The True Hero of Chanukah
No, the title of this post doesn’t refer to HQBH, although clearly it could. (Or can it: Can we define “heroism” with respect to One for Whom there are no risks to take?) Nor...
Keeping Torah and Values in Focus
by Micha Berger · Published December 2, 2015 – כ׳ בכסלו תשע״ו · Last modified December 2, 2015
No, the title of this post doesn’t refer to HQBH, although clearly it could. (Or can it: Can we define “heroism” with respect to One for Whom there are no risks to take?) Nor...
by Micha Berger · Published November 25, 2015 – י״ג בכסלו תשע״ו · Last modified November 25, 2015
The Jewish People have been invited to the wedding of Ariel Bigel to Sarah Tichyeh Litman! Binyanei haUmah, Jerusalem at 10:30 pm tomorrow (Thursday, November 26th, 2015) Yaakov Litman Hy”d, the kalah’s father, and...
by Micha Berger · Published November 10, 2015 – כ״ח במרחשון תשע״ו · Last modified November 10, 2015
Back in 2007, I posted 7 answers to the question of why we treat Torah law and rabbinic law differently. In particular, we are lenient when in doubt about a rabbinic law (safeiq derabbanan...
by Micha Berger · Published November 7, 2015 – כ״ה במרחשון תשע״ו · Last modified November 7, 2015
וַיְבִאֶהָ יִצְחָק הָאֹהֱלָה שָׂרָה אִמּוֹ וַיִּקַּח אֶת רִבְקָה וַתְּהִי לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה וַיֶּאֱהָבֶהָ וַיִּנָּחֵם יִצְחָק אַחֲרֵי אִמּוֹ. And Yitzchak brought her to his mother Sarah’s tent, and he wedded Rivqah and she became a wife for...
by Micha Berger · Published October 23, 2015 – י׳ במרחשון תשע״ו · Last modified October 23, 2015
The whole question of time sequence in either description is questionable. Time itself was something created, and thus some rishonim (including the Rambam, Moreh Nevuchim 1:30) understand chapter 1 (at least, perhaps ch. 2...
by Micha Berger · Published September 3, 2015 – י״ט באלול תשע״ה · Last modified September 3, 2015
Usually, when we think of the pendulum as a metaphor, it’s of a process that goes too far in one direction, then too far in the other, until eventually it reaches equilibrium at the...
by Micha Berger · Published August 13, 2015 – כ״ח באב תשע״ה · Last modified August 13, 2015
Back in 2001, when Napster was in the news, I attended a “lunch and learn” program at the OU office given by R’ Zev Reichman, then of REITS’ Kollel Elyon. I just learned of...
5- Devarim / Dei`os / Yir`ah
by Micha Berger · Published August 7, 2015 – כ״ב באב תשע״ה · Last modified August 7, 2015
We saw earlier in our discussion of yir’ah the following gemara (Berakhos 33b, Megillah 25a and Niddah 16b): ואמר רבי חנינא: הכל בידי שמים חוץ מיראת שמים. שנאמר (דברים י:יב) “עַתָּה֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מָ֚ה ה’...
by Micha Berger · Published July 23, 2015 – ז׳ באב תשע״ה · Last modified July 23, 2015
Among the list of landmarks Rabbi Yehuda ben Taima lists in psychological development (Avos 5:21) is “בן חמישים לעצה — a 50 year old is [ready] for planning / advice”. (This is 10 years...
by Micha Berger · Published July 16, 2015 – כ״ט בתמוז תשע״ה · Last modified July 16, 2015
It takes two skills to thank someone: hakaras hatov, recognizing the good, being able to see the good in your life, and hoda’ah, being willing to attribute its presence to someone / Someone else. (Same...
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