1
Sep

Just Do It! by Reb Sam Glaser

by Rabbi Simcha Weinberg in Holidays, Spiritual Growth

I am honored to present another Reb Sam Glaser essay with practical meaning for Elul and Rosh Hashanah. Keep ‘em coming Reb Sam!
When my first child was two years old I cut off our TV.  He was more interested in Pokemon than playing with me.  The decision was rash and spontaneous but I’m confident it [...]

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1
Sep

Curious George Goes To Synagogue

by Rabbi Simcha Weinberg in Holidays, Prayer, Spiritual Growth

Curious George

Some people laugh and enjoy my Curious George t-shirt while others think it looks ridiculous. I don’t care. I am wearing it on my morning walks to help me prepare for Rosh Hashana.
The Curious George books did not hold my attention for too long when I was very young. A student in my father’s yeshiva [...]

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31
Aug

The Stealing Month

by Rabbi Simcha Weinberg in Holidays, Prayer, Spiritual Growth

Both the father and his son were different: The father prayed for years to have a child. I knew from numerous conversations that, no matter how much he wanted a child, he was even more desperate for his wife to bear a child. I observed him three times a day at prayer and could [...]

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31
Aug

Two Straight Lines

by Rabbi Simcha Weinberg in Holidays, Spiritual Growth

“For the ways of God are straight.” (Hosea 14:10) the Shelah HaKodesh (Torah Ohr – Rosh Hashanah 3) asks why the word “straight” is in the plural form in Hebrew, “Yesharim,” rather than “Yashar.”
The Shelah answers that Hosea is describing two different creations of “Straight:” the first is that God creates us straight. We [...]

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31
Aug

Stirrings

by Rabbi Simcha Weinberg in Holidays, Prayer

Most of us are familiar with two directions of service: “Itra’uta D’litata,” and “Itra’uta D’l’eila,” or, Stirrings from below, connections stirred by us, below here on earth towards God, and “Stirrings from Above,” initiated by God, Above, to reach out to us, here, below.
The Sefat Emet, (Likkutim L’Chodesh Elul) says that the only responsibility of [...]

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31
Aug

Psalm 27: Infinite Manna

by Rabbi Simcha Weinberg in Holidays, Prayer, Spiritual Growth

King David

“To behold the sweetness of God and to contemplate in His Sanctuary.” (Verse 4)
Rabbi Elazar taught: The righteous in the World to Come will eat of the same Manna that Israel ate while in the desert. Do not think that the portions will be measured as they were in the desert. Each portion will taste [...]

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31
Aug

Sound Bites: The Shofar of the Messiah

by Rabbi Simcha Weinberg in Holidays, Music of Halacha, Prayer

Sound Waves

The Shofar stirs people to return to God, as the verse (Amos 3) says: “If a Shofar is blasted in a city, will the people not tremble?”
The Sages taught that the Shofar blast of Rosh Hashana confuses Satan who believes that it may be the Shofar of the Messiah. It seems strange that Satan [...]

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31
Aug

Timeless: God’s Example

by Rabbi Simcha Weinberg in Holidays, Prayer, Spiritual Growth

Timeless

In praying for the whole world to repent, we are only following the example of Hashem, Who looks forward to the time when His ultimate plan for the creation – a world in which all mankind is righteous – will be realized, as the prophet Yeshayahu (46:10) proclaimed I foresee the end from the beginning [...]

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31
Aug

Elul: Love Songs: Stepping Toward

by Rabbi Simcha Weinberg in Holidays, Spiritual Growth

Love Connections

“I am to my beloved and my beloved is to me.” (Song of Songs 6:4)
Rabbi Eliezer of Worms, the Rokeach, explains this verse as describing the Teshuva process: With each step we take back toward our Beloved, God, He takes a step back toward us.
Author Info: 


Learn & discover the Divine prophecies with Rabbi [...]

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31
Aug

Royal Messages: The King’s Friend

by Rabbi Simcha Weinberg in Holidays, Prayer, Spiritual Growth

Royal herald

“He who loves purity of heart and whose lips are gracious – the King is his friend.” (Proverbs 22:11)
One of the themes of the Shofar, specifically the Teruah sound is “rei-ah” – that God is our friend. In fact, Rashi (Shabbat) explains that the verse, “You shall love your friend as yourself,” is actually referring [...]

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