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Remember The Day You Came Out of Egypt
“…In order that you remember the day you came out of Egypt all the days of your life” (Devarim…
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Long Live The King
“You should command the Bnei Yisroel to take pure oil to kindle a continuous ner. Aharon and his sons…
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He Didn’t Know Yosef
The posuk chosen by the kabbalists to symbolize the month of Teves is “Gadlu L’Hashem iti uneromamo shemo yachdov…
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Living With Lovon
Yaakov’s first words to his brother Eisav after twenty-two years were, “Im Lovon garti – I lived with Lovon.”…
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And She called his Name Yehuda
At the end of Pesukei D’zimra we say that Hashem is bocher b’shirei zimra – He chooses songs of…
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When Eisav Stops Crying
When the Rav Yosef Kahaneman, the late founder and Rosh Hayeshiva of Ponevezh Yeshiva, once had a few hours…
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Harder than the Akeida
Avrohom Ovinu, in last week’s parsha, passed all the tests Hashem gave him. There are different opinions about what…
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He Wants Us To Live
The great battle between the four kings and the five kings mentioned in last week’s parsha, took place in…
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Why the Change?
Not long ago people living in one place did not know what was happening in another place. News from…
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Questions Asked on Chol Hamoed
1. Q. We cover our tablecloths on Shabbos and Yom Tov with plastic, which we normally cut from a…
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Toras Chessed Al Leshona
“The Torah has at its beginning chessed and at its end chessed. At the beginning Hashem gave clothes to…
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Jewish Oxygen
Both Shevuos and Simchas Hatorah celebrate our connection with, or better, love, for the Torah. Two explanations differentiate between…
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Extracts of “Do You Know Hilchos Chol Hamoed?”
1. Q. If melachos are necessary for Yom Tov but not for food or other personal needs are…
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Until Fatigue Overcomes Us
Some years Parshas Ha’azinu falls on Shabbos Shuva when we are preparing for Yom Kippur. If we are beinonim,…
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Manny Fekete’s Dvar Torah
In chapter 32 verse 48, Hashem tells Moshe to go up onto the mountain to die. Why are we…
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A Holy People
In Pirkei Avos (3:1) we learn: Akavya ben Mehalalel says: “Consider three things and you will not come to…
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A No-Brainer
One of the key points of the machzor on both Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur is Unesaneh Tokef followed…
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The “Accident” Which Saved the World
The posuk in parshas Vayelech, (Devarim 31:18) “ I will hide My face on that day,” forces us to…
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On Our Way To Be Inscribed in the Sefer Hachaim
Ten Short Essays in Preparation For Rosh Hashana Copyright: Rabbi Michoel Fletcher Comments: [email protected] WHAT I LEARNED FROM OUR PASSIFLORA Passiflora,…
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Our Greatest Comfort
This final haftora of comfort envisages the highest possible level of simcha – rejoicing with Hashem. Sos osis B’Hashem…
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Vezos Habracha – The Key to Simchas Yom Tov
Vehoyisa ach same’ach (Devarim 15:15) is an explicit source in the Torah for the obligation to be b’simcha throughout…
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ישראל אשר בך אתפאר
In this penultimate haftora of comfort, Yeshaya speaks even more glowingly about our wonderful future. “Behold darkness may cover…
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Oh Childless One, Sing and be Happy
In this latest haftora of comfort, for parshas Ki Seitzei, Yeshaya again looks forward to the great Geula of…
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Wake Up – Arise from the Dust
Although Yeshaya has tried to comfort us in the first three weeks of the shiva d’nechemta, we still need…
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Illuminating the Darkness
This week, the haftora from parshas Re’eh is only read in sefardi shuls. In ashkenazi shuls it is delayed…
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He Promised
As we move through the shiva d’nechemta, the seven weeks of comforting by the nevi’im, we might remember Kiddushin…
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Just a Question of Time
The difference is plain. Like day and night. After Yom Kippur we are cleansed, forgiven and atoned for. We…
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Yisgadal Veyiskadesh Shemei Rabboh
In the Shacharis Kedusha of Shabbos and Yom Tov, we implore Hashem to rule over us. This is a…
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Tzaddik B’Emunoso Yichye
The korbonos are in the merit of our Ovos. (Rashi, Bamidbar 28:19 in the name of Reb Moshe HaDarshon)….
