Bowing in Prayer: Two Anecdotes
Rav David Feinstein, zt”l and Rav Chaim of Tzanz, zt”l In “Developing Humility,” we discussed how concrete acts help develop and intensify the character traits they are related to. The many times we bow during Shemoneh Esrei every day help strengthen our humility before G-d, for bowing, according to a number of sources, signifies utter […]
Developing Humility
Rabbi Cordozo, the Vietnam Vets, and Developing Humility: The following personal anecdote, told by Rabbi Nathan Lopez Cordozo in a public lecture at Darche Noam in Jerusalem, is a sharp illustration of the Jewish approach to character development: Rabbi Cordozo was in the hotel lobby in a city where he was to lecture, and two […]
Love of G-d and Love of Israel
Love of G-d and Love of Israel — the last of three articles learning about chesed from the life of Rav Moshe Leib of Sassov zt”l. When there is talk of bettering the Jewish people these days, two issues seem to always come up — Jewish unity and Jewish spirituality. These translate (roughly) into love […]
Love of Torah and Love of Israel
The Life of Rav Moshe Leib of Sassov: 2 Brod, Poland, Rav Moshe Leib’s birthplace, was known as a city of intense Torah scholarship. The term “Ziknei Brod”, elders of Brod, was synonymous with wise and elderly Torah sages of the highest order. Yet even the Ziknei Brod were impressed by Rav Moshe Leib’s Torah […]
Rav Moshe Leib Sassover’s Three Loves
Rabbi Moshe Leib Sassover’s Love of G-d, Israel, and Torah: 1 To learn about love, the inner side of chesed, we turn to Rabbi Moshe Leib of Sassov, the disciple of Rabbi Shmelke of Nikolsburg, one of the greatest students of the Maggid of Mezeritch, all of them of blessed memory. Rav Moshe Leib (yahrzeit […]
Hachnasat Orchim & Shabbat
The Special Connection between Shabbat and Inviting Guests: There is something special about hachnasat orchim, hosting guests, on Shabbat. Even people who host infrequently during the other six days of the week, often feel something is missing if they do not have Shabbat guests at their table. What is the explanation for this special connection […]
The Chesed Personality
The Hebrew word “chesed” does not have a precise English equivalent, but is probably closest to lovingkindness. In the Jewish moral and mystical tradition, chesed is associated with love, giving, altruism and spreading forth. The sources that follow maintain that chesed means much more than doing acts of kindness or responding to the needs of […]
Joy in Marriage
Joy finds its heights in marriage, and joy, so important for all human interactions, is crucial in marriage. The following sources range from the halakhic to the mystical to the practical. The Blessing The blessing made at the wedding is a blessing over joy. The last blessing of the sheva brakhot blesses G-d “. . […]
Joy in Chassidus
The Powers of Joy The Chassidic world, from the outset, placed a high emphasis on simcha. This flows naturally from the whole thrust of the movement. The Baal Shern Tov decried excessive personally imposed suffering and fasting as a path to piety. Instead he emphasized love: “They asked the Baal Shem Tov: We know, and […]
Simcha: Joy in Judaism
We plan on relating to three aspects of this topic – Joy in Judaism (this unit); Joy in Chasidut Joy and Marriage; How to become joyous The first unit shows how central and indispensable joy is to normal healthy Jewish life and how high of a priority it is in character development. In the second […]
