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Prayer and Hitbodedut: Reflections on Connecting to Hashem in Different Ways
How many times have I raced through davening because of a busy schedule? Or got distracted by the people around me, noises outside, or even the phone ringing? And I can’t even count the number of moments where my own trifling thoughts creep into my daily prayer that I can’t even remember the words I’ve…
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With Fire in Her Soul: The Power of Candle-Lighting
Two silver candlesticks stand proudly at the centre of the table; flickering with warmth and holiness, inviting the regal presence of the Shabbat queen. Two flames; one symbolising the husband and the other, his wife… Six days a week, we live in darkness. We stumble around in exile, sometimes in confusion, trying to make the…
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Connecting Inwards by Removing External Distractions
A cursory glance at articles addressing technological device usage indicates that on average people spend nearly three hours a day on their smartphones, two of those hours on social media, and the same — if not more — amount of time watching television daily. Those numbers increased with the rise of COVID and the many…
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Head Covering: The Pathway to Righteousness
The Gemara in Yoma 47a tells us about a special woman called Kimchit who was blessed with seven righteous sons.
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Head Covering: Taking on a New Mitzvah
I recently started covering my hair. Halacha requires a woman to cover her hair once she gets married. The only difference is that I’d been married already for eleven years! Taking on this new mitzvah is challenging, but also important for me. My decision came from a place deep within and my resolve to continue…
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Shabbos: Hishtadlus vs Rest
When giving the commandment to keep Shabbos, the Torah tells us: “Six days you will work and you will complete all of your labor” (Shemos, 20:8) Surely it’s impossible for a person to actually complete all of his work before Shabbos! Shabbos is more of a “pause” where we take a break after a long…
