Do you have any shiurim for Shavuos to recommend? This class by Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller (free registration on Naaleh required) is about preparing for Shavuos – connecting to the idea that Matan Torah forms the core of our emunah, and to the belief that we are essentially good. One point from the shiur: if we are told to always remember Matan …
I have to say that each year, as the school year winds down and summer approaches, I start to get a little nervous about what I’ll be doing over vacation. A couple years ago, a friend of mine realized that there were limited options for summer programs targeted to singles, and she took the plunge and started her own. …
Since elementary and high school, when we celebrated Lag B’Omer by going on field trips or having special activities, I’ve learned more about the spiritual significance of the day. I listened to this shiur by Rav Ahron Lopiansky shlit”a, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva of Greater Washington, about five years ago, and it still inspires me. Here are some …
Over Pesach at my grandparents’, I read parts of Tuesday at Dawn by Ruth Attias, a short collection of the teachings of Rebbetzin Kanievsky a”h. The rebbetzin was known to advise people in need of a yeshuah to add a new tefillah to their daily line-up. Well, I’m in need of a yeshuah. Since high school and seminary, …
We’re going to be enjoying a lot of matzah next week. Here are two kavanos to have in mind while eating matzah, not only at the Seder but throughout Yom Tov (from The Making of a Nation, the haggadah incorporating Rav Avigdor Miller’s speeches, also mentioned here.) Matzah is the bread of affliction. Our forefathers in Mitzrayim underwent suffering …
Miriam Kosman wrote an article that appeared several years ago in the Family First, entitled “How Cleaning the Refrigerator Helps Us Come Closer to Hashem.” I derived tremendous inspiration from her words at the time, and clipped the article to refer to again. Recently I found Mrs. Kosman’s website (I’m reading her book with my Partner in Torah) and there was …
Do you like to choose a new haggadah for Pesach? Or do you prefer to use the same one each year? A few years ago I felt that I was rolling into Pesach without being particularly prepared or inspired. I was peeling lots of potatoes and cooking my specialties (namely, broccoli kugel and blondies) but feeling intimidated at the thought of …
I just listened to an interesting shiur about Parshas Shekalim by Mrs. Shira Smiles (free registration on Naaleh required for access to the entire shiur). I really enjoy Mrs. Smiles’s shiurim. Her style is a combination of intellectual and inspirational; she usually teaches a deeper understanding of the mitzvos with lots of textual sources (source sheets available in the Naaleh sidebar). Here …
