Posted by
Rabbi Daniel Yaakov Travis
closeAuthor: Rabbi Daniel Yaakov Travis
Name: Daniel Yaakov Travis
Email: danielyaakovtravis@closetotorah.com
Site: http://kolleltoraschayim.blogspot.com/
About: Rabbi Daniel Travis is Rosh Kollel of Kollel Toras Chaim, a halacha kollel in Yerushalayim. He has published ten seforim in Hebrew and English, six of them with Feldheim. His popular articles aim to deepen our understanding of the mitzvos and minhagim we take for granted as Jews through the presentation of fascinating original sources and stories. His writings have often appeared in Hamodia and Yated Ne’eman. He lives with his wife and children in Yerushalayim.See Author's Posts (2)
February 4, 2010 - כ"א שבט ה' תש"ע
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DARKNESS BEFORE DAWN
The Rambam writes that the original idol worshipers believed in Hashem. They felt that it was beyond G-d’s dignity to converse with Him directly; rather, one should worship the forces of nature, which are His servants. Hashem was still considered the ruling power of the universe.
Amaleik introduced a completely new philosophy to the world. They claimed that although there is a Divine power, He is
Parshas Yisro
Posted by
Rabbi Yosef Tropper
closeAuthor: Rabbi Yosef Tropper
Name: Yosef Tropper
Email: yoseftropper@closetotorah.com
Site: http://www.closetotorah.com/
About: Born, raised and currently living in Baltimore, I am developing my skills as a Rabbinical counselor and leader, under the tutelage of great Torah leaders.
I studied in Eretz Yisrael for over five years at Yeshivas Toras Simcha and Mir and then at Ner Yisrael in Baltimore.
I am a Rebbe at the New Baltimore Yeshiva, a school geared towards maximizing the student's learning experience by providing small classes and interactive learning. I am also involved with outreach, mentoring and tutoring.
I am sincerely grateful to all of the inquisitive truth-seekers, whom I have the privilege of learning with, for challenging me to fulfill what we learn. Thank you for helping me develop and clarify many beautiful ideas which are ultimately published here.
I hope that you enjoy and I welcome your comments and questions.
May we all grow together!See Author's Posts (199)
February 3, 2010 - כ' שבט ה' תש"ע
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ויקח יתרו חתן משה עולה וזבחים לאלקים ויבא אהרן וכל זקני ישראל לאכול לחם עם חתן משה לפני האלקים (יח:יב).
“Yisro offered sacrifices to Hashem; Aharon and the Elders came to eat with Yisro in front of Hashem ” (18:12).
Two questions. What does the beginning of the verse have to do with the end? There should be two separate verses, one describing Yisro’s offerings and… Continue reading
Parshas Yisro
Posted by
Rabbi Yosef TroppercloseAuthor: Rabbi Yosef Tropper
Name: Yosef Tropper
Email: yoseftropper@closetotorah.com
Site: http://www.closetotorah.com/
About: Born, raised and currently living in Baltimore, I am developing my skills as a Rabbinical counselor and leader, under the tutelage of great Torah leaders.
I studied in Eretz Yisrael for over five years at Yeshivas Toras Simcha and Mir and then at Ner Yisrael in Baltimore.
I am a Rebbe at the New Baltimore Yeshiva, a school geared towards maximizing the student's learning experience by providing small classes and interactive learning. I am also involved with outreach, mentoring and tutoring.
I am sincerely grateful to all of the inquisitive truth-seekers, whom I have the privilege of learning with, for challenging me to fulfill what we learn. Thank you for helping me develop and clarify many beautiful ideas which are ultimately published here.
I hope that you enjoy and I welcome your comments and questions.
May we all grow together!See Author's Posts (199)
February 3, 2010 - כ' שבט ה' תש"ע
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Yisro suggested that judges should be appointed in order to relieve the people and Moshe from waiting all day for judgement. Hashem agreed to the idea and commanded Moshe to establish it. What is strange is the order in which it was both suggested and implemented.
1- “The hard questions go to Moshe”,
2- “and the small things will be decided by the judges”.
Logic dictates that… Continue reading
Parshas Yisro
Posted by
Rabbi Yosef TroppercloseAuthor: Rabbi Yosef Tropper
Name: Yosef Tropper
Email: yoseftropper@closetotorah.com
Site: http://www.closetotorah.com/
About: Born, raised and currently living in Baltimore, I am developing my skills as a Rabbinical counselor and leader, under the tutelage of great Torah leaders.
