Judaism

The power of speech, both positive and negative is large part of our legacy as Jews. Guarding our speech is one of our foremost weapons in bringing blessing upon us or, G-d forbid, the opposite. We cannot underestimate the power of our words, as the following stories demonstrate.

Question: May leftover meat from the Sabbath during the Nine Days be used during the week so as not to violate “bal tash’chit” – the prohibition against wastefulness? Rabbi Yaakov Spivak, zt”l Rosh Kollel, Kollel Ayshel Avraham Monsey, NY

Both the U.S. and Israel signed a document in support of the ICC under pressure, but neither of these countries ratified the treaty that established the ICC, and as such neither is obligated to submit to the ICC’s jurisdiction.

All of our nation’s suffering is rooted in the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash. More precisely, our suffering is rooted in what the destruction reflects – distance between us and Hashem.

The Land of Israel being the ideal homeland of the Jews is that it is the only one. It is ideal, and nowhere else

Because Avraham is no longer physically with us in our world, this personal role is fulfilled through the exercise of the divine attribute that Avraham exemplified – that of chesed (kindness). When the power of the kindness of Avraham is made to resonate in the world, then we will know that the redemption is at hand.

And the Devil did grin, for his darling sin is pride that apes humility. -Samuel Taylor Coleridge

What is unique about the covenant in Judaism is, first, that one of the parties is G-d Himself. This would have been unintelligible to Israel’s neighbors, and remains extraordinary even today.

Many of us have lost it because we don’t see the true value of it. What would having the Beit HaMikdash add to my life that I don’t have already?

Even though the realm of evil may at times become stronger, one need not fear as he has hope and faith that Hashem is with us.

The Chovos HaLevovos gives us a chilling deterrent from speaking lashon hara. He warns us that if we speak lashon hara about someone, Hashem will take away some of our merits and give them to the person we spoke badly about.

Learning how to politely say no to opportunities that take us away from our top priorities and goals is essential for fulfillment and success. Moreover, once we neglect studying Torah, writes Arvei Nachal, we will lose motivation to study, leading to even more idleness.

When one realizes he is sinning, there is a psychological urge to either rationalize the behavior, or deny obligation or connection to G-d.

If you take a moment to contemplate nature, you will find that almost everything in this world involves a cause-and-effect relationship. The world seems to abide by certain rules, with very few exceptions.

Letting things go is generally a virtue, at least regarding releasing acrimonious feelings towards others. However, when it comes to personal struggles and overcoming negative character traits or following through with a life-long dream and aspiration, letting it go in the face of adversity is not a virtue at all.

Our thoughts now must be directed to those families who are still suffering, whose loved ones are still in captivity, and to our brave soldiers who are fighting for our very existence – and to the hope that we are nearing the end of our galut when the Jewish people will be redeemed with the coming of Mashiach.

How could my best friend have left? I didn't say goodbye, I screamed and cried but he was gone.

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The family told him that they would not be burying Eran but cremating him, instead. The Chassid was of course horrified by this information and started trying to convince them to have him buried. He called repeatedly until the family threatened to call the police if he bothered them again.

The Gemara (Kesubos 34b) presents two opinions on whether a guardian becomes liable for the entrusted item only from when the loss occurs, or retroactively from when the item was entrusted, Rabbi Dayan replied.

A Tax-Free Meal ‘A Town Whose Torah Scroll Was Stolen…’ (Bava Basra 43a)

Just as a mourner would find a cheerful greeting to be out of touch with what he is experiencing, that is how we should feel on Tisha B’Av.

Older Americans may remember one of the great betrayals felt by American military service members upon their return from fighting in Vietnam, when many were greeted with jeers and accusations. Indeed, the type of homecoming a soldier receives was found to predict PTSD up to 40 years later (Steenkamp et al, 2017).

Question: May leftover meat from the Sabbath during the Nine Days be used during the week so as not to violate “bal tash’chit” – the prohibition against wastefulness? Rabbi Yaakov Spivak [zt”l] Rosh Kollel, Kollel Ayshel Avraham Monsey, NY

The Land of Israel is the most desirable of all lands. Hashem watches over the Land constantly and more closely than any other land.

Duct tape is like the force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together. -Carl Zwanzig

Getting up from a fall can often feel very difficult. Understandably, many think that after falling, they cannot rise again.

once Aharon dies and they confront the king of Arad, they decide upon a different journey in which they will enter Israel through the “side door.”

According to Maimonides, the death of the High Priest has nothing to do with guilt or atonement, but simply with the fact that it causes a collective grief so great that it causes people to forget their own misfortunes in the face of a larger national loss.

It was necessary to have an equal number of people going to war, as were assigned to pray. This was to highlight the awareness that it was not the strength of those fighting that determined their victory over the Midyanim, but the prayers of the other 12,000 soldiers.