When he finally went to the pulpit to begin his talk, many ideas crossed his mind. He has often remarked, "Whenever I have to speak, I plan one darshan at home; on my way to the shall, I think of a second one, and when I am at the bimah, I end up sa…
Moshes' father-in-law Yisro heard all that God had done for the Israelites and brought Moshes' wife Tzipporah and her two sons Gershom ("I have been a stranger here") and Eliezer ("God was my help") to Moshe in the wilderness at Mount Sinai. Yisro r…
Rabbi Twerski had an outstanding medical career, including founding and serving as the medical director emeritus of Gateway Rehabilitation Center in Pittsburgh. He also served as the clinical director of the Department of Psychiatry at St. Francis H…
Harav Sholom Mordechai Hakohen Schwadron, known as the "Maggid of Jerusalem," was a revered Charedi Rav and inspiring Torah speaker. With his fiery and inspirational mussar talks, he captivated audiences and earned the admiration of many. His teachi…
Many synagogues have a beautiful custom of intonating the Shirah verses containing Hashem's holy name with a special melody. It is also customary in some communities to rise respectfully during this special leining. Additionally, in ce…
I recently discovered a valuable source in Derashos Haran from a shiur given by Rabbi Lopiansky, specifically Talk 10. In this talk, the Ran explains how the Torah provides godly laws for the people while allowing the king to establish additional la…
Some interesting things to ponder about Shabbas Shira: Did you know that the Talmud teaches (Megillah 16b) that the sections of the Torah involving Shira (songs) are written in a unique "Aruch al gabei leveina" style? This means that the script o…
HaRav Matisyahu Salomon was born on November 28, 1937, and passed away on January 2, 2024; he was a master of Torah and Mussar. His wisdom and teachings touched the lives of thousands. Hatzolah responders rushed to his home on Tuesday night when he …
1. Pray near inspired congregants. This is inspirational not for competitive reasons but because it provides constant reminders that if one falls behind in concentration, it can reinspire him. 2. Pursue a deeper understanding of the prayers. 3. En…
Some have a custom of giving birds food on Shabbos Shirah. Two reasons are given for this custom: The Aruch HaShulchan (324:3) says that since the birds sang along with us by the splitting of the sea, we help them with food for this Shabbos- the Sha…
