52: Ozer Yisrael BiGevura Part IV: The Belt of Eliyahu
in Brachos
51: Ozer Yisrael BiGevura Part III: Making distinctions
in Brachos
50: Ozer Yisrael BiGevura Part II — The Burning Desire for Greaterness
in Brachos
Life in this world is finite, but who I become will last forever. Find the burning desire within for greaterness, for elevation above immaturity and selfishness. Discover the might, the power, the supernatural strength of Choice, of Will.
איזהו גבור? הכובש את יצרו.
.Who is Mighty? He who conquers his inclinations
הכל בידי שמים חוץ מיראת שמים.
Heads Up: You may find this class to be an intense experience.
49: Ozer Yisrael BiGevura - Part I - אוזר ישראל בגבורה: “G” is for Gevura, “G” is for Growing
in Brachos
Hold fast to this promise: that no matter how hard times are, it is only an expression of our being held tighter. It grows us up, not out, and makes us different people.
“You hold me tight, God; I’ll hold tight to You.”
53: Ozer Yisrael BiGevura Part V: Eliyahu's Belt and Chanuka
A look at the numbers 6, 7 and 8, and how their deeper meanings teach us about Chanuka.“Spiritual sources of Bracha are never depleted”
The miracles of Sarah’s tent. The inner meanings of the numbers 6, 7 and 8. Thinking about Chanuka and its “Eightness”!
48: Holding Fast in Times of Pain
in Fundamentals
״הוֹי כִּי גָדוֹל הַיּוֹם הַהוּא מֵאַיִן כָּמֹהוּ וְעֵת צָרָה הִיא לְיַעֲקֹב וּמִמֶּנָּה יִוָּשֵׁעַ.״ --ירמיהו ל:ז
"Alas! for that day is great, such that none is like it; And it is a time of pain for Jacob, and out of it shall he be saved"
“Look down from Heaven and see how we have become a mockery to and cursed by the nations. We are considered sheep to be dragged to slaughter; to be killed, destroyed, beaten and humiliated. And with all this, Your Name we have never forgotten — do not You forget us.” (Morning prayers, Tachanun).
47: The Voice of the Shofar on Rosh Hashana
"The root of the root of the Shofar on Rosh Hashana is the selfsame breath which God blew into the nostrils of Adam at the creation of humanity." (— Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner)
The call of the Shofar "brings you through your innermost self to God." (— Rabbi S. R. Hirsch)
Time is the structure in our lives that allows us to think of our lives as having meaning, mission, purpose. Time allows us to think about our past, commit to our future, and make choices in the present.
46: HaMeichin Mitzadei Gaver - המכין מצעדי גבר
in Brachos, Fundamentals
Welcome back to the new season!
This week we discuss the bracha of HeMeichin Mitzadei Gaver — that God guides and supports every step we take.
It's "the harmony of individual choice and effort married to God's guidance." (R' S.R. Hirsch)
P.S.: Post Shiur discussion, mostly reviewing foundational ideas regarding brachos and the Four Worlds.
45: Humanity's Connection to Earth: רוקע הארץ על המים - Part 2
in Brachos
Shoes off feet: where you're at. Shoes on feet: where you're going.
It's the difference between taking yet another step forward, and staying at your madreiga. It's the difference between wearing shoes and going barefoot. It's the different between life and death; love and rejection. Hit the ground running!
This is the final shiur of the 5775 2014-2015 School Year. I look forward to seeing you in Elul!
44: All You Need in Life is… Shoes - שעשה לי כל צרכי - Part I
in Brachos
If you've got shoes, you've got it all! Part One of the meaning of "need", and why we need it so much.
43: Shalom and Emunah - Roka HaAretz Part III - רוקע הארץ על המים
in Fundamentals
42: Growing UP - Roka HaAretz Part II - רוקע הארץ
in Brachos
Creative energy urges us to grow and develop. Firm boundaries (in professional lingo, "specs") build that energy into productive, effective impact.
In other words, potential is not enough. It is at the hard intersection of creativity and restraint — of who we long to become and who we really are — that our greatness takes shape.
41: Firm as the Ground Underneath Your Feet - Roka HaAretz - רוקע הארץ
in Brachos
P.S., Post Shiur Discussion
40: Our Actions Can Reveal God's Will in the World — Zokeif Kefufim Part IV זוקף כפופים
in Brachos
#40B P.S. Post Shiur Discussion:
When we pray using the words of the Siddur, our voices join the echoes of the voices of King David and all the prophets and righteous people who spoke those words before us. Also, a brief introduction to Asher Yatzar and Elokai Neshama. אשר יצר - אלקי נשמה.
The purpose of falling is to be held up by Hashem. The purpose of stumbling is to be caught by Hashem. The point of falling is what you do when you fall. The point of stumbling is what you do when you stumble. Remembering God's past kindnesses to you will help you cross the chasm from falling down to being.
39: Thinking Like a Snake vs. Thinking Like a Human — Zokeif Kefufim Part III זוקף כפופים
in Brachos
True freedom comes from the realization that there is a bigger picture than just what we can see. There is a God, and there is a Divine choice inside of me to choose His Will. In the power of this choice, in breaking through the barrier of the finite, we can never be enslaved again.
#39B P.S. Post Shiur Discussion: It is even greater to do your duty than it is to volunteer. גדול המצווה ועושה משאינו מצווה ועושה.
38: Zokeif Kefufim - זוקף כפופים - Part II
in Brachos
37: Zokeif Kefufim - זוקף כפופים - Part I
in Brachos
36: Freedom of the Day, Freedom of the Night: Mattir Assurim מתיר אסורים Part III
in Fundamentals, Brachos
It's time you looked forward to all that Haggadah text before the songs start!
Freedom of the Night; Freedom of the Day — Yosef, Yetzias Mitzrayim, and bringing the Seder into real life.
35: Mattir Assurim - מתיר אסורים - Part II
in Brachos