During the Chafetz Chaim’s travels through Poland, he once happened across a shul of Chassidei Alexander, where he entered to daven Mincha. Since it was erev Rosh Chodesh, he wanted to pray the “Yom Kippur Koton” service, which includes special Selichos and Tehillim that are customarily added to the Mincha service of erev Rosh Chodesh,…
In this week’s parshah, we find the commandment to eradicate any remnant or vestige of Amalek, as the verse states: תמחה את זכר עמלק מתחת השמים לא תשכח Eradicate the vestige of Amalek from beneath the Heavens. Do not forget.[1] When Sennacherib, King of Assyria, conquered the Middle East, he transferred the people of one…
השמר לך פן תשכח את ה’ אלקיך לבלתי שמר מצותיו ומשפטיו וחקתיו אשר אנכי מצוך היום. Guard yourself, lest you forget Hashem your G‑d, and fail to observe the mitzvos, laws and statutes that I command you today.[1] The warning in this week’s parshah to never forget about Hashem seems redundant in light of an…
ומנין שהתפלל משה באותו הפרק חמש מאות וחמשה עשר פעמים שנאמר “ואתחנן אל ה’ בעת ההיא לאמר” ואתחנן בגימטריא הכי הוי. From where do we learn that Moshe beseeched Hashem at that time with 515 prayers [to be allowed entrance into Eretz Yisrael]? From the verse, “And I prayed (va’eschanan) to Hashem at that time.”[1] …
