Finding Your Shidduch: Splitting the Sea and Disgrace
Part 2: The Essence of Teshuvah (Likutei Moharan 6:2) In last week’s article, we examined the true reason behind the shidduch crisis in the orthodox Jewish world. With G-d’s help, we will now begin to lay out the path that … Continued
Finding Your Shidduch: Bikkurim and Basar b’Chalav
Part 1: Defining the Problem (Tikkunei Zohar 14) The orthodox Jewish world is in the midst of a crisis, a crisis of not being able to find one’s marriage partner [shidduch]. Many young men and women are either not dating, … Continued
To Rebuke or Not to Rebuke: That is the Question
We all know that the Torah instructs us to offer appropriate correction when we witness a fellow Jew behaving in a way contrary to the teachings of the Torah, as it is written (Vayikra 19:17): לֹא־תִשְׂנָא אֶת־אָחִיךָ בִּלְבָבֶךָ הוֹכֵחַ תּוֹכִיחַ … Continued
The Torah of Fear: Its Source and Remedy
Fears can be extraordinarily debilitating, and generally speaking sane people don’t want to be debilitated. This is the reason why a great deal of psychology exists around fear, i.e. how to deal with it, how to overcome it, and even … Continued
A Nation That Will Dwell in Solitude
On the Necessity of Hitbodedut In the past two issues, we wrote about the importance of waking up and getting out of bed at midnight. We focused on two tasks and their accompanying benefits: (1) by learning Torah after midnight, … Continued
Meriting the Final Redemption
The Importance of Tikkun Chatzot It is taught (Berachot 3a): אָמַר רַב יִצְחָק בַּר שְׁמוּאֵל מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דְּרַב שָׁלֹשׁ מִשְׁמָרוֹת הָוֵי הַלַּיְלָה וְעַל כָּל מִשְׁמָר וּמִשְׁמָר יוֹשֵׁב הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְשׁוֹאֵג כַּאֲרִי וְאוֹמֵר אוֹי לִי שֶׁחֵרַבְתִּי אֶת בֵּיתִי וְשָׂרַפְתִּי אֶת הֵיכָלִי … Continued
How to Master Learning Torah for its Own Sake
It is taught in the Gemara that David ha-Melech made it his habit to wake up at midnight and engage in Torah until the break of dawn (Berachot 3b): אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן חֲסִידָא כִּנּוֹר הָיָה תָּלוּי לְמַעְלָה מִמִּטָּתוֹ שֶׁל דָּוִד … Continued
Doors in the Dark
Likutei Moharan 9 and the Light of Chanukah In last week’s issue of The Shoemaker Report, we learned about the halachah of placing the Chanukah light within ten tefachim of the ground. Since we are still basking in the light … Continued
The Light of the Tzaddik
A Teaching on Likutei Halachot Orach Chaim Chanukah 2 Many laws exist pertaining to the lighting of the menorah during Chanukah. Let’s focus on just one halachah (Shabbat 21b): אָמַר רָבִינָא מִשּׁוּם דְּרַבָּה: זֹאת אוֹמֶרֶת נֵר חֲנוּכָּה מִצְוָה לְהַנִּיחָהּ בְּתוֹךְ … Continued
To Increase the Honor of Hashem
It is written in the Gemara (Eruvin 13b): כׇּל הַמְחַזֵּר עַל הַגְּדוּלָּה גְּדוּלָּה בּוֹרַחַת מִמֶּנּוּ וְכׇל הַבּוֹרֵחַ מִן הַגְּדוּלָּה גְּדוּלָּה מְחַזֶּרֶת אַחֲרָיו (Anyone who pursues gedulah, gedulah will flee from him, and anyone who flees from gedulah, gedulah will pursue … Continued