TMC Torah Blog

Rabbi Shmuel Rozovsky (1913–1979) was an extraordinary rabbi known as an expert Talmudic lecturer at the Ponevezh Yeshiva in Bnei Brak, Israel. He was counted amongst the great rabbis of his generation.  He was known worldwide for his cl…

Rav Moshe ben Yaakov Cordovero (1522–1570) was a central figure in the historical development of Kabbalah and the leader of a Kabbalistic school in 16th-century Safed, Ottoman Syria. He is known by the acronym the Ramak (רמ״ק). In the introdu…

According to Ashkenazim, music is prohibited during The Three Weeks. What's the source of the prohibition, and can one listen to Acapella music?  Interestingly, we don't find any early sources explicitly prohibiting listening to music. The Mag…

Omitting parts of Pesukei D’zimra to pray with a minyan: As mentioned last week, one should recite Pesukei D’zimra slowly, as if counting money. Therefore, one should make an effort to arrive at the shul early enough to pray at an appro…

Moshe chronicled the Israelites' journey from Egypt as guided by God, passing through various locations from Rameses to Moav. God instructed the Israelites to dispose of all land inhabitants upon crossing the Jordan into Canaan, destroy their object…

Moshe conveyed God's commands to the Israelite tribe leaders regarding commitments (נדרים‎, often known as "vows"). Following God's instructions, Moshe led a successful attack on the Midianites. The Israelites butchered every man, including the …

Why is there a small yud in Parshas Pinchas? Harass the Midianites. That's interesting. Why? What with the sidebar for Korach, Dasan, and Aviram? Can you name the daughters of Tzelofchad? What with the large nun at the end of the story of Bnos T…

Bamidbar Rabbah (21.14) “May the Lord, God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation” (Numbers 27:16).  “Moses spoke to the Lord, saying: May [yifkod] the Lord, God of the spirits…appoint”…

God announced that because Pinchas had displayed his passion for God, God granted him a pact of friendship and priesthood for all time. God then told Moshe to attack the Midianites to repay them for their trickery, luring Israelite men to worship Ba…

The 15th of Tammuz marks the Yahrtzeit of famed Torah commentator Rabbi Chayim ben Attar (1696-1743), author of the Ohr HaChayim and the passing of Reb Aryeh Leib, Author of Shaagas Aryeh (1785). Rabbi Chayim ben Attar (the Ohr HaChayim) was Born i…