Parshat Lech Lecha includes two covenants (Britot). The first covenant is the Brit Bein Habetarim, in which God tells Abraham to cut 9 animals in half and then the fire of the Divine Presence passes between them. In this covenant God promises Abraham that even though his children will be enslaved for a period of […]
13
Sep
Sep
A Chassidic story: A wealthy merchant would regularly visit the Baal Shem Tov and would donate large sums of money for the Rebbe’s charitable causes. Eventually his fortune changed and his business failed, leaving him nearly penniless. When he went to visit the Rebbe again the Baal Shem, undoubtedly aware of the man’s dire straits, […]
31
Aug
Aug
In the Parsha of Ekev, Moshe reminds the Jewish People that God provided them with Manna in the wilderness. In Chapter 8, verse 3 he says that God fed you (the nation) the Manna that you and your fathers were not familiar with, in order to teach you that “man does not live on bread […]
18
Aug
Aug
The Book of Devarim teaches us a very important life lesson about overcoming challenges and obstacles. Devarim is different than the other five books of the torah because it is a monologue spoken by Moses during the last few days of his life, while the Jewish People were camped in the Plains of Moab on […]
19
Jul
Jul
A Yartzeit is the yearly anniversary (on the Hebrew calendar) of a person’s death. The day is commemorated by the recitation of the Kaddish prayer by the children of the deceased, and by giving charity, performing good deeds and studying Torah. We commemorate the Yartzeits of parents, spouses, family members and great spiritual leaders. As […]
17
Jul
Jul
The first prayer in the Jewish siddur is recited when we wake up in the morning, while we’re still in bed. Here is my translation of the prayer, from the original Hebrew: Thank you, oh living and eternal God, for mercifully returning my soul to me, great is your faithfulness. Let’s break down the prayer […]
20
Mar
Mar
In this podcast episode Rabbi Singer discusses the weekly torah portion (parsha) of Vayakhel and explains a couple of major topics discussed in it. You can apply the important lesson you’ll learn from this teaching to your daily life.
10
Apr
Apr
In this podcast episode Rabbi Singer discusses the famous song Dayenu that we sing at the Passover Seder and explains the true meaning behind it. You can apply the important lesson you’ll learn from this teaching to your daily life.
19
Mar
Mar
In this podcast episode Rabbi Singer discusses the fundamental theme of the holiday of Purim: Hiddenness. It is reflected in the absence of God’s name in the Book of Esther and the reason we dress up in costumes. You can apply the important lesson you’ll learn from this teaching to your daily life.
13
Mar
Mar
In this podcast episode Rabbi Singer discusses the idea of focus. Based on a personal story, he explores the tension we all face when our thoughts are torn between focusing on trivial manner and important things like God, family and relationships. You can apply the important lessons you’ll learn from this teaching to your daily […]