[Aneinu] Please Daven

Please daven for one of our cholim, a young Chicago girl, Sima Aviva bas Sara Laya, who needs a big refuah shlema b'soch sha'ar cholei Yisroel.

[Aneinu] Please Daven - Surgery Friday

Please daven for a refuah shlema for a Chicagoan, Chana Rut bat Zlata Chaya, who will be having major surgery tomorrow, Friday.

[Aneinu] Please Daven Now!!!

From an Aneinu member: אביעד שמואל בן מלכה Please daven for Aviad Shmuel ben Malka אביעד שמואל בן מלכה Lives in Huston and is In the ambulance now and stopped breathing.. --

[Aneinu] Tefillos Needed - Critical!!!

A Chicagoan, father of 4, with a heart transplant and kidney failure, just underwent abdominal surgery. He is in the ICU and will remain there over the next week. His condition is touch and go at this time. Please daven for Rafoel Shimshon ben Chana.

BAIS HAVAAD ON THE PARSHA 5773 ~ PARSHAS BESHALACH ~WOMEN LEADERS

The Shiras Hayam, the great Song sang by Klal Yisroel after they were saved at the Yam Suf, opens by relating that both the horse and its Egyptian rider were cast into the sea. The women too, sang a Shirah, led by Miriam, and interestingly the only verse of the Song that the Torah reports they sang was the one regarding the horse and its rider both being cast into the sea. Some suggest that Miriam was pointing out to the women an important lesson. The whole point of the redemption from Egypt was of course, for Klal Yisroel to receive the Torah at Har Sinai, and the principle mitzvah is of course learning the holy Torah - which is something that women are not commanded to do. Nonetheless, women who run the household and encourage and enable their husbands to occupy themselves with learning Torah share in the tremendous reward for those who learn Torah. Thus Miriam encouraged the women to sing after their redemption, as she pointed out that although the horses did nothing wrong, but merely enabled the riders to chase the Jews they were nonetheless punished. Heavenly rewards are always given out in greater measure than punishments, and surely, then, if the women will aid their husbands to learn Torah they will merit a great reward. This week's journal will focus on women's leadership roles in Judaism,(AUDIO VERSION HERE) A SHORT SUMMARY EVERYBODY HAS THEIR OWN ROLE IN JUDAISM.A WOMEN SHOULD NOT HAVE A ROLE OF AUTHORITY IF SHE WILL BE AGAINST PEOPLE BUT IF NOT THEN ITS FINE.PLUS an interesting case in which an errant delivery was made, (not on horseback but by car) and the question of whether any reimbursement was merited for the misplaced effort.

BAIS HAVAAD ON THE PARSHA 5772 ~ PARSHAS BESHALACH ~Retrieved from Doom

In this week's parsha we read about the splitting of the Red Sea. In addition to the sea splitting and the drowning of the Egyptians, Chazal tell us that another miracle took place, as well. After the Egyptians drowned, the sea spit out all the bodies of the Egyptians together with all the jewelry and adornments that they took along with them. Chazal tell us that the Jews became wealthier from gathering these items than from the items they took from the Egyptians before leaving Egypt. Interestingly, in halacha there is a case similar to that of the yam suf. The Gemara discusses the halachos of lost articles that were swept away by the sea and were later found by another person. This is known as zuto shel yam, the grab of the sea. We are taught that unlike other lost articles, these articles may be kept by the one who finds them, and they need not be returned to their original owner.

YWN [Aneinu] Please Daven Meron’s Rov Collapses During a Visit to Elad

HaRav HaGaon Meir Stern, Chief Rabbi of Meron, collapsed on Tuesday 18 Shevat 5773 during a visit to Elad. According to unofficial reports, the rav may have suffered a light cerebral incident. His condition on the scene was described a “stable” by Ichud Hatzalah EMTs. The rav’s name for tefilos is Rav Meir Ze’ev ben Rivka bsoch shar cholei Yisroel. (YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem) I received the following request: Can you please send out an email to daven for my grandmother, Udy bas Chava. She was taken to the hospital.

NAALEH.COM Decisive Dance Parshat Beshalach 5773 By Mrs. Shira Smiles

Shira Smiles on Miriam Az Yashir.

NAALEH.COM, Parsha Beshalach 5772: The Meaning of Manna

In this Torah shiur (class) on Parshat Beshalach, Mrs. Shira Smiles focuses on the experience of the manna, the food in the desert. This Torah class is available online in streaming video and for download in mp3 and ipod video formats. PRINT SUMMARY HERE PLUS TU BSHEVAT DIVAR TORAHS.

