Don’t Waste Time

ויש סוד גדול בדבר שלא יאבד זמן מן הזמנים לישב בטל, כי כל זמן וזמן הוא ענין בפני עצמו בסוד התפשטות ענף מענפי שם ידו”ד, ועל זה בא הרמז בפרשת וארא ‘אני ידו”ד,’ ופירש רש”י, ‘אני ידו”ד — נאמן לשלם שכר,’ כי זמן זמנים זמניהם כולם סובבים על שם ידו”ד בשרשו ובהתפשטות ענפיו. […]

The King’s Beloved Companion

Orach Chayim 110:1: “One must follow the section of Redemption (גאולה) immediately with the Amidah (תפילה) without any intervening interruption, even reciting ‘Amen’ to the blessing of Gaal Yisrael, nor any verse other than, ‘O Lord, open my lips…’ RaMA: There are those who say it is permitted to respond ‘Amen’ to ‘Gaal Yisrael,’ and […]

My Problem with the Hamptons Shul — Solved

About 13 years ago, while a student at Brooklyn College, I was very active at the Hillel House and even held a position on the e-board (basically, a student board — not sure what the “e” stood for, “executive” maybe?) as “Director of Jewish Learning. Anyway, I attended a Hillel “leadership” weekend retreat (essentially a […]

והמבין יבין

Gates of Blessing

The Upper Realm has one hundred gates (מאה שערים). Each gate has an opening from which flows a wellspring of blessing to the world. From there our forefather Isaac drew one hundred forms of blessing, from the Hundred Gates, from which blessing and bounty and Divine Emanation come forth to all creations. Therefore… the Tent […]