Late in Life
Many people wake up one day and realize that they achieved their goals later in life than many or most of the people around them. A person may get married or reach a career milestone much later than their family members …
Studies
Research into the redaction, composition and character of the Talmud Yerushalmi.
39 pieces
Absolute Standards
It is very common for people to judge their self-worth and personal achievements relative to those of others. In fact, whether we like to admit it or not we may even wish that someone else achieves less so that we can be…
I’m not as great as you think
Many people are conscious of how others perceive them and often allow a perception to persist because of the fear that they will not be valued or of being given proper respect for who they are. People often go by percept…
Judging our Sages
Some of us have been disappointed with our religious appointees one time or another. It may be because we felt that they are not qualified for their job or because we felt they have failed us. One could begin to make the…
Do Not Turn Away From Your Own Flesh (Isaiah 58:7)
All of us aspire to have those ideal families which we read about in stories. Accepting, forgiving, social and always there for each other. All too often our families fall short of this ideal, often quite short. We may d…
Why Do We Forget Our Torah Study?
Whether we study Torah casually or on a steadfast and regular basis, we will find that no matter how much we toil and review our studies sooner or later we forget much of what we have learned. Many people get frustrated,…
Auditing
When all is going well many people develop a healthy sense of complacency, while others may develop an unhealthy smugness. We may come to believe that our material success is a reflection of our spiritual success. A pers…
Be careful what you ask for
Even when nothing is truly wrong in our lives many of us will immerse ourselves in our problems and pour out our hearts to God. We'll ask God for all our personal needs, the needs of our families and neighbors and even o…
Women and Men
The great celebration of the Water Drawing was held in the Women's Courtyard. The Mishnah (Sukkah 2:5) teaches that the Priest and Levites would make a great "remedy". The Talmud explains that this remedy was the install…
Nature Obeys Israel
The Torah states: "These are the Lord's Times, Holy Occasions, which you shall designate in their designated time" (Lev. 23:4). God does not merely teach the Jewish People how to reckon the Holy Occasions, but gives them…
All of Israel is Equal
The equality of individuals is usually thought to be a modern concept, one which today defines a desirable society. However, the equality of the Jewish People was already fundamental to the belief system of the Sages of …
God is our Caretaker
God warns the People of Israel that one who slaughters an animal outside of the Tent of Meeting and not before the Mishkan in the Presence of God will bear the punishment of being cut off from the Jewish People. (Lev. 17…
המנהג להסתכל בציפורנים בהבדלה
מנהג נפוץ בכל רחבי קהילות ישראל הוא להסתכל בציפורניים לאור נר ההבדלה. אמנם, מנהג זה מקורו במנהג ארץ ישראל הקדום ולא נהג כלל בישיבות בבל. המשנה (ברכות ח:א) מלמדת: "אין מברכין על הנר עד שיאותו לאורו" ופירש רש"י "שיאותו" עד…
"טועמיהו"
מנהג מפורסם היום המכונה "טועמיהו" הוא לטעום את תבשילי השבת בערב שבת לפני כניסתה. כך פסק "מגן אברהם": "מצוה לטעום התבשילין וצריך לטעום מכל תבשיל בערב שבת" (אורח חיים רנ:א) ואחריו "משנה ברורה". אולם, הסיבה לטעימת התבשיל לא…
מיעוט דיבור בשבת
מידה ידועה ומפורסמת במיוחד אצל אנשים כבדי ראש היא למעט בשיחה בשבת ובמיוחד בשיחה בטלה כדי לשמור על רוחה של קדושת היום. על ההתנהגות הנכונה בדיבור ביום השבת אומר התלמוד הבבלי: "שלא יהא דבורך של שבת כדבורך של חול" (שבת קיג:)…
"התזת הזי"ן ב"למען תזכרו
קריאת שמע מבטאת את אמונת היהודי בייחוד ה' וקובעת את השקפתו של היהודי על בוראו. קריאת שמע דורשת לא רק לב נכון וכוונה כנה אלא גם קפדנות בקריאה והגיית אותיותיה. על הזכות הגדולה בקריאה הקפדנית של שמע אומר רבי חמא ברבי חנינא …
Stringency and Leniency
The Torah introduces the code of law that the Priest was to use in order to determine the ritual status of objects stricken with Leprosy, “to pronounce it pure, or to pronounce it impure” (Lev. 13:59). Invariably, cases …
Teachings of Israel
The teachings of the Land of Israel are inexorably connected with the Jewish People and its Land. These native teachings imprinted by the Land of Israel are at the core of our Jewish Consciousnesses and are crucial instr…
Death and Mourning: A Cosmic Experience
Death and Mourning: A Cosmic Experience God commands Aaron and his children to observe God’s watch for seven days at the opening of the Tent of Meeting. The meaning of “God’s watch” here is not entirely clear. In what se…
Betzalel: Man's Lofty Intellect