NAALEH.COM Parshat Beshalach 5771: Glorifying the Glorified By Mrs. Shira Smiles

In this Torah shiur (class) on Parshat Beshalach, Mrs. Shira Smiles focuses on the pasuk in Shirat Hayam which says, "...This is my G-d and I will glorify Him..." This Torah class is available online in streaming video and for download in mp3 and ipod video formats.

RABBI WEIN ON PARSHAS B’SHALACH

The miracles performed by God through Moshe and Aharon, are topped off in this week’s parsha by the splitting of Yam Suf and the final deliverance of the Jewish people from the oppression of Pharaoh and the Egyptians. We are then further witness to the miracle of the manna falling six times a week to sustain the Jewish people in the Sinai desert and the ongoing miracle of water supplied to millions in that arid climate. With all this, the Jewish people are trained and accustomed to a completely miraculous supernatural existence and way of life. They are, to a certain extent, lulled into believing that this is always the way things will be. Their passive role in all of these events is somehow the norm that will always be expected of them.

RABBI WEIN WHO GOES FOR US?

I recently read an article written by a Jewish blogger who strongly defended Israel and was very critical of the growing blatant bent of anti-Semitic and anti-Israel writings of the progressive Left and some sections of world academia. He received a sharply worded letter from a fellow Jew who demanded to know why this blogger had not written such a blog about discrimination against Afro-Americans and Moslems and other minorities in American society. In other words a Jew is not allowed to defend fellow Jews and the Jewish state unless he has first earned his true credentials of liberalism by defending others who are not Jewish. Being loyal to one’s own tribe is no longer acceptable in liberal society. It is viewed as a petty, outdated form of chauvinism. The true liberal must be universal, even-handed, without national or religious loyalties.

RAV SHLOMO CARLEBACH ON PARSHAS BESHALACH

There is a very beautiful passage in the bible. When we crossed the Red Sea we were singing ‘ZeKeliVe’anveihu’, this is my G-d and I make my G-d more beautiful, ‘ElokeiAviVa’aromemenhu’, the G-d of my father and I will make him high. And here I want you to open your hearts to the deepest depths. You know something friends, it’s a very high thing to believe in the G-d of your father, but it’s not necessarily a beautiful thing. It’s very high but not beautiful. Do you know what beauty is? Beauty is when you really find your G-d on your own. After this happenes, you connect it again to the G-d of your father, and then it is high and beautiful.

CHASSIDIC PEARLS BY RABBI LAZER BRODY PARSHAS BESHALACH

"Why do you cry out to Me?" (Shemot 14:15) The apparent meaning of the above passage is that Hashem is telling Moshe (Moses) that this is not a time for prayer, but a time for action and dedication. In other words, it's the time to plunge into the Red Sea. On a deeper level, Hashem is teaching an additional lesson to Moshe and the Children of Israel: It's as if Hashem is saying, "You don't need to cry out to Me within earshot of others; a silent scream from the depths of your heart is enough!" Rav Shalom Arush, shlit'a, warns that although one must scream out to Hashem in personal prayer, his or her voice should not be heard by anyone else. When the silent scream is devoid of vanity and externality, it is solely for Hashem. Such prayers ascend immediately, and avoid obstruction from evil elements. If during hitbodedut in the field a person shouts like a wild animal and the voice is heard by others, it creates a defamation of Hashem's Name, Heaven forbid, and is lost to the kelipot, the elements of evil.

RAV KOOK ON PARSHAS BESHALACH PART 2

Translated and abridged by Rabbi Chanan Morrison Parshat Beshalach Amalek attacked the Israelites at Rephidim, intentionally targeting the weak and those lagging behind. Joshua engaged Amalek in battle, successfully defending Israel against this merciless enemy. Then God instructed Moses: "Write this as a reminder in the book, and recite it in Joshua's ears: I will completely obliterate the memory of Amalek from under the heavens." (Ex. 17:14) Why did God command Moses to write down His promise to obliterate Amalek in the Torah? And why did Joshua need to be told verbally? Couldn't Joshua just read what was written in the Torah?

RAV KOOK ON PARSHAS BESHALACH PART 1

translated and abridged by Rabbi Chanan Morrison Parshat Beshalach The Talmud in Sotah 30b portrays Shirat HaYam, the Israelites' song of thanksgiving and praise at their miraculous deliverance at the Red Sea, as a song of children and babies: "When the Israelites exited the sea, they wanted to sing. How did they sing? A young child was sitting on his mother's lap and a baby was nursing at his mother's breast. When they witnessed the Shechinah, the young child lifted his neck and the baby stopped his nursing, and they sang out, "This is my God and I will honor Him" (Ex. 15:2)." Why did the Sages describe Shirat HaYam as a song breaking forth spontaneously from the mouths of babes?

