Category: Moadim (Times) & Chagim (Holidays)

Insights on Jewish Holidays and other special times of the year

Tikkun Shovavim

Starting this Sunday we begin the period known as “Shovavim” which literally means “mischief makers,” but also the word is an acronym for the six weekly Torah portions Shemot, Vaera, Bo, Beshelah, Yitro and Mishpatim.

The Miracle of Hanukah

סֵפֶר שֶעָשָה נִסִים Compiled and written by Rav Rahmiel Drizin Hakdama – Introduction We are so fortunate to move to yet another special area in our Jewish Life cycle of organic time. For just as the Northern Hemisphere becomes its most physicallly dark, we Jews each become beacons of light, dignifying the dark with 8 nights of light, nights in…

Beit HaMikdash burning - Destruction of the Temple

What are we missing without BEIT HAMIKDASH – meditations and prayers for Tisha B’Av

B”H By Kabbalist Rav Yitzchak Schwarts 1. The essence and power of grieving over the loss of the Holy Temple We are less than 2 days away from  Tisha B’av—the day of the destruction of both Temples [and a number of other catastrophic events]….The question that keeps coming up every year is, ‘How can we mourn over something that we…

Tikkun and Kavanot for “Beyn HaMetzarim” – three-week period between 17-th of Tamuz and Tisha B’Ab

The three-week period between Shiva Asar Be’Tamuz and Tisha
B’Ab is known as “Ben Ha’mesarim,” during which we observe
certain practices to mourn the destruction of the Bet Ha’mikdash.
The Arizal (Rabbi Yishak Luria, 1534-1572) wrote that it is proper
during this period for “Hasidim Ve’anshe Ma’ase” (particularly
pious and devoted people) to recite each day the “Tikun Rahel”
section of the “Tikun Hasot” prayer

The Tikkun of the Ben Ish Hai for Erev Rosh Hodesh – Yom Kippur Katan

Rosh Hodesh, the New Moon of the New Jewish Month, is a time of renewal, both of body

and spirit. The day before is practiced as an ancient tradition as a Yom Kippur Katan –a

mini Day of Atonement–where many fast and say prayers of penitence. It is a tremendous

opportunity to review the past month’s activities, admit one’s miss-takes, regret doing

them, and pledge to try to not repeat them in the upcoming month.

SHABBAT MEDITATIONS

What follows is a number of Shabbat meditations and a short summary of the Torah principles which they are based on. All of these meditations are drawn from a series of Shabbat essays taught by the previous Slonimer Rebbe (Zatzal) in the second volume of his work Netivot Shalom.
The common thread running through all of his essays (and I have only chosen a select few) is consciousness … the unique sublime Garden of Eden consciousness that we all can get a taste of in this world with a concerted effort…… and thereby sensitize ourselves to a life of true paradise in this world and in the next one.

I hope that by practicing these meditations we can open up more and more of this sensitivity.