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March 16, 2024 – 11:20 pm | Comments Off on Purim: A Nation United41 views

The die was cast. King Achashverosh granted Haman a genocidal license against the Jewish nation. Mordechai was one of the first to learn of the plot and he appealed to Queen Esther for help. Esther explained that it was dangerous even for her to enter the king’s chambers unbidden. Mordechai …

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Articles tagged with: shabbat

My Shabbat

August 7, 2022 – 11:08 pm | Comments Off on My Shabbat919 views
shabbos - innerstream

Today we have Myoffice, Mydrive, my-everything, so why not My-Shabbat?
At first blush, it ought to be our Shabbat, or most appropriately G-d’s Shabbat. How can we claim Shabbat for ourselves?
The answer is that we each have the capacity to enhance our Shabbat. Our sages wrote that only he who toils …

A Shabbat Fast

July 30, 2022 – 11:52 pm | Comments Off on A Shabbat Fast896 views
fast-innerstream.ca

It is forbidden to fast on Shabbat. In fact, if we fast on Shabbat (even with halachic sanction) we must fast on a different day to atone for fasting on Shabbat. This is why the fast of Tishah Be’av—the ninth of Av, is postponed when it falls on Shabbat —as …

B’har B’chukotai: The Workweek

May 9, 2020 – 11:15 pm | Comments Off on B’har B’chukotai: The Workweek1,373 views
workweek-innerstream.ca

The workweek is mundane, Shabbat is holy. Right? Well, maybe not. Let’s take a closer look.
The Torah presents the laws of the Sabbatical year. For six years, work your fields, on the seventh year you shall rest. This is remarkably similar in both content and language to Shabbat—for six days …

Balak: Shabbat and the Week

July 14, 2019 – 1:01 am | Comments Off on Balak: Shabbat and the Week1,547 views
Shabbat-innerstream.ca

Shabbat is a twenty-five-hour break from the world. It is a wonderful time to unplug and relax. We enjoy quality time with children, family, and friends. We luxuriate in endeavors of the soul such as song, contemplation, study, prayer, and discussion. Unplugging from our phone’s constant pinging, our constant attraction …

Beshalach: Shabbat

January 13, 2019 – 2:37 pm | Comments Off on Beshalach: Shabbat2,374 views
love-innerstream.ca

When our ancestors traveled through the desert, they were nourished by Manna that fell miraculously from heaven every morning of the week with the exception of Shabbat. There was no Manna on Shabbat; instead two portions fell on Friday, one for Friday, the other for Shabbat.
Nevertheless, the Zohar, the seminal …

B’har B’chukotai: True Freedom

May 6, 2018 – 8:19 am | Comments Off on B’har B’chukotai: True Freedom2,583 views
freedom-innerstream.ca

Freedom is one of humanity’s fundamental goas. Ever since Moses trumpeted the call, “let my people go,” people the world over valued and treasured freedom. Yet we sometimes apply freedom too narrowly. When we see a person indentured into servitude we chafe at the unfairness of it. When we see …

Mishpatim: Sift and Sort

February 4, 2018 – 2:27 pm | Comments Off on Mishpatim: Sift and Sort2,421 views
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The Torah portion that follows the awe-inspiring story of Mount Sinai, presents formulaic monetary laws and laws of personal injury. Why should the resolution of petty squabbles be the first subject to follow the Sinai event, which surely placed our ancestors on a higher plane? Many answers have been offered, …

Ki Tisa: Make Light

March 16, 2017 – 9:59 am | Comments Off on Ki Tisa: Make Light2,591 views
make-light-innerstream.ca

Shabbat Candles
Don’t make light of Shabbat. Make light for Shabbat.
A child came home from a Hebrew lesson and told her parents that she wanted to make light for Shabbat by lighting candles. The parents agreed to satisfy her whim and lit candles as the sun set on Friday. As they …