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Asking for Rain - Intellectual Honesty |
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Written by Rav Bar-Hayim
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 Should we wait until December? Both the Jerusalem Talmud and the Babylonian Talmud say no, yet we eschew their logic in favor of minhagh. Other examples of how Jews sacrifice truth for custom and convenience.
Hear the Shiur by clicking here
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The Misswa of Lulav on Shabbat |
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Written by Rav Bar-Hayim
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 Every few years, the first day of the holiday of Sukkot falls on Shabbat. Most Jews do not perform the misswa of waving the lulav (or "Four Species") on Shabbat while others do so. What is the basis for these differing practices and what is the stance of the Halacha (Jewish law)?
Regarding the misswa of lulav--a positive Torah commandment--the Mishna (Sukkah 3a) states:
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Written by Webmaster
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Do you know which blessing for rain to say for Erets Yisrael? The Talmud HaBavli lists three possibilities while the Talmud HaYerushalmi only one. What explains the difference? Geography. The halacha varies with location. There are different attitudes toward rain in Israel, Iraq, and England. Listen to these two shiurim and learn why people stopped saying the blessing – and why you should say it. Hear why most people don't follow the halacha of the Talmud HeYerushalmi – and why you should.
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One Nation or Many Communities? |
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Written by Rav Bar-Hayim
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 Do you know the song "Am Yisrael Hai"? Of course you do. We have all sung it many times. Nevertheless, it does not describe our true reality. To my chagrin, I still need to be convinced that Am Yisrael truly exists at present. We are, unfortunately, not a normal people and our collective viewpoints tend to see only groups of Sepharadim or Ashkenazim, Haredim or National-Religious. They do not see our past or look to a future where we will be one nation, united in and by the Torah.
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