In our second lesson of the Ramchal’s classic work – Derech Hashem, we explore another part of the soul – the Godly soul. While an animal has only one soul. A person is granted two. An animal soul and a Godly soul. The purpose of this additional soul is to elevate a man to a higher level so that he will be able to get to know his Creator and to live life in the capacity of an angelic spiritual being, even though he lives his life in a material world.
Getting married according to the Jewish Halachah is both exciting and intimidating! There’s a lot that needs to be studied! Fortunately, at Chessed Ve’Emet (here!) you’ll find two knowledgable teachers who will help you get through the material you need to learn and find yourself with the knowledge you need to make a start in your marriage the right way!
As a husband a wife team, Rabbi Eliyahu Shear teaches the Chatanim and Shoshanah teaches the Kallot. Both are certified teachers and are capable of sharing (and who do share) the material in a professional and caring manner.
You can of course check more information about what we cover by visiting our Chatan Lessons page as well as our Kallah Lessons page. But for this post, we are sharing a video prepared by Shoshanah to let you know just how much there is to learn and the material you’ll need to cover. Enjoy! And do be in touch! Preparing for marriage is not a once-off lesson thing. It is also not about hearing one’s teacher speak about the latest basketball game! It is concerned with the actual laws applicable to Family Purity and provides an opportunity and an opening to discuss any important matters that may be on your mind related to your future married life!
If you’ve found yourself a teacher who’ll help you master the material in just one lesson, or finds themselves more concerned with the latest football scores, or who shows more interest in the physical aspect of sexuality without giving over the important laws of Family Purity, you are on the incorrect path. You need to reconsider what exactly the laws are about and what you actually need to learn.
Welcome to a new series of Shiurim! We’ll be learning Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto’s famous Derech Hashem – Way of G-d. We’re going to take a leap into the third section – because it’s simply so exciting!
In our first Shiur, we’ll be learning about the basics of souls. The Ramchal had an amazing way of organising things. As anyone can see, he takes us from the most basic levels to the most advanced.
When it comes to souls, the most basic is the animal soul. Our first Shiur shares with us the lesson about a soul that is common to both animals and humans. Thereafter, the Ramchal will open our eyes further in future Shiurim as he will share with us the secrets behind the G-dly soul and just what it is capable of!
In our third lesson, we continue to discuss the categories of souls of the Tzaddik, the Rasha and the Beinoni. We discuss more outside the text on the theme of the nature of souls. What does it take to be a Tzaddik? What do we mean when we say someone is a Rasha (and evil person)? And what do we make of the Beinoni – the middle average man?
In our second lesson, we get involved in understanding more about the nature of souls. What does it take to be a Tzaddik? What do we mean when we say someone is a Rasha (and evil person)? And what do we make of the Beinoni – the middle average man?
Are we Tzaddikim just because we do good? And if not, does that make us Reshaim (evil)? What is the discussion about the Beinoni being someone who studies Torah all day long? This doesn’t seem to be most of us – and if so, does that make us all Reshaim? Is that a bad thing? Are we stuck with this status for life? Can we do anything to get us out of the rut?
It’s been another tough week. I think I can say fairly honestly that I struggle to deal with the general Mediterranean way of thinking. I suppose in all honesty, it is also fair to say that some people are just more sensitive than others and one cannot make general statements. Having lived in Israel for many years already, I have seen some who are exceptional. Simply amazing! But for the most part, I have struggled immensely with the approach taken by others who seem to have little care for you, unless you are lying in a road bleeding after a terror attack – in which case there’s this sudden immense Ahavat Yisrael all over. I cannot understand this logic. It has given me enough cognitive dissonance that is simply impossible to deal with.
I have compiled two videos in this post to share with you some of the things that can happen when purchasing a pair of Tefillin. The second video shows how some people may understand the Mitzvah of Mezuzah and once again points to the problems involved in both the purchasing (or preparing one’s own Mezuzah for setting up on the doorpost) as well as what some people understand in terms of what a Mezuzah is – thinking it to be the box…
Dr Michael Khanin was the last Sofer to leave the USSR. He is also my teacher in learning about the very special profession and work of a Sofer. In this video, Dr Khanin shares with us his amazing story of how he came to be involved in Sofrut and his journey from the USSR to Israel. The viewer has the opportunity to also see him working through a variety of video clips shared in the video as well as a few individual pictures showing the quality of his beautiful writing.
The Torah teaches us to look after our brother. We find out the importance behind this commandment and how fast we must react to help another! Our initial teaching comes from a verse in Parshat Behar.
We continue on with a powerful teaching from the Midrash that this world is like a water-wheel with buckets on either side. As the one bucket fills with water, the other is being emptied and when the empty bucket is again lowered and fills up with water from the well underneath, it is the other bucket that then becomes empty.
Weath and poverty are in the hands of G-d. We would do well to internalise this message and assist others in need when we can help, because the world is a wheel that goes around. Sometimes those on top can be on the bottom, and sometimes – then – those on the bottom end up on the top.
We must help each other whenever we can. That is our obligation and our duty. This fascinating lesson and textual teaching from the original sources shows us just how serious the Torah takes the commandment of charity – Tzedakah.
(Apologies for the strange black flash at the beginning of the video.)
Purim is over – for this year… but it’s always good to remain connected with happy times! Here are some video clips showing the largest Megillah written in the world. It was completed in 2017 (where have I been?!) Being a Sofer, it is interesting to see this massive document. On the other hand, the Mitzvah of writing a Megillah by no means extends to breaking world records. Rather, one writes to fulfill the Mitzvah of reading (literally hearing) the Megillah. Of course, if one’s eye-sight is not up to par and one actually needs a world-record-size Megillah, then it’s all the more so worthwhile! The Megillah is 27 Metres long and is written on deer skin.
*Picture above is three columns of a Megillah I wrote
