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Chabad.org » Magazine » 5769 (2008-2009) » Shoftim

Shoftim 5769 -August 21, 2009

 Spirituality
How To Get To Heaven

Sometimes you need to see things in your mind's eye; sometimes you need to close your eyes and see things with your soul...
Who Am I to Bring Moshiach?

If all the great sages, mystics, and holy people of the past generations were unable to bring Moshiach in their lifetimes, how can we imagine we will be able to make it happen?
Bless You!

It's the time of year that Jews bless each other with life and health, sustenance and happiness. How does the blessing thing work?
 Living
The Rabbi’s Motorcycle Accident

Katia's voice became choked with emotion as she continued, "I became very angry at Jews and at Judaism. I decided that it was not for me. 'If Jews behave like this,' I thought to myself, 'it's better for me to be among non-Jews.' "
Did You Marry for Beauty or Money?

There's an old stereotype when it comes to marriage. Men marry women for their looks. Women marry men for their money. There are of course many exceptions to this rule. But there is some truth to it too.
Lost But Found

I wouldn't go. I didn't want to. I felt no connection with a wooden box being put into a hole in the ground. That was not my daddy, it couldn't be. I was not going to have that as my last memory of my daddy.
Make Time for Boredom

It is challenging for a parent to know when to help a child find a suitable activity and when to wait it out, until the child is able to break through their boredom and emerge into the new world on the other side...
 Women
My Path from Atheist to Believer

There are more than six billion people living on this planet, and most of them have their own opinions about G‑d. They also have a story behind their opinion…
The Incredible Returns of a Time Investment

For my son, there was one teacher who stands out. He was a new teacher, fresh out of rabbinical school and trying his hand at education...
Why I Don't Put On Tefillin

I had always been fascinated with tefillin (phylacteries), the two black leather boxes with Torah verses of parchment inside, worn on the head and wrapped around the arm. The basic explanation is that it is a way of connecting to our Creator and it is the binding of head, heart and deed...
 Parshah
The Parshah in a Nutshell
"Justice" -- the very concept is said to be a Jewish contribution to the world. A glance at this week's Parshah (equality before the law, due process, protection of criminals from vigilante vengeance, curbs on the behavior of kings, rules and ethics in warfare...) shows why
Take It As It Comes

If we cannot give up our worries about the future, then our trust in Him is tenuous, conditional and half-hearted. What we are really telling G‑d is that our relationship with Him is conditional.
Here Comes the Judge

A teacher once conducted an experiment. He held up a white plate and showed it to the class. In the center of the plate was a small black spot. He then asked the class to describe what they saw
Is My Body Mine?

My body is "me," so why should anyone else care? Why should the Torah care? Why should the Torah give rules for how I treat my own body?
What is Prophecy?
How does one become a prophet? What is it like to experience prophecy? Does prophecy exist today?
A Matter of Trust

We spend our youth building up cynicism, and then we are suddenly expected to make all those big life changes, like marriage and kids, that require faith in our fellow human beings, not to mention ourselves...
The month of Elul is the month of reckoning. In the material world, if a businessman is to conduct his affairs properly and profitably, he must periodically take an accounting and correct any deficiencies... Likewise in the spiritual avoda ("work") of serving G-d: one must know the good qualities in one's service of G-d and strengthen them; one must also be aware of the deficiencies in oneself and in one's service, and correct these...
— Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak of Lubavitch (Hayom Yom, Av 27)

Print Magazine



Faith in the Dark

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Click for full view of the Week at a Glance
Sunday
26 Av | August 16
Today in Jewish HistoryToday in Jewish History:
Tzemach Tzeddek Departs Petersburg
Monday
27 Av | August 17
Tuesday
28 Av | August 18
Wednesday
29 Av | August 19
Today in Jewish HistoryToday in Jewish History:
Flight from Liadi (1812)
Thursday
30 Av | August 20
Rosh Chodesh
Today in Jewish HistoryToday in Jewish History:
2nd Tablets Hewn (1313 BCE)
Laws and CustomsLaws and Customs:
Rosh Chodesh Observances
Practice shofar blowing; L'David Hashem Ori
Friday
1 Elul | August 21
Rosh Chodesh
Today in Jewish HistoryToday in Jewish History:
Moses ascends Sinai for 3rd 40 days (1313 BCE)
Laws and CustomsLaws and Customs:
Rosh Chodesh Observances
Elul Observances
Good Year Greetings
Light Shabbat Candles before sunset.
Shabbat
2 Elul | August 22
Torah Reading: Shoftim (Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9)
Today in Jewish HistoryToday in Jewish History:
Shulchan Aruch published (1555)
Laws and CustomsLaws and Customs:
Elul Observances
Ethics: Chapter 6


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