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Kadesheinu beMitsvotekha – The Function of the Mitsva

Kadesheinu beMitsvotekha – The Function of the Mitsva

 Kadesheinu beMitsvotekha – The Function of the Mitsva[1]By Rabbi Aryeh A. Frimer* *Rabbi Aryeh A. Frimer is the Ethel and David Resnick Professor of Active Oxygen Chemistry at Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan 52900, Israel; email: frimea@mail.biu.ac.il. He has lectured and published widely on various aspects of “Women and Halakha;” see: http://bermanshul.org/frimer/.   Abstract: The mitsva reflects one of the most pivotal concepts of Judaism. It sanctifies those who answer its calling, and the Jew and Judaism is unique and “chosen” because…

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The Source for the Recitation of LeDovid

The Source for the Recitation of LeDovid

This post is a followup of an earlier post which discusses the origins of reciting le-dovid hashem ori from rosh hodesh Elul through Simchat Torah. In this post I show a few early sources for saying ledovid and somereasons why some did not say it. For Profesor Leiman’s lecture on thistopic see here. In my discussion of the various reasons given I deal with the various Balei Shem especially the two balei shem who share the same name, R. Eliyahu…

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Psalms on Rosh haShana

Psalms on Rosh haShana

Psalms on Rosh haShanaby: Eliezer Brodt What follows is a discourse, that is part of a forthcoming sefer, regarding the propriety of reciting Psalms on Rosh ha-Shana.  This discussion touches on the failure to recite hallel on Rosh ha-Shana which, in turn, leads the discussion to the status of simcha (happiness) on Rosh ha-Shana.  We then turn to the custom of reciting the entire Psalms(or, the converse, refraining from any Psalms). And, finally, I discuss generally the debate regarding reciting…

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Some Rosh ha-Shana Readings

Some Rosh ha-Shana Readings

For those interested in posts relating to Rosh ha-Shana, aside from the most recent post regarding gifting knives, we discuss some of the history and personalities relating to the controversy of blowing the shofar when Rosh ha-Shana falls on Saturday here and see this recent article as well. This post (in Hebrew) discusses the custom of refraining from meat on Rosh ha-Shana. The bulk of the commonly recited piyutim on Rosh ha-Shana are attributed to R. Eliezer ha-Kallir who is…

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A Knife, Is it A Dangerous Gift for Rosh haShana?

A Knife, Is it A Dangerous Gift for Rosh haShana?

A Knife, Is It A Dangerous Gift for Rosh Hashanah?By: Bency EichornI. R. Nachman of Breslov’s Position on Knife GivingAs Erev Rosh Hashanah approaches, let me remind you of a popular trend some people, prior to Rosh Hashana, buy knives for their households, or as presents for others. Why all this enthusiasm? Some will explain that buying a new knife for Rosh Hashana is a popular segulah for livelihood. This segulah is so powerful that many wives insist that their…

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The Writings of R. Hayyim Gulevsky, Part 2

The Writings of R. Hayyim Gulevsky, Part 2

The Writings of R. Hayyim Gulevsky, part 2 By Marc B. Shapiro Many of the stories Gulevsky tells cannot be verified, and we have to take his word that he is faithfully recording that which he heard. Thus, he tells us about R. Abraham Eliezer Alperstein, who was an early rosh yeshiva at Yeshivat R Yitzhak Elhanan and the author of the first commentary on the Talmud published in the United States. It appeared in Chicago in 1887. Gulevsky tells the…

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