I studied in Eretz Yisrael for over five years at Yeshivas Toras Simcha and Mir and then at Ner Yisrael in Baltimore.
I am a Rebbe at the New Baltimore Yeshiva, a school geared towards maximizing the student's learning experience by providing small classes and interactive learning. I am also involved with outreach, mentoring and tutoring.
I am sincerely grateful to all of the inquisitive truth-seekers, whom I have the privilege of learning with, for challenging me to fulfill what we learn. Thank you for helping me develop and clarify many beautiful ideas which are ultimately published here.
I hope that you enjoy and I welcome your comments and questions.
May we all grow together!See Author's Posts (199)
January 29, 2010 - ט"ו שבט ה' תש"ע
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ויראו בני ישראל ויאמרו איש אל אחיו מן הוא כי לא ידעו מה הוא… (טז:טו)
“The Jews saw it (Heaven-sent food) and they called it “Monn” for they didn’t know what it was…” (16:15).
It always perplexed me to understand what the lesson of this verse is. Why do we have to know that the Jews did not know what the Manna was? Also, why did… Continue reading
Parshas Beshalach
Posted by
Rabbi Yosef TroppercloseAuthor: Rabbi Yosef Tropper
Name: Yosef Tropper
Email: yoseftropper@closetotorah.com
Site: http://www.closetotorah.com/
About: Born, raised and currently living in Baltimore, I am developing my skills as a Rabbinical counselor and leader, under the tutelage of great Torah leaders.
I studied in Eretz Yisrael for over five years at Yeshivas Toras Simcha and Mir and then at Ner Yisrael in Baltimore.
I am a Rebbe at the New Baltimore Yeshiva, a school geared towards maximizing the student's learning experience by providing small classes and interactive learning. I am also involved with outreach, mentoring and tutoring.
I am sincerely grateful to all of the inquisitive truth-seekers, whom I have the privilege of learning with, for challenging me to fulfill what we learn. Thank you for helping me develop and clarify many beautiful ideas which are ultimately published here.
I hope that you enjoy and I welcome your comments and questions.
May we all grow together!See Author's Posts (199)
January 29, 2010 - ט"ו שבט ה' תש"ע
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We all know that we are celebrating the “Tree’s Birthday”. What must be understood is: why now? The trees are at their lowest point!? Would it not be more appropriate to celebrate the fruit trees when they are blossomed and full, rather that frozen, shriveled and almost dead in the ground?!
The answer is that often in life, we look at ourselves and think that we have not grown… Continue reading
Tu B'Shevat
Posted by
Rabbi Daniel Yaakov TraviscloseAuthor: Rabbi Daniel Yaakov Travis
Name: Daniel Yaakov Travis
Email: danielyaakovtravis@closetotorah.com
Site: http://kolleltoraschayim.blogspot.com/
About: Rabbi Daniel Travis is Rosh Kollel of Kollel Toras Chaim, a halacha kollel in Yerushalayim. He has published ten seforim in Hebrew and English, six of them with Feldheim. His popular articles aim to deepen our understanding of the mitzvos and minhagim we take for granted as Jews through the presentation of fascinating original sources and stories. His writings have often appeared in Hamodia and Yated Ne’eman. He lives with his wife and children in Yerushalayim.See Author's Posts (2)
January 29, 2010 - ט"ו שבט ה' תש"ע
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Making Fun of Pharaoh
“…you should relate to your children and grandchildren that which I was ‘hitalalti’ in Mitzrayim, and the miracles that I did, for I am Hashem” (Shemos 10,2)
Rashi explains that “hitalalti” refers to the mockery the Almighty made of Mitzrayim. On one day Pharaoh declared, “Hash-m is righteous, and myself and my nation are evil.” Yet a short time later, after the Almighty removed the each… Continue reading
Parshas Beshalach
Posted by
Rabbi Dovid Boruch Kopel
closeAuthor: Rabbi Dovid Boruch Kopel
Name: Dovid Boruch Kopel
Email: dovidboruch@closetotorah.com
Site: http://www.closetotorah.com/
About: I was privileged to launch CloseToTorah.com in November 2008. It is a budding fruit that has started to sprout most beautifully with the help of Hashem. I am currently learning in Kollel Avodas Levi at Yeshivas Ner Yisrael of Baltimore. I am happily married to my dear wife, Ahuva. We live in Baltimore. I hope you enjoy this site!See Author's Posts (78)
January 29, 2010 - ט"ו שבט ה' תש"ע
