The Chazon Ish’s Recipe for Blessing
The Chazon Ish pointed those seeking a blessing toward the Torah itself and the way of life described in it.
Torah
Articles, recipes, prayers and stories about family, motherhood and Jewish traditions.
The Haftarah for Shabbat Shuvah - Mercy for the Orphan
On Shabbat Shuvah, we read a passage from the prophet Hosea—but only the fourteenth chapter, which consists of just ten verses. What is most puzzling, however, is that the reading begins with the sec…
Parashat Nitzavim - The Power of Unity
“You are all standing today before the L-rd your G-d, your leaders, your tribes… every man of Israel” (Devarim, 29:9). We should reflect on the word “standing” in this verse, which conveys firmness a…
Parashat Devarim - Children - A Gift from Above
“May the L-rd, the G-d of your fathers, add to your numbers thousands of times as many people like you, and bless you as He has promised you” (Devarim, 1:11). According to Rashi, the Jewish people we…
On One Foot - A Lesson from the Chafetz Chaim
Rabbi Neiman related that he once attended a gathering of rabbis in Vilna at which the Chafetz Chaim spoke. This is the lesson he heard from the Chafetz Chaim: “If we wish to know whether a craftsman…
On One Foot - Three Stages of Child-Rearing
Child-rearing in the early years is divided into three stages. The first stage is teaching derech eretz and good character traits. Derech eretz is the foundation for putting the Torah into practice,…
On One Foot – A Suitable Groom
The gaon Rabbi Eizel Charif, may his righteous memory be a blessing, one of the greatest figures of his generation, came to Volozhin to find a groom for his daughter. Unable to examine all the yeshiv…
On One Foot - Education Made to Measure
Educate a young person in keeping with his inclinations. Anyone who tries to establish rules for education strictly in accordance with his own views, without taking the students into account, is like…
On One Foot – A Grandfather's Influence
It is said that grandchildren are like children, and the book of Exodus (10:2) explicitly states: “So that you may tell your son and your son's son how I punished Egypt, and about My signs that I per…