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Going in the Right Direction
Last week we quoted Rashi saying that we bring bulls as korbonos in the merit of Avrohom because he…
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Connecting with our Zeidy
After a short delay, we are now well into the Three Weeks. Our focus is on the breaching of…
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Tzaddik B’Emunoso Yichye
The korbonos are in the merit of our Ovos. (Rashi, Bamidbar 28:19 in the name of Reb Moshe HaDarshon…
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Going in the Right Direction
Last week we quoted Rashi saying that we bring bulls as korbonos in the merit of Avrohom because he…
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Connecting with our Zeidy
After a short delay, we are now well into the Three Weeks. Our focus is on the breaching of…
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Remember; Do Not Forget
“Five tragedies occurred on the seventeenth of Tammuz; the luchos were smashed, the korban tamid was no longer brought,…
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A Heart Full of Joy
“And the people saw that Aharon had died and they cried about Aharon for thirty days, the whole House…
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Reverend Gabriel Brodie ז”ל
One of the most respected and influential members of Manchester’s wider Jewish community was niftar last week. Humble to…
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Letter by a Poshete Yid
It is reported that the Satmar Rebbe of Kiryas Yoel, Rav Aaron Teitelbaum shlita was said to have recently…
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“Toira Die Beste Schoira”
This well known Yiddish expression, which means that the Torah is the best merchandise, sums up our historical love…
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A New Person
Unfortunately, the rumors are true. A lady in our community has been pronounced by the Beis Din to be…
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A Double Simcha
“You shall count seven weeks from the beginning of the reaping and then you shall observe the Festival of…
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The Good News And The Good News
“If you follow My laws and keep My mitzvos and do them, I shall give you rain in its…
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A Journey with a Destination
Most of us have been on an aeroplane. We book our tickets, arrive at the airport and queue for…
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Yismechu B’Malchusecho
What would you say is the theme of this week’s parsha of Emor? You would remember that the parsha…
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Home Sweet Home
In the parshios of Acharei Mos and Kedoshim we were warned several times not to follow the customs of…
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Yisgadal Veyiskadesh Shemei Rabboh
We come again to the parshos of Tazriah and Metzorah with their descriptions of white blemishes of various shapes…
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Vayidom Aharon
After the simcha of Pesach come the weeks of the Omer. We look forward joyfully to Shevuos but can’t…
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Ho Lachmo Anya
One of the most famous questions on the Hagada is why we invite “all those who are hungry to…
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Do You Know Hilchos Chol Hamoed?
Chapter One Introduction 1. Q. How many days of Chol Hamoed are there in a year? A. In Eretz…
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Wraps
In the middle of Pesach cleaning we sometimes pause for a quick lunch. That lunch might be ‘wraps’. What…
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Approaching The Month Of Redemption
With a joyful and inspiring Purim now behind us, we come closer to Nissan, the month of our redemption…
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Mi Ke’amcho Yisroel
We remember this week how the army of Amolek attacked the newly freed Jewish nation, beginning with the weaker…
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Ashreinu Ma Tov Chelkeinu …..
Mishenichnas Adar marbim besimcha; the time of simcha has arrived and we are supposed to increase our simcha from…
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Gateway to Proper Behaviour
“These are the judgments which you shall put in front of them. When you acquire a Hebrew slave, he…
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The Deal of all Time
President Trump has recently been talking about his “deal of the century,” in connection with Israel and the Arabs….
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Our Personal Yetzias Mitzrayim
“And the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled and the attitude of Pharaoh and his…
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A Reservoir of Merits
“And it was on that day Hashem brought out all the hosts of the Children of Israel from the…
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Let’s Make the Name of Hashem Great, Together
The posuk chosen by the Bnei Yisosschor to symbolize the month of Teves is “Gadlu L’Hashem iti uneromemo shemo…
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Shabbos – Our Spiritual Pit-Stop
At the beginning of Parshas Vayeitzei we read: “ And Yaakov went out of Beer Sheva and he went…
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Thanksgiving
In 1621 the Plymouth colonists in America and the Wampanoag Indians wanted to thank G-d for a successful harvest….
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Nafsho Keshura B’nafsho
“And now, when I go to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us, his soul…
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One Lichtel
We once had a non-Jewish Dutch girl helping with the young children and it was Chanukah. Of course the…
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The Kedoshim will Praise You Every Day
When Yosef followed Yaakov’s request to check on Yosef’s brothers it was always going to be a risk. The…
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Where Are We?
“You did not want to marry her to your brother. Instead she will be married to your enemy. You…
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Choosing Our Songs Of Praise
In our daily davening we say that Hashem is “habocher beshirei zimra” – He chooses our songs of praise….