OU TORAH Rav Hirsch on Yisro By Michael Gutmann

CLICK HERE FOR HIRSHIAN THOUGHT ON PARSHAS YISRO

[Aneinu] Please Daven for Israeli Teen

Please say Tehillim for Moshe ben Esther Minna, a 17-year-old teen who became the latest victim of Arab terror, reportedly in light-to-moderate condition after being stabbed in Shomron today. Baruch Hashem the terrorist was apprehended in the immediate area.

[Aneinu] Request for Tefillos

Please daven for a refuah shlema b'soch sha'ar cholei Yisroel, for a very special Chicagoan, Mrs. Ellen Levine, Ilana bas Sara. Please daven for her, and for her family. Also, please correct the spelling on your refoeinu lists (from Elana to Ilana bas Sara).

Z REPORT LIVE! 01/23/2013 ARCHIVE

On last week's Z Report LIVE we have a truly AMAZING show. The World Premiere of the new single from Baryo Chakshur entitled "Shechyanu", a new single from Israeli singer Shlomi Shabbat entitled Yesh Lech, the debut single from up and coming singer Yechiel Lichtiger called Yizkereim, the debut of a new single from Mendy Jerufi and music off the brand new album from the Moshe Skier Band. Composer/performer extraordinaire Yossi Green will phone in to talk to us about several of the new albums is is currently involved in. Find out what Yossi is working on, with who and how he came to compose such hit songs as Anovim and Tanya.

NSN JM Sunday with Mattes Weingast 01/27/2013 (Part 1) ARCHIVE

CLICK HERE

[Aneinu] Tefillos Requested

Please daven for Yehudis Rah-chel bas Hinda who is in the hospital.

JI AND JMR Eitan Katz: SHUVU – Coming February 2013

Below is a message from Eitan Katz to Jewish music fans about his upcoming album Shuvu: Dear Friends, I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am about the upcoming release of my new album “Shuvu“. It’s been years since I’ve written some of the nigunim on this album, months and months of studio work, really an emotional roller coaster of a project. Above is the cover of the album along and below this post is a short clip with a bit of every song. It will be available in stores and online at the beginning of the month. thank you, Eitan

CHABAD.ORG ON TU B'SHEVAT

Tu B’Shevat, the 15th of Shevat on the Jewish calendar—celebrated this year on Shabbat, January 26, 2013—is the day that marks the beginning of a “new year” for trees. This is the season in which the earliest-blooming trees in the Land of Israel emerge from their winter sleep and begin a new fruit-bearing cycle. Legally, the “new year” for trees relates to the various tithes that are separated from produce grown in the Holy Land. These tithes differ from year to year in the seven-year shemittah cycle; the point at which a budding fruit is considered to belong to the next year of the cycle is the 15th of Shevat. We mark the day of Tu B’Shevat by eating fruit, particularly from the kinds that are singled out by the Torah in its praise of the bounty of the Holy Land: grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates. On this day we remember that “man is a tree of the field” (Deuteronomy 20:19), and reflect on the lessons we can derive from our botanical analogue. Follow the following links for more information about this holiday and the ideas it represents:

RABBI LAZER BRODY SAVE THE TREES

I know many newly observant people who regret having been philosophy or humanities majors in university. Many have told me that once they started learning Torah and Jewish thought, they had to unlearn much of what they had studied in college. Fortunately, having been an agriculture major with a specialist in horticulture and tree farming, I didn't have to unlearn a thing. Indeed, much of what Hashem enabled me to study has helped me throughout the years in Torah and Judaism. With such a background, Tu B'Shvat - the New Year for trees - is certainly one of my favorite holidays.

RABBI LAZER BRODY THE FAMILY TREE

The Torah tells us that “Man is a tree in the field” (Deuteronomy 20:19). Interestingly, we automatically refer to our ancestral background as “the family tree.” On a superficial level, just as a tree branches out from trunk to branches to twigs above ground – and branches out similarly below the ground, with a root system that looks like an upside-down tree – so do we branch out in two directions. From us to our children to our grandchildren resembles the tree branching out from the trunk above ground, and our parents, grandparents, and successive previous generations are our “roots” below ground, which we don't always see.

