by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Oct 12, 2011 | Lifeline
On the holiday of Sukkos, the Torah instructs us to take four species and wave them together. It seems a quite random act, without obvious meaning. Naturally, Jewish Sages have provided explanations of the deeper meanings behind this apparently bizarre ritual. The...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Sep 27, 2011 | Lifeline
A few days ago, I was invited to a local gathering in memory of David (Moshe Yosef) Reichenberg, who gave his life trying to rescue a child from electrocution during the Hurricane. Rabbi Naftoli Reich of Ohr Somayach shared a thought that has a lot of relevance to the...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Sep 16, 2011 | Lifeline
In this week’s reading, G-d Commands us to bring our first fruits to the Temple, and recite a passage found in the Passover Haggadah: “An Aramite [attempted to] destroy my father, and he went down to Egypt… And the Egyptians oppressed us… and...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Aug 18, 2011 | Lifeline
This week’s learning has been dedicated in loving memory of Chayim ben Yosef a”h, Herbert Schnider, and in honor of his wife, ylctv”a (may she live and be well) Miriam bas Moshe, Muriel Schnider, by Stuart, Elizabeth and their girls. In this...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Aug 4, 2011 | Lifeline
The Ninth of Av is nearly upon us — the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, the date when both Temples were destroyed and many other tragedies occurred. The Rabbis teach that while the First Temple was destroyed because of immorality, the Second Temple was...
