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…
Long Live The King
“You should command the Bnei Yisroel to take pure oil to kindle a continuous ner. Aharon and his sons…
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…
Living With Lovon
Yaakov’s first words to his brother Eisav after twenty-two years were, “Im Lovon garti – I lived with Lovon.”…
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…
When Eisav Stops Crying
When the Rav Yosef Kahaneman, the late founder and Rosh Hayeshiva of Ponevezh Yeshiva, once had a few hours…
Harder than the Akeida
Avrohom Ovinu, in last week’s parsha, passed all the tests Hashem gave him. There are different opinions about what…
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…
Why the Change?
Not long ago people living in one place did not know what was happening in another place. News from…
Questions Asked on Chol Hamoed
1. Q. We cover our tablecloths on Shabbos and Yom Tov with plastic, which we normally cut from a…
Toras Chessed Al Leshona
“The Torah has at its beginning chessed and at its end chessed. At the beginning Hashem gave clothes to…
Jewish Oxygen
Both Shevuos and Simchas Hatorah celebrate our connection with, or better, love, for the Torah. Two explanations differentiate between…
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…
Until Fatigue Overcomes Us
Some years Parshas Ha’azinu falls on Shabbos Shuva when we are preparing for Yom Kippur. If we are beinonim,…
Manny Fekete’s Dvar Torah
In chapter 32 verse 48, Hashem tells Moshe to go up onto the mountain to die. Why are we…
A Holy People
In Pirkei Avos (3:1) we learn: Akavya ben Mehalalel says: “Consider three things and you will not come to…
A No-Brainer
One of the key points of the machzor on both Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur is Unesaneh Tokef followed…
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…
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,…
Our Greatest Comfort
This final haftora of comfort envisages the highest possible level of simcha – rejoicing with Hashem. Sos osis B’Hashem…
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…
ישראל אשר בך אתפאר
In this penultimate haftora of comfort, Yeshaya speaks even more glowingly about our wonderful future. “Behold darkness may cover…
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…
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…
Illuminating the Darkness
This week, the haftora from parshas Re’eh is only read in sefardi shuls. In ashkenazi shuls it is delayed…
He Promised
As we move through the shiva d’nechemta, the seven weeks of comforting by the nevi’im, we might remember Kiddushin…
Just a Question of Time
The difference is plain. Like day and night. After Yom Kippur we are cleansed, forgiven and atoned for. We…
Yisgadal Veyiskadesh Shemei Rabboh
In the Shacharis Kedusha of Shabbos and Yom Tov, we implore Hashem to rule over us. This is a…
Tzaddik B’Emunoso Yichye
The korbonos are in the merit of our Ovos. (Rashi, Bamidbar 28:19 in the name of Reb Moshe HaDarshon)….
Going in the Right Direction
Last week we quoted Rashi saying that we bring bulls as korbonos in the merit of Avrohom because he…
Connecting with our Zeidy
After a short delay, we are now well into the Three Weeks. Our focus is on the breaching of…
Tzaddik B’Emunoso Yichye
The korbonos are in the merit of our Ovos. (Rashi, Bamidbar 28:19 in the name of Reb Moshe HaDarshon…
Going in the Right Direction
Last week we quoted Rashi saying that we bring bulls as korbonos in the merit of Avrohom because he…
Connecting with our Zeidy
After a short delay, we are now well into the Three Weeks. Our focus is on the breaching of…
Remember; Do Not Forget
“Five tragedies occurred on the seventeenth of Tammuz; the luchos were smashed, the korban tamid was no longer brought,…
A Heart Full of Joy
“And the people saw that Aharon had died and they cried about Aharon for thirty days, the whole House…
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…
Letter by a Poshete Yid
It is reported that the Satmar Rebbe of Kiryas Yoel, Rav Aaron Teitelbaum shlita was said to have recently…
“Toira Die Beste Schoira”
This well known Yiddish expression, which means that the Torah is the best merchandise, sums up our historical love…
A New Person
Unfortunately, the rumors are true. A lady in our community has been pronounced by the Beis Din to be…
A Double Simcha
“You shall count seven weeks from the beginning of the reaping and then you shall observe the Festival of…
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…
A Journey with a Destination
Most of us have been on an aeroplane. We book our tickets, arrive at the airport and queue for…
Yismechu B’Malchusecho
What would you say is the theme of this week’s parsha of Emor? You would remember that the parsha…
Home Sweet Home
In the parshios of Acharei Mos and Kedoshim we were warned several times not to follow the customs of…
Yisgadal Veyiskadesh Shemei Rabboh
We come again to the parshos of Tazriah and Metzorah with their descriptions of white blemishes of various shapes…
Vayidom Aharon
After the simcha of Pesach come the weeks of the Omer. We look forward joyfully to Shevuos but can’t…
Ho Lachmo Anya
One of the most famous questions on the Hagada is why we invite “all those who are hungry to…
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…
Wraps
In the middle of Pesach cleaning we sometimes pause for a quick lunch. That lunch might be ‘wraps’. What…
Approaching The Month Of Redemption
With a joyful and inspiring Purim now behind us, we come closer to Nissan, the month of our redemption…
Mi Ke’amcho Yisroel
We remember this week how the army of Amolek attacked the newly freed Jewish nation, beginning with the weaker…
Ashreinu Ma Tov Chelkeinu …..
