Simchas Purim
Let’s just look at Ben Zoma (Avos 4:1): אֵיזֶהוּ עָשִׁיר? הַשָּׂמֵחַ בְּחֶלְקוֹ. Who is wealthy? Someone who is sameiach, happy, with their lot. Ben Zoma isn’t arguing for complacency. Look at his prooftext: שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר:...
by Micha Berger · Published February 24, 2021 – י״ב באדר תשפ״א · Last modified February 24, 2021
Let’s just look at Ben Zoma (Avos 4:1): אֵיזֶהוּ עָשִׁיר? הַשָּׂמֵחַ בְּחֶלְקוֹ. Who is wealthy? Someone who is sameiach, happy, with their lot. Ben Zoma isn’t arguing for complacency. Look at his prooftext: שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר:...
by Micha Berger · Published December 18, 2020 – ג׳ בטבת תשפ״א · Last modified December 18, 2020
Rashi writes on Bamidbar 30:2: “Zeh haDavar — This is the Idea“: Moshe gave nevu’ah with “Koh amar Hashem — Like this said Hashem, ‘Like in the middle of the night’” (Shemos 11, about...
by Micha Berger · Published September 17, 2020 – כ״ח באלול תש״פ · Last modified September 17, 2020
There is a new, slightly enlarged, version of my reader for Aseres Yemei Tehuvah for 5781, suitable for putting that wandering mind to work while in shul. Contents: Spiritual Planning………………………………………………………… 1 9/11 and How...
by Micha Berger · Published April 7, 2020 – י״ג בניסן תש״פ · Last modified April 7, 2020
I think many discussions of the gemara about rice not producing chameitz head in the wrong direction. The definition of chameitz isn’t entirely scientific. After all, if you mix wheat flour with 100% apple...
by Micha Berger · Published September 26, 2019 – כ״ו באלול תשע״ט · Last modified September 26, 2019
אמר רבי יהודה משום רבי עקיבא … אמר הקדוש ברוך הוא: … ואמרו לפני בראש השנה מלכיות זכרונות ושופרות. מלכיות: כדי שתמליכוני עליכם. זכרונות: כדי שיעלה זכרוניכם לפני לטובה. ובמה? בשופר. Rabbi Yehudah said...
This blog post is with gratitude to Rabbi Pesach Sommer, for asking: Anyone aware of any interesting conceptual, philosophical, theological, or derush ideas connected to koreich, and the idea of eating Pesach, matzah and...
2- Shemos / Pesach / Torah as Growth / Yir`ah
by Micha Berger · Published April 12, 2019 – ז׳ בניסן תשע״ט · Last modified April 12, 2019
דַּבֶּר־נָ֖א בְּאׇזְנֵ֣י הָעָ֑ם וְיִשְׁאֲל֞וּ אִ֣ישׁ ׀ מֵאֵ֣ת רֵעֵ֗הוּ וְאִשָּׁה֙ מֵאֵ֣ת רְעוּתָ֔הּ כְּלֵי־כֶ֖סֶף וּכְלֵ֥י זָהָֽב׃ Please tell the people to borrow, each man from his friend and each woman from her friend, silver utensils and gold utensils....
קִיְּמ֣וּ וְקִבְּל֣[וּ] הַיְּהוּדִים֩ the Jews fulfilled and accepted says the Megillah (Est 9:27), which is darshened “they fulfilled that which they accepted already.” (Shavuos 39a) Purim not only introduces the redemption season, it represents...
by Micha Berger · Published September 8, 2018 – כ״ח באלול תשע״ח · Last modified September 8, 2018
Here are three thoughts related to the siman, the mnemonic practice, of eating an apple dipped in honey. (Aside from the ear-worm you or your kid learned in preschool that starts with the words...
Holidays / Reward and Punishment
by Micha Berger · Published August 27, 2018 – ט״ז באלול תשע״ח · Last modified August 27, 2018
I was asked the following question, and the author thought enough people want to know the answer that it pays to share it here: Q: “Siman“, as on Rosh Hashanah night, is translated as...
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