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Havdalá, the separation "between the sacred and the profane"
"Havdalah On Shabbat night, we once again experience many of the same motifs we encountered with the arrival of Shabbat: when we welcomed the Queen of Shabbat, we recited blessings over the candles, over the perfumes, and in the Kiddush, over a cup of wine. Now we bid him farewell in a very similar way, reciting the Havdalah blessings over the wine, the perfume, and the light of a multi-candle. Not only the themes but also the liturgy of each of these two ceremonies are parallel. In the Kiddush, we testify to the supreme sanctity of Shabbat by reciting the...
Crossing a desert, but with joy!
One of the worst attitudes in times of difficulty is "ingratitude" Great care! Let's see what Rabbi Natan teaches us:Why did the people of Israel receive the Torah in the desert? In a dry place, without any comfort, even in danger and hardship, with a lack of water and all kinds of provisions, a stormy wind, etc. Was it not possible to wait for the People to reach the Promised Land and conquer it, and then receive the blessed Torah in Jerusalem, with tranquility and comfort? As it is written: "From Zion will come forth the Torah"Rabbi Natan explains to us...
Did you know that peace brings health ?
"Seek peace and pursue it" (Tehillim 34-14) The word Peace in Hebrew is Shlom (shalom) and has the same root as "Shlem" (shalem) which means complete! When there is Shalom it is a sign that we are "complete" The culture we live in is full of words, the media constantly spits out words, and yet the only way to develop your true depth is by learning to be silent. In a world full of verbosity, you must learn silence. In a world full of noise, there is no room for thought or true understanding. You must develop the ability to find...
"Shavuot" the delivery of the Torah.
"Shavuot is the festival of the reception of the Torah" Shavuot is not simply a commemoration of the Divine revelation at Mount Sinai, it is the promulgation of the Ten Commandments and the transmission of the Written Law and the Oral Law through our Moshe Rabbenu (Our teacher Moses). Shavuot is the very moment of the transmission of the Torah, which means that this date exerts on us every year a powerful spiritual influence conducive to the integration of the Torah within us, and the adaptation of our lives to its truth. Every year on Shavuot we receive the Torah...
The best gift for the creator, you have it.
"Take your words with you, and return to the Lord. Say to him, 'Take away all iniquity, and accept us graciously, that we may present the fruit of our lips.'" (Hosea 14:3)In the time of the Beit Hamikdash (The Great Temple), there were all kinds of sacrifices that allowed the faithful to approach the Creator, or correct their faults: they brought bulls, calves, rams, turtledoves, etc. But he who did not have the means to make such an offering (the poor), the Torah tells him: "When a soul brings a Corban Mincha, he shall offer flour" (Leviticus 2:1)His humble offering,...