The Gemara states that the source for the precept that poverty is akin to death is from that which it is said (Shemos 4:19) Hashem said to Moshe in Midyan, “Go, return to Egypt, for all the people who seek

your life have died.” The Ran explains that this verse, which was said

regarding Dasan and Aviram, could not be referring to tzaraas, lack of

children, or blindness. They could not have been blind because Dasan and…

The Gemara states that that the source for the precept that poverty is akin to death is from that which it is said (Shemos 4:19) Hashem said to Moshe in Midyan, “Go,

return to Egypt,

for all the people who seek your life have died.” The Ran explains that this

verse, which was said regarding Dasan and Aviram, could not be referring to tzaraas,

lack of children, or blindness. They could not have been blind…

The Nachas Vacuum

Moshe was eighty years old. He was commanded to become the leader of the Jewish Nation. G-d determined that he had what it takes to be the greatest Jewish leader of all times. Yet, he insisted on the approval

of his older brother Aharon. Let's take a closer look. Aharon was only

three years older then Moshe. Moshe hadn't seen his brother or heard

from him in sixty years. Even during his first twenty years in Egypt

Moshe hadn't grown up with…

Moshe while tending his father-in-law’s flocks encounters a remarkable sight, a burning bush (Shemoth 3:1-2). The bush is enveloped in fire but is not consumed. It is here G-D communicates to Moshe that time for redemption had arrived (3:6-10). The image of the bush remaining unscathed amid the flames is an image symbolic of the Jewish experience.…

The Mishnah states that an alias for a vow has the same status as a vow and an alias for an oath has the same status as an oath. The Sifri (Matos) states that the distinction between a neder, a

vow, and a shevuah, an oath, is that one who take a vow is invoking the life of

the king, whereas one who takes an oath is invoking the King Himself. The Ran

(S.v. ushevuos kishevuos) infers from the Mishnah that one who takes an oath…

Every neshama has a purpose and a unique excellence of its own.

No two neshamos should be striving for the same goal. As much as we all have to try to succeed in everything we do, each one of us has a specialty which should be the emphasis of our lives.

So, you may ask, how do we get to know exactly what our specialty is? How do we learn about the potential of our individual soul? How do we know if we are going…

You can see my regular blog at http://dixieyid.blogspot.com

Enjoy!

-Dixie Yid

My Friend Jerry Weisberg

“Behold! The dreamer is coming!”

Since the time of Yaakov Avinu dreamers stood apart. Yosef dreamt and shared his dreams. His holy parents held him in prophetic esteem; his own brothers held him in disdain. Some saw in him a leader of men

with a new dream and a fresh horizon while others couldn’t tolerate

change or were overcome with a crippling sense of jealousy.

Twenty one years ago I was a kiruv…

Don’t Hog The Blanket!

By Rabbi Yaacov Haber

This Wednesday we will commemorate the Tenth of Tevet.



The day Nebuchadnezar began his occupation of Jerusalem. All the Jews

had lived in the Land of Israel for eight hundred and fifty years. The

Bais HaMikdash in Jerusalem, built by Shlomo HaMelech, was four hundred

and ten years old. Generations of Jews had never considered…

By Rabbi Yaacov Haber

Sometimes saying ‘Boruch Hashem’ is not so easy.

“If one digs deep into their soul to find blessing and then articulates that blessing in the form of praise to G-d, the Presence of G-d, the

Shechina, will immediately rest on that individual and whatever they

pray for at that moment will be heard. (ARI)

This explains why:

* Before we begin to pray in the…

A central teaching of Chassidut is that G-D is so involved in His creation that there is no such thing as coincidence, only Provenance. Therefore, the fact Parashat Miketz and Chanukah coincide every year is deliberate and that both are connected.

The events of Miketz took place between the years 2229-2238, some 3,529 years ago. The Chanukah…