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Harav Sholom Mordechai Hakohen Schwadron, known as the "Maggid of Jerusalem," was a revered Charedi Rav and inspiring Torah speaker. With his fiery and inspirational mussar talks, he captivated audiences and earned the admiration of many. His teachi…

Many synagogues have a beautiful custom of intonating the Shirah verses containing Hashem's holy name with a special melody.  It is also customary in some communities to rise respectfully during this special leining.  Additionally, in ce…

I recently discovered a valuable source in Derashos Haran from a shiur given by Rabbi Lopiansky, specifically Talk 10. In this talk, the Ran explains how the Torah provides godly laws for the people while allowing the king to establish additional la…

Some interesting things to ponder about Shabbas Shira: Did you know that the Talmud teaches (Megillah 16b) that the sections of the Torah involving Shira (songs) are written in a unique "Aruch al gabei leveina" style? This means that the script o…

HaRav Matisyahu Salomon was born on November 28, 1937, and passed away on January 2, 2024; he was a master of Torah and Mussar. His wisdom and teachings touched the lives of thousands. Hatzolah responders rushed to his home on Tuesday night when he …

1. Pray near inspired congregants. This is inspirational not for competitive reasons but because it provides constant reminders that if one falls behind in concentration, it can reinspire him. 2. Pursue a deeper understanding of the prayers. 3. En…

Some have a custom of giving birds food on Shabbos Shirah. Two reasons are given for this custom: The Aruch HaShulchan (324:3) says that since the birds sang along with us by the splitting of the sea, we help them with food for this Shabbos- the Sha…

On the Erev Shabbos of Shabbos Shira or on Shabbos Shira, many have a custom of giving bird-friendly seeds and bread crumbs to the birds to commemorate Shabbos Shira. This tradition stems from the wondrous past of Bnei Yisroel. When they crossed the…

Pharaoh released the Israelites, and God guided them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Pharaoh chased them near the sea. The Israelites cried out to God while Moshe reassured them. Moshe split the sea upon God's instructio…

Tu BiShvat (ט״ו בִּשְׁבָט‎) is a Jewish holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat. They are also known as Rosh HaShanah La'Ilanot (ראש השנה לאילנות‎), meaning "New Year of the Trees". The term "Tu BiShvat" is derived from i…

Rabbi Yaakov Yehoshua Falk (1680 – 1756) was a Polish and German Rav and expert Talmudist known as the Pnei Yehoshua. He was named the Pnei Yehoshua for his magnum opus, his sefer of commentary and novellas on the Talmud, and Pnei Yehoshua rem…