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Blessing in our World
Blessing in our World When we contemplate our lives we may observe that one endeavor after another has failed on us. Some of us fault ourselves. We are convinced that success would have been possible if we only tried a l…
Letter and Spirit in the Law
Rabbi Aha said: Solomon said: The things that the measure of Justice I have desecrated (Sanhed 2:6 12b) The Torah instructs that a king shall not have many wives, but it says of Solomon: "And King Solomon loved many fore…
Customs of the Land of Israel
Customs of the Land of Israel למען תזכרו_עברית The widespread practice of stretching the letter zayin in the Shema ' has its origins in the tradition of the Land of Israel מיעוט דיבור בשבת טועמיהו…
Regard for the Other
The Torah states: "Speak to Aaron and his children saying: This is the law of the hatath. In the place where you slaughter the olah slaughter the hatath before God it is the Holy of Holies" (Lev. 6:18). Sotah 8:9. This i…
Nov 26, 2013
Lessons
Lessons from Eretz Yisrael Do out of Love. Do out of Fear . A measure of pragmatism must always be used when dealing with human nature. A person can never be absolutely sure of his true disposition at any given moment. C…
Moses Priest Yoma 4
“All of the seven days of the milluim Moshe served as the Kohen Gadol but the Shekhinah did not come to rest on the Mishkan because of his actions. However, when Aharon wore the garments of the Kohen Gadol and performed …
Delighting Children on Yom Tov
Delighting Children on Yom Tov Its hard to imagine today a Holiday celebration that does not make the children its center. The obligation to delight our children and include them in the joy of the holiday is found in the…
Makom Kavua
Makom Kavua Praying in the same seat in the same synagogue on a daily basis is commonly perceived as the optimal manner of praying. The Talmud Bavli (Berakhoth 6b) encourages one to designate a place for his prayer (כל ה…
For the Greater Good
For the Greater Good אין דור שאין בו ליצנים. מה היו פריצי הדור עושין? היו הולכין אצל חלונותיו של דוד ואומרים לו "דוד אימת יבנה בית המקדש? אימתי בית ה' נלך?" והוא אומר אע"פ שמתכונין להכעיסני יבא עלי שאני שמח בלבי - "שמחתי…
Abstinence as a Remedy for Troubled Times
Abstinence as a Remedy for Troubled Times א"ר אבון כתיב (איוב ל:ג) "בחסר ובכפן גלמוד" בשעה שאת רואה חסרון בא לעולם עשה אשתך גלמודה. (תענית ז,א פרק א:ו) How does one act in times of distress? Rabbi Abun quoting Job teache…
Daf Yomi Recordings
Daf Yomi Recordings & Content Click below to listen and read the Daf in our exclusive Modern Elucidated Talmud for the broader Audience. Listen to Rabbi Y.G. Bechhofer's Talmud Yerushalmi Daf Yomi recordings on the entir…
Lawlessness
Lawlessness א"ר אחא כתיב כי מלאה הארץ חמס מפניהם (ברא' ו:יג). ומה היה חמסן? הוה בר נש נפיק טעין קופה מלאה תורמוסין והיו מתכוונין ונוטלין פחות משוה פרוטה דבר שאינו יוצא בדיינין. אמר רבי חייה בר ווה רבה נאמר כאן רבה (פס' ה…
Blessing over the Rain
Blessing over Rain רב יהודה בר יחזקאל אמר הכין הוה יחזקאל אבא מברך על ירידת גשמים יתגדל יתקדש יתברך יתרומם שמך מלכנו על כל טיפה וטיפה שאת מוריד לנו שאת ממניען זו מזו - תענית א:ג ד,ב The Talmud Yerushalmi’s wording: "May …
Abraham turned Evil Inclination into Good
אברהם אבינו עשה יצר הרע טוב (ברכות ט:ב) Abraham our forefather turned his evil inclination into good אברהם אבינו עשה יצר הרע טוב דכתיב ומצאת את לבבו נאמן לפניך (נחמיה ט:ח). אמר רבי אחא והפסיד? אלא וכרות עמו הברית (והחסד)…
The Active Role of God and Satan in Man's Affair's
The active role of God and Satan in man's affairs. The Talmud Yerushalmi tends to make plain God's and Satan's involvement in the affairs of man. The Talmud Bavli often extracts the active force in parallel passages. If …
"Better let them remain ignorant of sinning"
"Better let them remain ignorant of sinning". A dilemma that the Rabbis constantly wrestled with is whether to correct the masses of erroneous halakhic behavior. Should they let them continue in their path and sin unknow…
Tradition vs Inquiry in Establishing Fact or Reality in the Talmud Yerushalmi
Tradition vs Inquiry in Establishing Fact or Reality in the Talmud Yerushalmi. We find different approaches among the Sages to the question of how to establish the halakhic status of natural phenomena (e.g. the classific…
Chumra and Prohibiting the Permissible
Chumra and Prohibiting the Permissible (החומרא ואסירת המותר). The Ta lmud Yerushalmi cautions about taking unnecessary stringencies, both in their positive sense of taking upon oneself what is not required and the negati…
Amidah: Sacrifice or Prayer?
Amidah: Sacrifice or Prayer? The Gemara is found in Berachoth 1:1 and discusses the source for the halakhah that during the Amidah we stand with our feet next to each other. We will discuss soon exactly what it means tha…