Kleinman Ed Midrash Rabbah: Shemos Vol 2 Parshiyos Yisro through Pekudei IS AT KESHER STAM

If you want to unlock the spiritual and ethical treasures of Jewish thought... If you want to share the insights and brilliance of Midrashic commentators, both classic and contemporary... If you want to discover the depth and beauty of the Midrash... Now is the time to begin. A monumental and magnificent new Torah project: The Kleinman Edition Midrash Rabbah Like the Talmud, the Midrash is part of the Oral Law. The Midrash delves into the spiritual essence of the revealed Torah. It adds many missing details of the Torah's narrative, and provides the ethical tradition that was passed down orally from generation to generation. Midrash Rabbah is the best known and most widely studied of all the Midrashic works. The Kleinman Edition Midrash Rabbah is a 16-volume project covering all of Midrash Rabbah, on the entire Chumash and the Five Megillahs. The Kleinman Edition Midrash Rabbah features: The Hebrew text, newly typeset, on pages facing the English translation and commentary Many classic Hebrew commentaries, including Rashi, Matnos Kehunah, Eitz Yosef, and Maharzu, plus the out-of-print classic Eshed HaNechalim -- All newly typeset on the Hebrew page ArtScroll/Mesorah's acclaimed phrase-by-phrase translation and elucidation of the Midrash text, created by an international team of Torah scholars for optimum understanding of the Midrash Explanatory footnotes to help clarify difficult passages and concepts A special "Insights" section that amplifies or complements our elucidated text and notes and at times brings a contemporary focus to the timeless words of the Midrash "Insights": Midrashic teachings enriching our contemporary understanding The Midrash has been the source of Jewish ethical and spiritual teachings for millennia, and has been mined for its treasures particularly by the masters of Mussar and Chassidic thought. In the unique "Insights" feature, we see the Midrash through the eyes of classic early authorities as well as more contemporary giants of Torah thought such as Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, the Sefas Emes, and Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler, and many others.B/C ITS PART OF A SET ITS 20% OFF.

NSN The Book of Life with Charlie Harary 1/24/2013 ARCHIVE

The Book of Life: Dealing with & Moving on From "Crisis" Situations

JI New Single – Benny & Gad Elbaz “Hashem Melech”

Benny Elbaz is the host of the reality show “Heichal Hatelhilla/Hall of Fame” and his son Gad Elbaz one of the leading singers in the music industry in the world. The two greats come together in this amazing song “Hashem Melech” which talks about Hashem being the one and only. This song is from Benny Elbaz’s upcoming album, and will also be featured on Gad Elbaz’s new album Milim Shel Ruach expected in stores later this week.

[Aneinu] Please Daven

Please daven for Rabbi Diskind, Tzvi ben Chana Golda, uncle of a Chicagoan, b'soch sha'ar cholei Yisroel.

[Aneinu] Chasdei Hashem: Lakewood Children Pinned Under Car In Accident Return Home

Friday January 25, 2013 1:23 PM Lakewood, NJ - Two Lakewood children, who were seriously injured after being pinned under a car that struck them at the corner of Route 9 and Cushman Street last Sunday afternoon, have returned home, bechasdei Hashem. The quicker-than-expected release of the chdilren comes a week after a 20-year-old driver hit them at about 1:30 p.m. as the car was turning right onto Route 9 from Cushman. The two-year-old boy, Bentzion Pashkus, was in a stroller, and the seven-year-old girl, Suri Pashkus, was standing. An unidentified witness tried to jack the 2012 Honda Accord to help the children pinned under the car. This made it easier for Hatzolah responders to rescue the children when. The two children were taken in critical condition to Jersey Shore Medical Center in Neptune. Their 37-year-old mother was unharmed. After the collision, an unidentified man wearing a blue baseball cap immediately grabbed a car jack and began levering the car off the children pinned underneath. A trained EMT, Aron Weichbrod, who just moved to Lakewood from Florida, was also at the scene and helped the man maneuver the car off the children, all the while holding onto one child’s head and keeping it stable. When the car was removed, the children were able to breathe again. Mayor Isaac Akerman and Committeeman Menashe Miller both visited Mr. Weichbrod at his home to thank him for his great deed. A ceremony will be held at the next Township Committee meeting on February 7. The tzibbur was mispallel for Yitzchok Bentzion ben Roza Bluma and Sarah Bracha bas Roza Bluma, and the family says that it is clearly thanks to the many tefillos that the children have returned home just six days later. {Noam Amdurski-Matzav.com Newscenter} --

OU TORAH Rav Hirsch on Beshalach By Michael Gutmann

CLICK HERE FOR HIRSCHIAN THOUGHT ON PARSHA BESHALACH.

OU TORAH Yerushalmi - Berachos 13 By Rabbi Yosef Grossman

CLICJ HERE FOR BERACHOS DAF 13

OU TORAH The Initiative of Yitro By Shira Smiles

CLICK HERE FOR SHIRA SMILES SOURCE SHEET AND SHIUR ON PARSHAS YITRO.

