Moshe tells the people of Israel how he implored G‑d to allow him to enter the Land of Israel, but G‑d refused, instructing him instead to ascend a mountain and see the Promised Land. Continuing his heavenly monologue, Moshe describes Exodus from E…
This Shabbos, the Shabbos following Tishah B'Av, is known as Shabbos Nachamu. It is named after the opening words of the Haftarah, "Nachamu, nachamu ami" ("Comfort, comfort My people"). The Haftarah is the first of seven readings called the "Shiva …
The Shulchan Aruch (551:10) rules that one may not eat meat or drink wine during the nine days unless it's a Seudas Mitzvah. Included in the list of what's considered a Seudas Mitzvah is making a siyum. What is the source of a siyum being a …
The Hebrew Month of Av (also Menachem Av) is the eleventh month of the civil year and the fifth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a month of 30 days and usually occurs in July–August on the Gregorian calendar. Av …
The Nine Days begin on the evening of Rosh Chodesh Av, Sunday, August 4th, at Shekiya. The restrictions of the Three Weeks remain in effect in addition to the following rules: Eating meat or chicken is prohibited. Wine is forbidden, but alcohol…
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…
