Sukkot 5777 In the Talmud Sukkot 27b it says: חכמים אומרים: …יוצא ידי חובתו בסוכתו של חבירו, דכתיב כל האזרח בישראל ישבו בסכת – מלמד שכל ישראל ראוים לישב בסוכה אחת. The Sages say: … a person can fulfill his…
They’re Playing Our Song
Parashat Ha’azinu 5777 Rabbi Meir Sendor The prophetic song Ha’azinu, that HaShem commands Moshe to train us to commit to memory and recite, is an uncanny epitome of the patterns of all Jewish history. The purpose of memorizing it is…
On the Move
Parshat VaYelekh 5777 In his sefer Pri Etz Hayyim, a codification of kabbalistic halakhot and minhagim, R. Hayyim Vital says that it is a sign of spiritual health and wholeness to weep during these Ten Days of Repentance (Rosh HaShanah…
Divine Buoyancy
Parshat Ki Tavo Rabbi Meir Sendor Our daughter-in-law sent along a note she received this week from our granddaughter’s math teacher: R. was so beautiful in Maths on Friday. We were learning about probability, the concept of things that will…
A Mitzvah Draws a Mitzvah
Parshat Ki Teze 5776 Rabbi Meir Sendor A project called Be Kind received an endorsement recently on an Israel advocacy Facebook feed. It’s a nice idea that developed out of a popular Israeli TV show, משהו קטן וטוב , “Something Small…
Justice of Justice
Parshat Shoftim 5776 Rabbi Meir Sendor This week we started Ulpan in Tzfat. It’s a second level course known as אולפן תעסוקה, Occupational Ulpan, focusing on technical terminology and practical expressions used in the work world, blue collar and white.…
Service of the Heart
Parshat Re’eh 5776 Rabbi Meir Sendor This is a big week at Livnot U’Lehibanot – the arrival of the Bnot Sherut Leumi. It’s an annual event, the arrival of this year’s group of young women, between the ages of 18 and…
Not-So-Simple Gifts
Parshat Ekev 5776 Rabbi Meir Sendor We met this week with the Chief Rabbi of Tzfat, Rav Shmuel Eliyahu, shlit”a. Since we have moved to Tzfat to teach in his jurisdiction, it was the thing to do, to introduce ourselves…
Finding the Right Note
Parshat Va-etchanan 5776 Rabbi Meir Sendor This week Tzfat really rocked. It was the week of the annual Klezmer Festival, three days and nights of music all over town. Five main stages at main kikarim or town squares feature headline…
