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On the Roots of Antisemitism and the Uniqueness of the Jewish People
The suffering of our people naturally causes us to cry out to Hashem with the question of “why”…
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The ABCs of Prayer
Where Does the Concept of Prayer Come From? In the Shema, we are given the commandment to ‘serve Him (Hashem) with all your heart’1. The Gemara2 explains that we achieve this through prayer. For this reason, prayer is referred to as the ‘work of the heart’3. Prayer is also a replacement for the sacrifices of…
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Serving Hashem With What We Have
Toward the end of the chagim, we read Kohelet, written by Shlomo HaMelech. While reading it, I thought about Shlomo’s father, King David, and I discovered something fascinating that never struck me before. From his beginnings as a shepherd to the times he was homeless, running and hiding from his enemies, King David in his…
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The Nature of Free Will
The essence of free will, says Rav Dessler, takes place at the meeting point between what we know clearly and that of which we are entirely ignorant. The gray area, where we know, but it’s a stretch to do or not to do. We are somewhat aware, but not convinced. We have a tug of…
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Deep Dive into the Messianic Era
The arrival of the Mashiach will be preceded by challenging and tumultuous events…
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Why Does a Man Need to Give His Wife a Get?
Marriage is one of the most sacred unions, and in Judaism marriage plays a central and holy role. In fact, in Jewish texts, we often see Israel compared to a bride and Hashem to a groom, as in Shir HaShirim and many places in the prophets. One may assume that, given the importance and sacredness…
