by Rabbi Yaacov Haber | Jul 21, 2017 | Matot, Massei
I’m feeling okay about the nine days this year. Even Tisha B’Av! That may sound radical, so let’s explain why. The Talmud (Yoma 5) describes a scene toward the desecration and destruction of the Beis HaMikdash by the Babylonians. According to the Medrash in Eicha, a...
by Rabbi Yaacov Haber | Jul 14, 2017 | Pinchas
There was once a Chasidic Rebbe known as the ‘Rebbe Ha’Katan’. He was six years old when he inherited the mantle of the rebbe. Because of his age, he was assigned an uncle, a great person in his own right, to guide and teach him until he was ready to take over the...
by Rabbi Yaacov Haber | Jun 30, 2017 | Sefer Bamidbar, Chukat
When we pray, we are supposed to consider ourselves and visualize that we are standing directly in front of G-d. How can this be? G-d has no image that we can conceive of. As soon as we have any visual association of G-d, we’ve already gone wrong. Whether you’re...
by Rabbi Yaacov Haber | Jun 23, 2017 | Sefer Bamidbar, Korach
I was recently reading the great book of letters by the Steipler Rav, “Kiryana D’Igrasa”. In one of these, he was responding to a correspondent who had listed some of his problems. It should be emphasized that the Steipler was not one to make light of other people’s...
by Rabbi Yaacov Haber | Jun 16, 2017 | Sefer Bamidbar, Shelach
The Chafetz Chaim is famous for making the prohibitions of lashon hara more widely known. It is well known that the spies of our parsha spoke lashon hara about Eretz Yisroel. However one could search in vain through the Chafetz Chaim’s great work on the laws of lashon...
