Shiur provided courtesy of Naaleh.com Adapted by Channie Koplowitz Stein The words signifying the order of the Seder are well known. We begin withKadesh/Sanctifying the Seder night over wine, continuing with another eleven or thirteen (depending on whether some segments are combined or separated) and ending withNirtzah/Acceptance (of our Seder). In the entire order, there is […]

 Shiur provided courtesy of Naaleh.com Adapted by Channie Koplowitz Stein Each of the three-foot festivals is traditionally associated with one of our patriarchs. Pesach is associated with Avraham Avinu. On the simplest level, this understanding is based on the episode of thee three strangers/angels approaching Avraham’s tent. Avraham ran to invite them in, rushed to prepare […]

 Shiur provided courtesy of Naaleh.com Adapted by Channie Koplowitz Stein With the approach of every holiday, one should try to find the themes or major essence of the holiday and see that connection in the liturgy and in the laws and customs of that holiday. While Purim is a holiday of joy and redemption, what thread […]

There is no break between Vayigash and Vayechi, Rashi describes it as a closed Parsha, because of the “closure” (emotional/spiritual) Bnei Yisrael felt when Yaakov died. Why describe the feeling as “closed”? The three reasons we fast on Asara B’Tevet are 1) because the Torah was translated into Greek, Ezra passed away, and because siege […]

 Shiur provided courtesy of Naaleh.com Adapted by Channie Koplowitz Stein            We are all familiar with the story of Chanukah, of how the Syrian Greeks tried to eradicate the Jewish connection to Hashem by desecrating the Beit Hamikdosh and enacting laws to sever that connection, including even prohibiting speaking Hashem’s name. The miracle unfolds when Hashem helped […]

 Shiur provided courtesy of Naaleh.com Adapted by Channie Koplowitz Stein Among the sins that we ask Hashem for forgiveness on Yom Kippur are “the sins that we committed before You bli daat/without knowledge.” While Artscroll interprets these sins to be the result of self – imposed ignorance, Rabbi Meislish notes these sins are the result of ignorance, […]

 Shiur provided courtesy of Naaleh.com Adapted by Channie Koplowitz Stein We all know that Hashem commanded us to hear the sound of the shofar on Rosh Hashanah. The basic number of sounds that need need to be blown is thirty, yet we blow the shofar at a minimum of two cycles of thirty, one cycle immediately […]

Download the mekorot here Recorded at OU Israel’s L’Ayla Rosh Chodesh Women’s Event

 Shiur provided courtesy of Naaleh.com Adapted by Channie Koplowitz Stein             Among all our holidays, Shavuot has the unique distinction of not having any specific positive commandment associated with its observance. While Pesach has the eating of matzah, for example, and Sukkot has the lulav and etrog, we have no symbolic mitzvah associated with Shavuot. True, […]

 Shiur provided courtesy of Naaleh.com Adapted by Channie Koplowitz Stein             An integral part of the Haggadah is the recitation of Hallel comprised of five paragraphs from Psalms. The Hallel begins with the introductory paragraph,”Therefore it is our duty to thank, praise… from slavery to freedom, from sadness to joy, from mourning to festivity, from darkness […]