Many mistakenly view mitzvot as the equivalent of good deeds. Though mitzvot are indeed good deeds, they are much more than just that. The word mitzvah, which literally means “commandment,” ...
In other words, one may not “kill two birds with one stone.” Each mitzvah that one performs must be done individually and with one’s undivided attention. 2 In fact, the intent to perform one mitzvah ...
There are some things in life we see as means to and an end: We travel in cars to arrive at destinations; we exercise to stay in shape; we go to work to earn money; and the list goes on. Sometimes, ...
To be ‘shomer mitzvot’ does not mean to keep mitzvot! That is the surprising view of the Or HaChaim Hakadosh. If that’s the case, what does being ‘shomer mitzvot’ mean? The Or HaChaim explains that it ...
Rabbi Yeshayahu Pinto’s teachings are renowned across the Jewish world. His lessons combine Hasidic thought and philosophy with practical advice for a better life. Here, we have gathered some insights ...
When it comes to the Torah many do not connect the consequences of inactions when it comes to not doing mitzvot. This is a great challenge in particular for many non-Orthodox Jews. “Vayikra,” the book ...
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Do mitzvot have reasons or are they purely a Divine decree? Should we live lives insulated from other cultures or integrated with them? Is religious life an ascetic one or should we take advantage of ...
About a month after her father passed away in 2006, Linda Cohen awoke in the middle of the night with an idea. Cohen had been looking for a better way to grieve for her father, one that would both ...