Mishenichnas Adar marbim besimcha; the time of simcha has arrived and we are supposed to increase our simcha from…
Gateway to Proper Behaviour
“These are the judgments which you shall put in front of them. When you acquire a Hebrew slave, he…
The Deal of all Time
President Trump has recently been talking about his “deal of the century,” in connection with Israel and the Arabs….
Our Personal Yetzias Mitzrayim
“And the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled and the attitude of Pharaoh and his…
A Reservoir of Merits
“And it was on that day Hashem brought out all the hosts of the Children of Israel from the…
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…
Shabbos – Our Spiritual Pit-Stop
At the beginning of Parshas Vayeitzei we read: “ And Yaakov went out of Beer Sheva and he went…
Thanksgiving
In 1621 the Plymouth colonists in America and the Wampanoag Indians wanted to thank G-d for a successful harvest….
Nafsho Keshura B’nafsho
“And now, when I go to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us, his soul…
One Lichtel
We once had a non-Jewish Dutch girl helping with the young children and it was Chanukah. Of course the…
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…
Where Are We?
“You did not want to marry her to your brother. Instead she will be married to your enemy. You…
Choosing Our Songs Of Praise
In our daily davening we say that Hashem is “habocher beshirei zimra” – He chooses our songs of praise….
Eisav’s Tears
“Eisav is still crying.” Since the time that Yaakov received the brochos from Yitzchak, Chazal say that Eisav has…
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…
Rest under the Tree
Every aspect of Avrohom Ovinu’s hospitality was repaid to his children. Avrohom ran to prepare meat for his guests;…
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…
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…
And Noach Walked With Hashem
“Noach was a perfect tzaddik.” There is no other individual whom the Torah praises in such a way –…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
A Holy People
In Pirkei Avos (3:1) we learn: Akavya ben Mehalalel says: “Consider three things and you will not come to…
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…
Building the King’s Palace
Nissan is commonly known as the month of redemption, but the Gemoro in Rosh Hashono (11a) brings another opinion…
Towards a Successful Rosh Hashono
The best-known section of Ki Sovo is the Tochacha – warning us what will happen if we do not…
Mazeltov, Mazeltov, Mazeltov – The Triple Bris
A joyous atmosphere pervaded the Beis Hamedrash recently at an unusual, almost unique simcha – a triple bris of…
Eretz Yisroel
After sixteen years in Glasgow, my wife and I had to consider our options. The shul had declined and…
Bonnie Scotland
According to a small advert in the Jewish newspaper, Queen’s Park shul in Glasgow was looking for a rabbi….
The Cohen
We were in our kitchen in Amsterdam when the letter arrived from the Rotterdam Jewish Community. We were expecting…
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…
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…
A Month of Rejoicing?
The parsha tells us that he was a hero. He knew what to do when even Moshe Rabeinu had…
Bilaam’s Tear
The best-known posuk of Parshas Balak is the praise and blessing Bilaam gave to the Jewish home. “How goodly…
Mad Dogs and Jews
Last week in Beit Shemesh, a wild dog somehow found its way into a block of flats near the…
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…
Continuing the Momentum
A week is a long time in politics, as Theresa May will agree, downsizing from her dream of a…
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?…
אנכי ה’ אלוקיך
After seven weeks of intense preparation, Bnei Yisroel were zoche to be given the Torah on Har Sinai. On…
The Chocolate Bar Question
There seems to be a question about unwrapping certain bars of chocolate on Shabbos. Can you explain? All the…
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…
Tears of Joy
We’ve all spent the last month discussing the miracles of yetzias Mitzrayim with our families. Until the early hours…
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…
Yes, of course, Tatty
Seven short weeks after Yetzias Mitzrayim, Bnei Yisroel were standing at Har Sinai, being offered the Torah. “You saw…