Rabbi Raphael Fuchs

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	Select an Archives Section: JP Archives: Torah Features 322 Archived Articles Found in Torah Features Next 20 Articles > 21) Posted Oct 16 2011 The Mitzvah Of Eating In A Sukkah By Rabbi Raphael Fuchs The Gemara in Sukkah 9a derives from the pasuk of "ta'aseh lecha" that one cannot fulfill his obligation in the mitzvah of Sukkos with a stolen sukkah. (This refers to the sechach being stolen.) Tosafos asks the following question: Why did the Torah deem it necessary to write a pasuk to teach us that one cannot fulfill his obligation with a stolen sukkah, for even without a pasuk we would know that this is the case. This is because this is a mitzvah haba b'aveirah (a mitzvah that only came about by means of an aveirah) - which is unfit for use in the performance of a mitzvah. Read Article 22) Posted Oct 05 2011 A Diamond With A Flaw By Rabbi Ben Zion Shafier Hashem told Moshe to engrave the names of the twelve shevatim onto the stones of the Ephod as a remembrance. Rashi explains that this was so that the memory of Reuven, Shimon, Levi, etc. would be invoked when the kohen gadol did the avodah, and Hashem would then remember their righteousness. Read Article 23) Posted Oct 05 2011 Missing Organs That Render An Animal Treif By Raphael Grunfeld The third of the eight categories of defects that render an animal treif is known as chaserah. The animal is missing a vital life-supporting organ without which it could not survive for a year. Read Article 24) Posted Oct 05 2011 Asking For Forgiveness From Your Fellow By Rabbi Raphael Fuchs The Mishnah in Yuma 85b says that Yom Kippur can atone for one's sins; however, it does not apply to all sins equally. The Mishnah says that Yom Kippur can atone for aveiros bein adam l'Makom (between man and God), but cannot atone for aveiros bein adam l'chaveiro (between one man and another man) unless the sinner has appeased the man he wronged. This is derived from the pasuk in Vayikra 16:30, "mikol chatoseichem lifnei Hashem titharu." Read Article 25) Posted Sep 27 2011 Returned Theft By Rabbi Meir Orlian It was two weeks before Rosh Hashanah. Jay Ellis, who had been the ba'al tekia for over twenty years, reached into his box in shul to take out the shofar. Read Article 26) Posted Sep 27 2011 Haazinu: Vengeance For Israel By Rabbi Avigdor Miller, zt"l Israel's history is a saga of suffering and mistreatment at the hands of the nations of the world. Despite our great achievements in every area of life and society, Israel has been targeted for a special scorn and oppression from her peers. Read Article 27) Posted Sep 27 2011 *The Teshuvah* Of Rosh Hashanah By Rabbi Raphael Fuchs There is a famous Rambam in Hilchos Teshuvah 3:4 that says: "Although the blowing of the shofar on Rosh Hashanah is a decree from Hashem, there is a remez (reason) behind its blowing. The reason is that the sound of the shofar is to remind us to wake up from our slumber and inspect our actions, do teshuvah, and remember our creator. And those who have forgotten the truth and wasted their time should look into their souls and inspect their way of life. They should leave the wrong path that they find themselves on." Clearly the Rambam believes that on Rosh Hashanah one should do teshuvah, as he says that the shofar is to awaken us to do teshuvah. Similarly it would seem that one should do teshuvah on Rosh Hashanah, as it is part of the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah (10 Days of Repentance). Read Article 28) Posted Sep 21 2011 Netzavim/Vayelech: The Key To Avodas Hashem By Rabbi Avigdor Miller, zt"l As the Day of Judgment approaches, all of us seek ways to increase our merits and get (or remain) in Hashem's good favor. In Parshas Netzavim, we discover we have already, in our mouths and hearts, the means to draw closer to Hashem. Read Article 29) Posted Sep 21 2011 Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude By Rabbi Ben Zion Shafier** After many grave warnings against leaving the ways of the Torah, Moshe Rabbeinu tells Klal Yisrael that learning and keeping the Torah is within easy grasp of each of us. "Acquiring it doesn't require wings to fly to the heavens, and studying it doesn't demand crossing oceans." Rather, Torah is well within the reach of each person. Read Article 