[Aneinu] A Baby Needs Type B Negative Blood

Donation time: Now - January 25! (Today) Do you have type B negative blood? If so, would you be willing to donate blood to help a baby? Carson is only 14 months and is scheduled to have his second open heart surgery on January 31, 2013. Carson's parents are looking for blood donors who are type B negative. They have found that type B negative is very rare - 2% of the population. Unfortunately those who have O negative (the universal donors) will not work in his case because he is so young. If you are willing, please email Carson's father, Brian Koenig (bkoenig@soccer2k.com), as there are certain steps that need to take place.

[Aneinu] Please Daven

Please daven for a refuah shlema for Bracha bas Sarah who is suffering from asbestos poisoning and is critically ill.

Positive Word Power - Pocket Size Building a better world with the words you speak COMING SOON

Talk is NOT cheap. Words are our most valuable - and most powerful - assets. Through words, we can forge or tear down relationships, inspire or demean our children, spouses, or friends, offer comfort or inflict pain. Through words, we can create an atmosphere of harmony or discord, contentment or conflict, blessing or, Heaven forbid, its opposite. Controlling and properly channeling our words can seem as impossible as stopping a rushing river. But the Torah teaches us that we can control what we say. The Chofetz Chaim taught us how to incorporate the laws of shmiras haloshon into our daily lives. Positive Word Power, based on Rabbi Zelig Pliskin's classic The Power of Words, focuses on ona'as devarim, -- the hurtful speech we all too often use in our direct, daily interaction with others. This original work examines dozens of true-life situations in which the wrong words can wound people, damage friendships and ignite hostility. More importantly, it offers concise, practical strategies for controlling destructive speech and for communicating with others in ways that nurture and build. Just as our acclaimed bestseller, The Chofetz Chaim: A Daily Companion, is showing tens of thousands around the world how to tap into the profound wisdom of the Chofetz Chaim through a simple daily program, designed to help us avoid negative speech about others, Positive Word Power aims to awaken and sensitize us to the critical importance of being careful how we speak to others. This is a book that will enrich and, ultimately, transform your relationships and your life.

[Aneinu] Please Daven

Rabbi Diskind is the dean emeritus of Bais Yaakov of Baltimore. Please ask your readers to be mispallel & say tehillim. Please be mispallel for our Dean Emeritus, Rabbi Hirsch Diskind- Tzvi ben Chana Golda for a refuah shlaima min hashomayim.

Living Halacha - Vol. 1 A Thorough Halachic Guide to Daily Living with Comprehensive Sources and Explanations IS AT KESHER STAM

Rav Gershon Meltzer is a renowned and revered posek in Yeshivas Mir Yerushalayim, having studied there for about thirty years. He currently says approximately twenty shiurim a week, which encompass all areas of halacha and psak. This volume contains some of his shiurim on practical topics, and was prepared for print by a talmid R’ Eliezer Gutfreund. Is one allowed to say the word “G-d?” Is it permitted to talk in a bathroom? Does one have to wash his hands after putting on tefillin? What kavana should one have when davening or saying berachos? Can one say elokai neshama after davening Shacharis? May one give a baby bottle in the middle of the night without washing negel vasser? May one play ball in shorts? At what point does one transgress bal teshaktzu when holding himself in? Is one obligated to avoid things which are kashe leshikcha? Are men allowed to go horseback riding? Should plaques be hung up in honor of donors? Is it ever proper to get involved in controversy? What are the ramifications of disgracing a talmid chacham?PRINT DISCOUNT HERE.

[Aneinu] Name Added - Please Daven for Chosson

The name Refoel has been added. Please daven for the bochur Refoel Mordechai Bunim ben Shulamis, from Yerushalayim, l'erfua shleima b'soch she'or cholei Yisroel. One month before his wedding, and was in a very bad car accident yesterday and had brain surgery. Hashem yerachem al kol Ammo Yisroel!

SAY PARSHAS HAMAN TODAY

When our ancestors were in the Wilderness, a month after the Exodus from Egypt, they faced a tomorrow with no food. Justifiably, they asked Moshe if he had taken them into the desert to starve to death. Hashem responded that in the morning they would see that He had not forsaken them. In the morning – and every morning for the next 40 years – there was manna waiting for them. By evening there was nothing left, and the next morning, it was there again. Can you imagine how we would feel if we went to sleep every night with empty refrigerators? There in the Wilderness, Hashem showed our ancestors that ultimately, parnassah is in His hands. We pray for it every day – to provide for our families, to assist worthy causes, to build sturdy foundations for the future. This year, more than any in living memory, we pray for parnassah. The recession has hit everywhere. Relatives and neighbors, institutions and hopes for the future have been battered. So we pray for parnassah perhaps more fervently than in the past – but some days are more propitious than others. The Torah reading of this coming Shabbos -- Parashas Beshalach -- includes the chapter telling how the Jewish People in the Wilderness received manna. Many people recite the chapter daily, as a special prayer for parnassah. There is also a widespread custom to recite this chapter on the Tuesday of the week of Beshalach,

