Rav Bendavid, Parshat Eikev 5786 The Mishnah makes a striking observation about the meaning of Tu B'Av: "לא היו ימים טובים לישראל כחמישה עשר באב וכיום הכיפורים... שבהן בנות ירושלים יוצאות בכלי לבן שאולין... וחולות בכרמים." (תענית כו:) The Mishnah describes the daughters of Jerusalem going out to dance together במחולות, in circles. Why does the Mishnah emphasize the circle? The Bnei Yissaschar, the great Chassidic commentator, points us to another passage at the very end of Ma

Rav Ben David, שבת נחמו 5786 A few Torah thoughts for a happy, healthy, and kosher summer ahead. 1. Safety – ונשמרתם מאד לנפשותיכםDrive carefully. Don’t text and drive. Wear helmets. Use sunscreen. Watch children carefully around pools. Don’t swim without a lifeguard — even calm water can be dangerous. In Judaism, protecting life is a mitzvah. 2. Wonder – מה רבו מעשיך ה׳Get out of the café and go see Hashem’s world. The Rambam writes that contemplating creation deepens our lo

Rav Bendavid, Shabbat Chazon 5786 Over the past few weeks, our community has had four shiva homes. Many people have come to pay shiva calls, and that is deeply appreciated by the families. But attendance at several of the shiva minyanim has been lower than it should be. I know it's vacation season. People are away, and sometimes the family isn't someone we know particularly well. Still, I feel a responsibility to write about this, because I believe it touches on one of the mo