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Divrei Chaim: simchas yom tov and aveilus
http://divreichaim.blogspot.com/2015/05/simchas-yom-tov-and-aveilus.html
Divrei Torah and assorted musings on life. Wednesday, May 20, 2015. Simchas yom tov and aveilus. The gemara ( M.K. 14b. Writes that there is no aveilus on Yom Tov because the mitzvas aseh d’rabim of simchas Yom Tov is doche the individual’s obligation to mourn. If women have no independent obligation of simcha, asks the Minchas Chinuch, then why are they not obligated in aveilus on Yom Tov? They have no aseh that is doche their mourning! Rav Neventzal (quoted in the footnote to his sicha for Parshas Behar.
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Divrei Chaim: a climate of hatred
http://divreichaim.blogspot.com/2015/07/a-climate-of-hatred.html
Divrei Torah and assorted musings on life. Tuesday, July 21, 2015. A climate of hatred. I cannot help but be depressed, angry, frustrated when I think of the events going on in the world. It does not put one in the mood to write. There is going to be a (hopefully) massive rally tomorrow in NY at Times Square at 5:30-7:30, see here. What are they waiting for? It's only once we get a few pesukim into Parshas Balak that we are told that ". U'Balak ben Tzipor melech Moav b'eis ha'hi. Why withhold that detail?
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Divrei Chaim: Eichah: chiyuv of kri'ah and/or chiyuv of kinah?
http://divreichaim.blogspot.com/2015/07/eichah-chiyuv-of-kriah-andor-chiyuv-of.html
Divrei Torah and assorted musings on life. Sunday, July 26, 2015. Eichah: chiyuv of kri'ah and/or chiyuv of kinah? Why here does the Mes Sofrim make special mention of the need for targum? A few years ago I suggested. E can only mourn if one understands what one is mourning for. Simply reciting empty words does not accomplish anything. (The MG"A generalizes from this Mes. Sofrim and uses it as a basis to suggest women have an obligation to hear kri'as haTorah on Shabbos. According to the ...I also think ...
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Divrei Chaim: May 2015
http://divreichaim.blogspot.com/2015_05_01_archive.html
Divrei Torah and assorted musings on life. Friday, May 29, 2015. Who says carrying the Mishkan should be easy? It has been a miserable week at work so I have little to say. Two small points:. Who says it’s not better for the Levi’im to have to sweat a little under the burden of the beams? Hashem allowed the gift for whatever reasons he allowed it, but I don’t think that means Moshe Rabeinu didn’t have a point. I am sure my teenage children will disagree : ). Tuesday, May 26, 2015. Rashi answers that the ...
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Divrei Chaim: July 2015
http://divreichaim.blogspot.com/2015_07_01_archive.html
Divrei Torah and assorted musings on life. Thursday, July 30, 2015. What does the word "leimor" mean? 8220;Va’eschanan el Hashem b’eis ha’hi leimor.”. What does the word “. 8221; mean in this context? Ramban writes in Shmos 6:20 that the word “. 8221; means to articulate clearly, as opposed to “. Amira m’supekes.”. Vayidaber Hashem el Moshe leimor. 8221; on means on its own, without the additional “. There is another instance of “. 8221; in the parsha that the meforshim struggle with: “. 8221; dangling a...
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Divrei Chaim: January 2015
http://divreichaim.blogspot.com/2015_01_01_archive.html
Divrei Torah and assorted musings on life. Friday, January 30, 2015. Shirah and Hashem's throne. G-d of course has no literal throne and doesn’t need a place to sit. What is the Midrash trying to tell us? Imagine you come to a house, look inside, and you see the place is bereft of furniture. Your first thought is that the place is abandoned. Now imagine you come to a house and peek inside and there is a throne sitting right in the center of the room. First thought: this is a palace of some kind. Yetiz...
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Divrei Chaim: Va’yitav b’eini ha’davar -- praise or criticism?
http://divreichaim.blogspot.com/2015/07/vayitav-beini-hadavar-praise-or.html
Divrei Torah and assorted musings on life. Thursday, July 23, 2015. Va’yitav b’eini ha’davar - praise or criticism? Va’yitav b’eini ha’davar. 8221; (1:23) Moshe thought it was a great idea. Imagine someone giving you tochacha and in the middle saying, “Remember the time you came to R’ Chaim Kanievski with that suggestion and he told you ‘Great idea! 8221; That’s tochacha? That’s a praise to be proud of! Two approaches (both based on Sefas Emes) to what is going on:. VaYitav b’eini ha’davar. 8221; is the ...
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Divrei Chaim: the first parsha of shema vs. the second
http://divreichaim.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-first-parsha-of-shema-vs-second.html
Divrei Torah and assorted musings on life. Thursday, August 06, 2015. The first parsha of shema vs. the second. There are two differences between the first parsha of shema and the second that stand out: 1) “. B’chol m’odecha. 8221; appears only in the first parsha but not the second; 2) the second parsha mentions rewards for serving G-d and punishments for disobeying, but the first parsha doesn’t. B’chol m’odecha. Ohr she’bah machziran l’mutav. Tosfos on the spot asks: how does this answer make sense?
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Divrei Chaim: Eicha as a kinah
http://divreichaim.blogspot.com/2010/07/eicha-as-kinah.html
Divrei Torah and assorted musings on life. Friday, July 16, 2010. Eicha as a kinah. Bacho tivkeh ba’layla. Kumi roni ba’layla. 8230;” Kinah is done at night, when the darkness adds to the sense of psychological despair and tragedy, and therefore Eicha, our paradigm of kinah, is recited only at night. Would it not be more fitting with the character of the day to omit leining entirely? See Mishnas Ya’avetz by Rav Betzalel Zolti.). Ain lanu shiyur rak haTorah hazos. Was the local Yeshiva YBT? Because in the...
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Divrei Chaim: failed opportunity
http://divreichaim.blogspot.com/2015/07/failed-opportunity.html
Divrei Torah and assorted musings on life. Sunday, July 26, 2015. The Sefas Emes asks a tremendous question. Chazal tell us that if the Beis haMikdash is not built in someone's lifetime it is as if he destroyed it. Our not having a Mikdash makes us as guilty as the dor of churban habayis. But how can that be? Surely it takes less zechuyos to maintain the status quo of having a Mikdash than it does to earn the Mikdash being rebuilt when you are starting from nothing! Who is this guy kidding? I wonder if t...
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