THE BAIS HAVAAD THE DAF IN HALACHA SHABBOS DAF 109-110 WHAT IS CONSIDERED MEDICINE

RAV MOSHE ROTBERG BRINGS RAV MOSHE AND THE DEBINCINER RAV WHO SAY VITAMINS TAKEN FOR A REFUA LIKE DEFICIENCY ARE ASUR TO TAKE ON SHABBOS BUT WHEN THEY ARE TAKEN NOT FOR A DEFICIENCY THEY ARE MUTER TO TAKE ON SHABBOS(FOR MORE SEE EMERGENCIES IN HALACHA CHAPTER 8 FOOTNOTE 415). A CHILD OR A PREGNANT ARE A CHOLEH SHAN BO SAKANAH AND IS ALLOWED TO TAKE IRON PILLS ON SHABBOS. FOR HALACHOS OF HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE SEE CHAPTER 16 OF EMERGENCIES IN HALACHA AND FOOTNOTE 603 FOR WHAT THE SGEVET HALEVEI SAYS.

[Aneinu] Please Daven for Chosson in Yerushalayim

Please daven for the bochur Mordechai Bunim ben Shulamis, from Yerushalayim, l'erfua shleima b'soch she'or cholei Yisroel. He recently got engaged, but was in a very bad car accident today.

THE BAIS HAVAAD ON THE PARSHA 5773~ PARSHAS BO ~SHABBOS IN FINLAND

This week's Parshah tells us of Moshe Rabbeinu's warning to Paraoh regarding the impending plague of makkas bechoros. Although the actual plague occurred precisely at midnight, "chatzos halayla", Moshe's warning gave an estimated time: "kachatzos", about midnight. The Gemara (Brachos 4) explains that this was done in order to prevent any misunderstanding that might occur should the plague not occur at the Egyptians'-- possibly inaccurate -- calculation of midnight. The Creator however, who is obviously aware of the precise time, struck the firstborn exactly at midnight. The Chasam Sofer adds that the time of chatzos and, by extension, the occurrence of makkas bechoros, is reckoned according to the time zone of Eretz Yisroel. Since Egypt is situated slightly to the west, its midnight is slightly later than absolute chatzos, thereby giving room for misunderstanding. Therefore, Moshe gave an estimated time instead. The Ya'avetz in Mor U'Ketziah (1) shares a similar view as the Chasam Sofer. He writes that the benefits of reciting tikkun chatzos at midnight are dependent primarily on the midnight of Eretz Yisroel. He maintains that the custom of rising at midnight in the Diaspora is merely done as a remembrance for Yerushalayim, and is not an obligation. This discussion brings us to the topic of keeping Mitzvos that are governed by time, such as Shabbos in places where the change of a day cannot be determined by astronomical factors. For example, in latitudes above the Arctic Circle, the sun doesn't set for a few weeks in the summer and it doesn't rise for a few weeks in the winter. The obvious dilemma discussed by the Poskim, is how to observe Shabbos in the absence of a seven-day cycle.(AUDIO VERSION HERE PRINT VERSION HERE

THE BAIS HAVAAD ON THE PARSHA 5772 ~ PARSHAS BO ~Do-It-Yourself Justice

In this week's parsha we read about the last three makkos that Hashem sent upon the Egyptians. The Torah tells us that during the ninth makka, which was the plague of darkness, the Egyptians couldn't see at all for eight days straight. The Midrash Rabba says that during the days of darkness the Jews went searching through the homes and belongings of the Egyptians in order to know what kind of valuables they had, so they would know what to ask for when leaving Egypt. One can ask: How was it permitted for the Jews to enter the property of the Egyptians without permission? Isn't this a violation of stealing? The Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh (3:18) explains as follows. In truth, the Egyptians owed them all of these valuables as pay for all the free labor that the Jews did for them (see Maseches Sanhedrin 91a). When one is owed money he has the right to take the law into his own hands and forcefully collect the money when no other option is available. This is known as the principle of "avid inish dina lnafshei", that one can take the law into his own hands. So, in truth, the Jews could have entered into the Egyptians' houses and confiscated their possessions during the days of darkness. However, Hashem wanted that they should only search the houses without taking. As such. the issue of stealing wasn't applicable in this situation.

