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The 28th of Shevat is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Menachem Nachum Twersky (ben Yochanon) of Chernoby...
The 29th of Shevat is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Chananya Yom Tov Lipa (ben Yekusiel Yehuda) Teitel...
Human prayer is the service of the spirit. Although people do not realize it, it involves the...
Thoughts that disturb your prayers can be an atonement for your sins. When you are not suspic...
The 1st of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Yitzchak Meir (ben Avrohom Yehoshua Heschel) of Zinko...
The question was raised as to why there are different customs regarding the order of prayer, ...
Listening to a musical melody on instruments played by a pious musician for the sake of heave...
The 1st of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Yitzchak Meir of Zinkov, son of the Apta Rav (1855). ...
It is written, “These are the histories of the heaven and the earth when they were created - ...
The 14th of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Yitzchok (ben Nosson) Sternhartz of Tulchin of Bresl...
When we see the element of corporeality in something or, heaven forbid, of evil, then we are ...
The divine soul of man is transmitted and descends to this world to be clothed in a human bod...
The 12th of Adar is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Shmuel (ben Yeshaya) Halevi Horowitz (1972). Born in...
One should make strenuous efforts to attain joy in any way possible, searching within himself...
The 29th of Shevat is the Yahrtzeit of Rav Reuven (ben Yaakov Chaim) Horowitz of Zamotzva (18...
Our Sages teach us that God constricted His Divine Presence between the two staves that were ...
This paragraph is sung by Mordechai and Esther as they reflect on the Purim story: “Give ...
I suspect that the Jews who heard of Haman’s decree did not celebrate God’s kindness, or perc...
The “Servant of God” who is singing the Hallel sees life as a series of challenges to grow as...
The Chasid Ya’avetz introduces this paragraph by explaining it as the praise of Israel when t...
The Chasid Ya’avetz continues his commentary on Hallel by pointing out that the Children of I...
According to the Chasid Ya’avetz, the key verse of the Adar Hallel is, “The heavens are God’s...
Haftarah Discussions: Shabbat Chanukah I |
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Friday, 03 December 2010 00:00 |
![]() Can you think of any strategies to overcome this tactic of the Yetzer Harah? II. Nourished By Heaven “There is a Menorah made entirely of gold.” (4:2) The golden Menorah always symbolizes the Oral Law. It began to spread through the teachings and guidance of the Anshei Knesset HaGedolah – The Men of the Great Assembly – including many elders and prophets such as Zechariah and Zerubbabel. (Megillah 17b) Zerubbabel is also Nehemiah, so named because he was conceived in Bavel – “zeru” – seeded – Bavel – in Babylon. Mastery of the Oral Law can only be acquired through great toil and effort. This is what Zechariah saw in his vision: The golden Menorah, the Oral Law, although it demands tremendous work, time and effort, he will not master it by his efforts alone, but with the Divine Sustenance he receives from heaven, Wisdom and Sechel –the “Two olive trees above it,” (Verse 3) for oil is always the symbol of wisdom. (Pri Tzaddik, Beha’alotecha 10) Consider how you can use this thought as a Kavanah when lighting the Chanukah candles. III.The Souls of Israel “There is a Menorah made entirely of gold.” (4:2) The Golden Menorah represents all the souls of Israel, because, “The soul of a man is the candle of God.” (Proverbs 20:27) Israel can only achieve perfection by combining the light of all seven “Candles,” which are the seven attributes. They share one essential quality: They illuminate the entire world. The “Two olive trees,” represent the Written and Oral Laws that nurture all the souls and allow them to shine. The Written and Oral Laws enter the Seven Attributes, (Sanhedrin 24a) which empowers their illumination. Likutei Sichot, Beha’alotecha) Consider how you can use this thought as a Kavanah when lighting the Chanukah candles. |