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I would like to welcome Rabbi Daniel Yaakov Travis, Rosh Kollel of Kollel Toras Chaim, a halacha kollel in Yerushalayim. He has published ten seforim in Hebrew and English, six of them with Feldheim. His popular articles aim to deepen our understanding of the mitzvos and minhagim we take for granted as Jews through the presentation of fascinating original sources and stories. His writings have often appeared in Hamodia and… Continue reading
Announcements
Posted by
Yehuda Goldman
closeAuthor: Yehuda Goldman
Name: Yehuda Goldman
Email: yudigoldman@closetotorah.com
Site: http://www.closetotorah.com
About: Born and raised in Los Angeles, I have enjoyed spending time exploring many Jewish communities around the world and meeting fascinating people. I am currently completing my Rabbinic ordination and training at the Ohr Lagolah Hertz Leadership Training Program at Yeshivas Ohr Somayach in Jerusalem. With my interests in communal sociology, outreach and international affairs, I have had the opportunity to reach out to Jews from a Retirement home in Long Beach, NY to Cong. Beit Hamedrash in Woodland Hills, CA. As the son of both a social worker and psychologist, I am particularly fond of working together with Jews and organizations of various stripes and stars to help bring about effective and positive outreach.I am married to my dear wife Basya, of Detroit, MI, and we live in Maalot Dafna, Jerusalem.I hope you enjoy the Torah thoughts.See Author's Posts (29)
January 27, 2010 - י"ג שבט ה' תש"ע
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With Tu B’Shevat right around the corner, get inspired and learn more about it. There is a lot more too it then just eating dried fruits and sipping Pina Colada. I know, you knew that! Once again, I’m proud to present Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair, Lecturer at Yeshivas Ohr Somayach in Jerusalem.
Best wishes for a Great Shabbos and a happy Tu B’shvat!
Tu B'Shevat
Posted by
Binyomin Finkelstein
closeAuthor: Binyomin Finkelstein
Name: Binyomin Finkelstein
Email: binyominfinkelstein@closetotorah.com
Site: http://www.closetotorah.com
About: Binyomin Finkelstein was born and raised in Brooklyn N.Y, his education includes: Mikdash Melech Jerusalem, Torah Ore Jerusalem, Shor Yoshuv Far Rockaway N.Y
He is currently learning in the Smicha Program of Ohr Lagolah in Ohr Sameach Jerusalem in order to further his future career plans in becoming a Rabbi.
He enjoys reading, writing, and a good game of chess.See Author's Posts (3)
January 22, 2010 - ח' שבט ה' תש"ע
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After two hundred and nine years of slavery, Moshe Rabbeinu appears to his brethren in Egypt, telling them of their impending freedom. The Torah tells us that they didn’t believe him, due to the hard work the slavery imposed on them. They were so immersed in the idea that they were slaves; they couldn’t break out of the mentality. Why did the whole freedom process take so long? A full… Continue reading
Parshas Bo
Posted by
Rabbi Yosef TroppercloseAuthor: Rabbi Yosef Tropper
Name: Yosef Tropper
Email: yoseftropper@closetotorah.com
Site: http://www.closetotorah.com/
About: Born, raised and currently living in Baltimore, I am developing my skills as a Rabbinical counselor and leader, under the tutelage of great Torah leaders.
I studied in Eretz Yisrael for over five years at Yeshivas Toras Simcha and Mir and then at Ner Yisrael in Baltimore.
I am a Rebbe at the New Baltimore Yeshiva, a school geared towards maximizing the student's learning experience by providing small classes and interactive learning. I am also involved with outreach, mentoring and tutoring.
I am sincerely grateful to all of the inquisitive truth-seekers, whom I have the privilege of learning with, for challenging me to fulfill what we learn. Thank you for helping me develop and clarify many beautiful ideas which are ultimately published here.
I hope that you enjoy and I welcome your comments and questions.
May we all grow together!See Author's Posts (199)
January 22, 2010 - ח' שבט ה' תש"ע
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והיה לך לאות על ידך ולזכרון בין עיניך… (יג:ט).
“They (the Tefillin) shall be a sign on your hand and head….” (13:9).
This week’s Parsha discusses the Mitzvah of Tefillin. By wearing Tefillin we are affirming our belief in Hashem and the fact that He runs the world and took us out of Egypt.
We place the Tefillin on our arm and head, to connote… Continue reading
Parshas Bo
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