NAALEH.COM Parshat Bo 5773 - Benevolent Blossoming By Mrs. Shira Smiles

In this class(shiur) Mrs. Shira Smiles discusses Parshat Bo Available online in streaming video, and for download in mp3 and mp4(Ipod video) formats

NAALEH.COM AND YU TORAH Parshat Bo 5772: World of the Wicked By Mrs. Shira Smiles

n this Torah shiur (class) on Parshat Bo, Mrs. Shira Smiles speaks about the question of the wicked son mentioned at the Pesach Seder, which is alluded to in Parshat Bo. This Torah class is available online in streaming video and for download in mp3 and ipod video formats. CLICK HERE FOR Summary by Channie Koplowitz Stein.

NAALEH.COM Parshat Bo 5771: Midnight Mindfulness By Mrs. Shira Smiles

In this Torah shiur (class) on Parshat Bo, Mrs. Shira Smiles speaks about the plague of the first born; why it occurred at midnight, why is was carried out by Hashem Himself, and why the Jewish people had to do something in order to gain protection. This Torah class is available online in streaming video and for download in mp3 and ipod video formats.

RABBI WEIN ON PARSHAS BO

The extraordinary devotion of the Torah to all of the intricate details of the celebration of Pesach and of its sacrifice strikes one as demanding explanation. After all, the Torah will command many mitzvoth to the Jewish people in the course of the next books of the Torah, without necessarily going into particulars and details about their method of observance.

RABBI WEIN ON ON CHANGING LIGHT BULBS

My mechanical ineptitude is legendary. I have never been any sort of handyman around the house and from time immemorial, dealing with burned out light bulbs has presented a dreaded challenge to me. If this was true, and it was, regarding those good old-fashioned screw-in light bulbs, the arrival of halogen lighting fixtures and bulbs has vastly compounded the problem. Those spindly little legs of the halogen bulbs never seem to fit correctly into the microscopically small sockets where they are intended to go and the dreaded warning not to touch the halogen bulb – God forbid – with one’s bare fingers has seriously impeded any hope of success in my being able to replace any burned out bulb with ease and dispatch on my own.

RABBI SHLOMO CARLEBACH ON PARASHAT BO

You know friends, the saddest thing is that during the plague of darkness in Egypt, for three days nobody saw one another. By us yiddelach there was the same darkness, but the Torah says 'for Israel it was light'. So the ordinary meaning is that for Egypt it was dark and for the Yiddele there was light. But the real deeper meaning is that in Egypt it was dark, they didn't see anybody else. What do us yiddelach do when it is dark? We look for somebody else.

CHASSIDIC PEARLS BY RABBI LAZER BRODY PARSHAS BO

"Sanctify to Me each firstborn . . ." (Shemot 13:2). To this day, even after the destruction of our Holy Temple, we are required to sanctify not only our firstborn sons, but our firstborn cattle as well. The connection between the firstborn and his sanctification carries an underlying message that stresses the importance of a good beginning. Rebbe Nachman of Breslev writes, "The beginning is the main thing, for all beginnings are difficult… a person's functioning goes according to the power and enthusiasm that he invested at the beginning… therefore, a person must always make a new beginning, for the old beginning might not have been as good as it should have been, and everything goes according to the beginning" (Likutei Moharan I, 62:5). Some people, rationalizing and/or apologizing for a lack in their service to Hashem, walk around with a long face, depressed and discouraged. They say: "What do you want from me? Was I born the son or daughter of a Rebbe or a Rosh Yeshiva? I never had the chance to learn Torah or Halacha properly, and you can't teach an old dog new tricks." Any student of Breslov thought must vehemently disagree. Rebbe Nachman gives a bright ray of hope and encouragement to anyone that didn't enjoy an ideal beginning in life or in any particular endeavor when he says, "A person must always make a new beginning!" The outcome of this simple but monumental teaching is that there is no reason for despair – ever! At any given time, a person can draw the line and say that the past is no longer a concern – "From this moment on, I declare a new beginning!" Rebbe Nachman practiced exactly what he preached. Reb Natan writes (Shivchei HaRan, 6), that Rebbe Nachman was accustomed to constantly begin anew. "Whenever he fell from his particular level, he did not give up. He would simply say, 'I will begin to devote myself to Hashem and this is the very first time.' This happened time and again and each time he would start all over again. He would often begin anew many times in a single day. For even in the course of a day there were many times when he would fall away from his high level of devotion. But each time he would start again, no matter how many times it happened, even within a single day." The mitzvah of teshuva, returning to Hashem, is Hashem's written guarantee that a new beginning is not only effective, but it's even better than the old beginning. This law of spirituality also applies to the physical world; a welded piece of metal is stronger than the original piece of metal, a new growth of a tree is more vital than the old growth, and so forth.

