Torah

A hallmark of the Jewish experience is the myriad of berachos (blessings) intertwined into the fabric of daily living. From the moment we wake up (Al netilas yadayim) until the moment we fall asleep (Hamapil), we recite berachah after berachah on every imaginable aspect of our lives — before and after eating, throughout davening, even after going to the bathroom. Every milestone of life is accompanied by a unique berachah as well: from the birth of a child, followed by bris milah and pidyon ha’ben, and subsequently to mark marriage and even death. Life’s milestones are marked and elevated through berachos.

It was that time of year again. Once a year, for a single day, the legendary Buddhist guru would emerge from his solitary meditation to greet the public. Thousands of people would flock to his far-flung residence to greet him. Some came to ask questions, seeking his wisdom and advice, while others came just to lay eyes on this legendary figure.

Lomdei Daf HaYomi B’Halacha to Complete Hilchos Shabbos and Embark in Hilchos Eruvin

This coming 17 Kislev/December 7, will NOT be “A Day of Infamy.” Unlike December 7, 1941, which was described by President Roosevelt after the Japanese attack on an American base in Pearl Harbor as “A Day of Infamy.” This year, December 7^th, will be a day that will live on in fame! It is the day when tens of thousands of Daf HaYomi B’Halacha learners will make a siyum on Hilchos Shabbos, Chelek Gimmel of Mishnah Berurah, in the third machzor of Daf HaYomi B’Halacha, and begin Chelek Daled!

I will never forget what happened that night. After going to hundreds of lectures and giving quite a few myself, I thought I’d seen it all. But I had never seen anything quite like this.

In our previous article, we began exploring the nature of chukim and the potential limitations of reason and logic. To review, we framed our discussion with the famous line of the Vilna Gaon: “Where logic and human intellect ends, Jewish wisdom begins.” This implies that Judaism does not reject reason and logic, but builds upon it. We therefore began our discussion by exploring the purpose and utility of our intellect, and how it can help one ascertain logical proofs of spiritual truths, such as Hashem’s existence.

This week’s parshah tells the story of Avram going to war to rescue his nephew, Lot. Archaeology and history, along with the teachings of Chazal, can give more insight into the story.