Tefillin Mirrors
When I started wearing tefillin, few people used a small hand mirror to see whether or not it was properly centered. I recall men using the shiny metal area indicating where to push on...
Keeping Torah and Values in Focus
by Micha Berger · Published February 17, 2005 – ח׳ באדר א׳ תשס״ה · Last modified February 17, 2005
When I started wearing tefillin, few people used a small hand mirror to see whether or not it was properly centered. I recall men using the shiny metal area indicating where to push on...
by Micha Berger · Published February 9, 2005 – ל׳ בשבט תשס״ה · Last modified February 9, 2005
One of the critical tools of Tenu’as haMussar is hispa’alus, “learning ‘with lips aflame.’” Literally, the word is the reflexive of “to work”, in other words “to work on oneself.” Hispa’alus is such a...
by Micha Berger · Published February 8, 2005 – כ״ט בשבט תשס״ה · Last modified February 8, 2005
A recent email from Yeshivat Har Etzion of a shiur by Rav Chaim Navon included the following quotes from R’ JB Soloveitchik’s essay “Uvikashtem MiSham“. Notice the poetic treatment of the idea that knowledge...
by Micha Berger · Published February 3, 2005 – כ״ד בשבט תשס״ה · Last modified February 3, 2005
I There is a difference in how Moshe Rabbeinu’s sons are named. Shemos 18:3-4: And her two sons; that the name of one was “Geirshom” because he said “I was a geir (foreigner) in...
by Micha Berger · Published January 30, 2005 – כ׳ בשבט תשס״ה · Last modified January 30, 2005
I noticed a result of combining two previous divrei Torah. Before reading the following, see Bemachashavah Techilah for parshiyos Bo and Beshalach. In the first, I explore the question of Hashem making it impossible...
by Micha Berger · Published January 28, 2005 – י״ח בשבט תשס״ה · Last modified January 28, 2005
(You might want to see also Different Approaches to Creation, a survey that just touches on a variety of opinions, as well as Divine Timelessness.) I think that in order to understand Rav Dessler’s...
by Micha Berger · Published January 21, 2005 – י״א בשבט תשס״ה · Last modified January 21, 2005
“Dirshu Hashem behimatz’o — seek G-d when He can be found, qara’uhu bihyoso qarov — call Him when He is near.””Shuvu eilai, veashuva aleikhem — Return to Me and I will return to you.”Contrasting...
by Micha Berger · Published January 14, 2005 – ד׳ בשבט תשס״ה · Last modified January 14, 2005
Bereishis Rabbah( 5:5): G-d made the creation of water conditional on its splitting before the Jews when they left Egypt….It was not just with the sea that He made a stipulation but with everything...
by Micha Berger · Published January 8, 2005 – כ״ז בטבת תשס״ה · Last modified January 8, 2005
A brief summary of the Encyclopedia Talmudit entry on “Bas Qol”, the paragraph about its impact on halachah:An Achna’i-style oven was made from pieces of pottery that were not cemented together. So, the question...
by Micha Berger · Published January 5, 2005 – כ״ד בטבת תשס״ה · Last modified January 5, 2005
The word “polite” comes from the Latin “politus” via the Old English “polit”, to polish. Polish is itself of the same derivation.I think this is a very telling statement about Western Culture. Politeness is...
Here are some important links if you don't want to miss any of our shiurim:
Recent Comments