RAV KOOK ON PARSHAS Bo PART 4: The Exodus and Tefillin

he Torah commands us to commemorate the Exodus from Egypt by wearing tefillin (phylacteries) on the arm and head. "These words will be for a sign on your arm and a reminder between your eyes, so that God's Torah will be in your mouth; for God brought you out of Egypt with a strong arm." (Ex. 13:9) What is the connection between tefillin and the Exodus? How does wearing tefillin ensure that the Torah will be 'in our mouths'?

RAV KOOK ON PARSHAT BO PART 3

Translated and abridged by Rabbi Chanan Morrison Parshat Bo "Moses told the people: Remember this day that you have left Egypt, the place of slavery." (Ex. 13:3) The word zachor ('Remember') is not in the imperative tense (z'chor!), but in the infinitive absolute form. This grammatical form indicates that the Torah is not merely commanding us to remember and commemorate the anniversary of the Exodus from Egypt. Rather, zachor implies a state of being. It describes us as a people who always remember this historic date. Why?

RAV KOOK ON PARSHAS Bo PART 2: Draining Egypt

(RECOMMENDED BY RABBI YITZCHAK ETSHALOM FROM OU SHNAYIM MIKRA)

"The Israelites did as Moses had said. They requested silver and gold articles and clothing from the Egyptians. God made the Egyptians respect the people, and they granted their request. The Israelites thus drained Egypt of its wealth." (Ex. 12:35-36)." God's command that the Hebrew slaves request gold and silver from the Egyptians is commonly explained as reparations for hundreds of years of slave labor. But why was it necessary to completely drain Egypt of its wealth?

RAV KOOK ON PARSHAS Bo PART 1: Training for Greatness

(RECOMMENDED BY RABBI YITZCHAK ETSHALOM FROM OU SHNAYIM MIKRA)

Before the Jewish people left Egypt, God had a request: "Please speak to the people, and let each man request from his friend gold and silver articles. Let every woman make the same request of her friends." (Ex. 11:2) The language in the verse is surprisingly gentle. God usually commands the Israelites. Why the solicitous request, "Please speak"?

OU TORAH Closing the Circle By Shira Smiles

CKICK HERE FOR SOURCE SHEETS AND SHIUR BY SHIRA SMILES ON PARSHAS BESHALACH.

NSN JM Sunday with Mattes Weingast 01/20/2013 ARCHIVE

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IN HONOR OF YUD SHVAT THE SICHA The Catalyst of Redemption(Likkutei Sichot - Volume VII: Shmos)

WHAT DO RAV SHIMON BAR YOCHAI THE BAAL SHEM TOV AND THE 6TH REBBE HAVE TO DO WITH THIS WEEK PARSHA? Likkutei Sichot - Volume 7: Shmos for Iphone here WHICH INCLUDES THE SICHA The Catalyst of Redemption.

Start a JEM library!

In honor of Yud Shevat we are offering up to 50% off the entire JEM DVD collection! This is a great opportunity to complete your collection of videos of the Rebbe, and to fulfill Mivtza of bayis molei seforim and would be a great addition to your home for you, your family and especially your children. LIKE Faithful and Fortified - Volume 1 2 AND 3

Where: Online @ jemstore.com/v/sale or come by the JEM office office @ 784 Eastern parkway, 4th floor, 9:30 – 6:00 Mon - Wednesday. When: Through Wednesday Yud Beis Shevat (23rd, January). Act fast to take advantage of this one off chance, supplies are limited! Ah gut Yom Tov. Jewish Educational Media

The Legacy: Teaching for Life from the Great Lithuanian Rabbis

Exploring the wisdom of the great sages of Lithuania, The Legacy presents a moral and spiritual vision for the Jewish people. Providing a glimpse into the world of these sages – their own teachers’ rabbis – the authors outline the ideas and deeds, the values and ethics by which Jews should live. This is not a book about what once was: It is a book about what should, and can, be – now and forever in Jewish life.(BUY ON AMAZON FOR 38% OFF LIST PRICE)

YWN [Aneinu]TEHILLIM: Lakewood – Two Children Struck By Vehicle In Serious Condition

Lakewood, NJ – Two children are in serious condition, Sunday afternoon, after being struck by a vehicle. The accident happened at Cushman Street and Route 9, just before 2:00PM. The children, ages 2 1/2 and 8, were run over as they were crossing the street. According to a TLS report, the younger child was in a stroller when it was struck. They were both pinned under the vehicle. Dozens of Hatzolah, EMS and Lakewood First Aid BLS and ALS units responded to the scene, along with an Extrication Unit. The children were both transported to Jersey Shore Medical Center in serious condition. Their names for Tehilim are Yitzchok Bentzion Ben Roza Bluma and Sarah Bracha Bas Roza Bluma.

NSN The Book of Life with Charlie Harary 01/17/2013 ARCHIVE

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