say the prayers more quickly – but as the day progressed, they saw that he was praying as usual. He finished the morning prayer only at 6 PM, with just another hour to go until the end of the fast!

But suddenly, in the middle of the Mussaf prayer, at exactly one minute to 7, the clock on the wall froze and stopped. The prayers continued, and took several more hours. Finally, when the final prayer – Ne'ilah – was over, the second-hand on the wall clock resumed its circular journey, showing that the prayers were over at 7 PM, precisely on schedule. The worshipers were sure that the clock had simply stopped for a few hours, and that outside they would find everyone sleeping for the night… But when they left the synagogue, to their tremendous surprise they found that everyone else had just ended Yom Kippur, just like them! The Rebbe had simply extricated them from the framework of time.

Teshuva: Don't Expect a One-Shot Deal

by Rav Haggai Londin, yeshiva.co, translated by Hillel Fendel

Yom Kippur is less than a week away, and for many of us, its approach is cause for unease and disquiet. Precisely during this period of the holy High Holidays, poisonous doubts creep into our thoughts and hearts: "Last year I asked forgiveness for my sins and errors; I prayed from the depth of my heart; I promised myself I would not fall into the same traps – and behold, it didn't work! So what's the point of all my teshuva [commitment to return to one's true inner self]? Will anything be different this Yom Kippur than last time or the time before?"

Rosh Hashana: Types of Teshuva

by Rav Shimon Cohen, translated and adapted by Sharona Eshet Kohen

Sudden Teshuva and Gradual Teshuva

In Orot HaTeshuva 11, Rav Kook describes two types of Teshuva - sudden Teshuva and gradual Teshuva - and this is how sudden Teshuva is described:

Q&A: Why Did G-d Make Israel Special?

 

Q. I have several questions in matters of emuna, as follows:

1. Why is the Nation of Israel considered greater than others? Why does G-d relate to Israel differently than the other peoples? Is this not discrimination? Why were the others created, if from the outset Israel takes precedence?

2. If G-d planned it all out in advance that the Gentiles are not commanded to keep the Torah, what complaints can there be against them when they do not keep commandments?  And why do we have the privilege of keeping the Torah, and they do not?

3. I searched on my own for an answer, and I found a Midrashic teaching that states that G-d approached all the nations and asked if they wanted the Torah, and each one of them found a reason to refuse; the only one who agreed was Israel. So this answers most of my questions – but the Midrash somewhat contradicts a passage in the Talmud that says that the Torah, Israel, Teshuva, and the name of the Mashiah were all created, in this order, before the rest of the world – which would again indicate that everything was planned out in advance…

4. Why are some of the Torah's punishments seemingly so cruel? Capital punishment, it's true, was very rare – but why does it exist at all? And even if we say it's for the sake of deterrence, why are there other punishments, such as some that are stated in the Talmud, that seem to be quite harsh for "light" sins?