30) Posted Sep 21 2011 The Mitzvah To Write A Sefer Torah By Rabbi Raphael Fuchs In this week's parshah the Torah writes: "V'atah kisvu lachem es ha'shirah ha'zos "- And now, write for yourselves this song (Devarim 31:19). Rashi explains that the song that the pasuk is referring to is the parshah of Ha'azinu. The Gemara in Sanhedrin 21B derives from this pasuk that every Jew is commanded to write an entire Sefer Torah. However, if the pasuk is referring to parshas Ha'azinu, how can the Gemara take from here a commandment to write the entire Torah? Read Article 31) Posted Sep 14 2011 Ki Savo: Being 'Chosen' By Rabbi Avigdor Miller, zt"l Rabbi Avigdor Miller, zt"l, explains that the fact of being chosen - more specifically, commanded- itself creates a certain level of holiness. Greater than this, though, is the holiness Israel creates within itself by performing the commandments. Read Article 32) Posted Sep 14 2011 Worker's Loan By Rabbi Meir Orlian "There will be a small party at the office next Tuesday," Mr. Storch announced to his workers. "We're celebrating five years of Storch Studios." Read Article 33) Posted Sep 14 2011 Using Visualizations By Rabbi Ben Zion Shafier Rashi is troubled by Moshe's use of the word today, implying that Hashem first commanded the Jews to do the mitzvahs that day when in reality Hashem gave the Jewish people the mitzvahs almost 40 years earlier. Read Article 34) Posted Sep 14 2011 *Punctured And Treif* (Chullin 42a, 56a and 56b; Zevachim 65a) By Raphael Grunfeld** The digestive system of fowl, such as chicken, if punctured in certain places, renders the chicken treif. Read Article 35) Posted Sep 14 2011 Arvus: Does It Apply To Women? By Rabbi Raphael Fuchs In this week's parshah Moshe divided the Bnei Yisrael to receive berachos and kelalos. He set six tribes on Har Grizim and six tribes on Har Eival - with the kohanim and levi'im, along with the Aron, in the valley. He told the kohanim and levi'im to turn toward Har Grizim and recite a berachah (e.g. "Blessed is the man who does not make an idol ") and everyone should answer "amen." Then the kohanim and levi'im would turn toward Har Eival and recite a kelalah (i.e. "Cursed is the man who makes an idol ") and everyone would say "amen." The Gemara in Sota 37b derives from this parshah the concept of arvus (responsibility), that each member of klal Yisrael is responsible for the other member's obligations. Read Article 36) Posted Sep 07 2011 Animal And Human Predators (Chullin 52b -54a) By Raphael Grunfeld "Be holy people to me. Do not eat flesh torn off (treifah) in the field by a predator. Cast it to the dogs." This sentence (Exodus 22:30) is the source for the prohibition against eating treif. Like many other Jewish dietary laws, most of the laws of treifah are not to be found in the Written Law but rather in the Oral Law. Read Article 37) Posted Sep 07 2011 The Greatness Of Man By Rabbi Ben Zion Shafier Of the four capital punishments in the Torah, the most severe is s'kilah. After being killed, the criminal is hanged publicly for all to see so that others will learn not to do as he did. Read Article 38) Posted Sep 07 2011 Bal T'acher: How Long? By Rabbi Raphael Fuchs In this week's parshah, the Torah commands us regarding the halachos of nedarim and nedavos (vows to Hashem). The Torah writes a mitzvas asei concerning fulfilling one's nedarim; as the pasuk says, "Mo'tza sifasecha tishmor - You shall observe and carry out what emerges from your lips" (Devarim 23:24). Read Article 39) Posted Sep 07 2011 Ki Tetze: Guarding Human Life By Rabbi Avigdor Miller, zt"l The command to provide a fence around the roof is not merely a safety advisory. Rabbi Avigdor Miller, zt"l, explains that the Torah regards the preservation of life and limb as a highest priority, so much so that any breach of safety may be tantamount to murder, no matter how indirect. Read Article 40) Posted Aug 31 2011 If I Were A Rich Man By Rabbi Ben Zion Shafier The Torah commands us to appoint a king to rule over the Jewish people. However, there are various warnings given to the king. He should not acquire too many horses, should not take too many wives, and should not amass too much gold and silver. Read Article 322 Archived Articles Found in Torah Features Next 20 Articles >
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