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Eisav’s Tears
“Eisav is still crying.” Since the time that Yaakov received the brochos from Yitzchak, Chazal say that Eisav has…
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Why did we lose the Land?
Untitled 1 One hundred years after Lord Balfour began the political process to enable millions of Jews to live…
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Rest under the Tree
Every aspect of Avrohom Ovinu’s hospitality was repaid to his children. Avrohom ran to prepare meat for his guests;…
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Where was G-d in the Holocaust?
Any rabbi or Jewish speaker who has ever spoken in public on the topic of emuna has probably been…
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Revolutionising our Shemoneh Esrei
Avrohom Ovinu’s statement that he is “like dust and ashes” (Bereishis 18:27) is much misunderstood. People often understand that…
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And Noach Walked With Hashem
“Noach was a perfect tzaddik.” There is no other individual whom the Torah praises in such a way –…
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בני בני חביבי – A Tribute to the Residents of Beit Ha’ela
Simchos Bais Hashoeva come in various shapes and sizes. Some take place in a Succa, some in Simcha halls,…
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טוב להודות לה’ – It’s Good to Thank Hashem
The Gemara Megila (9a) tells that Ptolemy, the king of Egypt, once gathered seventy-two Jewish elders and put them…
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Now that’s an Interesting Question
With Succos coming very soon, it is perhaps a good idea to review some halochos of Yom Tov, in…
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How Beautiful Are Your Footsteps
In the Musaf Shemone Esre of Yom Tov we say, “Rebuild Your Temple….establish Your site….May we go up there…
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A Holy People
In Pirkei Avos (3:1) we learn: Akavya ben Mehalalel says: “Consider three things and you will not come to…
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Look Down…And Bless Your People
In the parsha of Ki Sovo, we read about the vidui maaser, the declaration that one had observed the…
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Building the King’s Palace
Nissan is commonly known as the month of redemption, but the Gemoro in Rosh Hashono (11a) brings another opinion…
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Towards a Successful Rosh Hashono
The best-known section of Ki Sovo is the Tochacha – warning us what will happen if we do not…
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Mazeltov, Mazeltov, Mazeltov – The Triple Bris
A joyous atmosphere pervaded the Beis Hamedrash recently at an unusual, almost unique simcha – a triple bris of…
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Eretz Yisroel
After sixteen years in Glasgow, my wife and I had to consider our options. The shul had declined and…
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Bonnie Scotland
According to a small advert in the Jewish newspaper, Queen’s Park shul in Glasgow was looking for a rabbi….
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The Cohen
We were in our kitchen in Amsterdam when the letter arrived from the Rotterdam Jewish Community. We were expecting…
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A Month of Rejoicing? – Part 3
As we approach Tisha Be’Av, our tefilos for the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash deepen in intensity. But what…
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A Month of Rejoicing? – Part 2
Mutual respect between Jews who have different hashkafos concerning the State of Israel was our theme last week. The…
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A Month of Rejoicing?
The parsha tells us that he was a hero. He knew what to do when even Moshe Rabeinu had…
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Bilaam’s Tear
The best-known posuk of Parshas Balak is the praise and blessing Bilaam gave to the Jewish home. “How goodly…
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Mad Dogs and Jews
Last week in Beit Shemesh, a wild dog somehow found its way into a block of flats near the…
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To Love And To Fear Your Name
The first section Parshas Chukas is the parsha of poro aduma. However, it would appear to be in the…
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Continuing the Momentum
A week is a long time in politics, as Theresa May will agree, downsizing from her dream of a…
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The Summer: Make Hay While the Sun Shines
The question is sometimes asked why we say vehu rachum straight after neila at the end of Yom Kippur?…
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אנכי ה’ אלוקיך
After seven weeks of intense preparation, Bnei Yisroel were zoche to be given the Torah on Har Sinai. On…
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The Chocolate Bar Question
There seems to be a question about unwrapping certain bars of chocolate on Shabbos. Can you explain? All the…
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Travelling from Israel on the Eighth day of Pesach
Q. Yaakov, an Israeli businessman has already booked to fly to an important business meeting in England on the…
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Tears of Joy
We’ve all spent the last month discussing the miracles of yetzias Mitzrayim with our families. Until the early hours…
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What I Learnt From the Florist
Back in Ramat Beit Shemesh after an enjoyable Pesach in England, I went into our local florist to buy…
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Yes, of course, Tatty
Seven short weeks after Yetzias Mitzrayim, Bnei Yisroel were standing at Har Sinai, being offered the Torah. “You saw…
