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Prayer’s Function

From “The Complete Artscroll Siddur.” The Hebrew name is תְּפִלָּה, teffillah, a word that gives us an insight into the Torah’s concept of prayer. The root word of tefillah is פלל, to judge, to differentiate, to clarify, to decide. In life, we constantly sort out evidence from rumor, valid opinions from wild speculations, fact from fancy. Read More

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Ben Bag Bag

In the wonderful text of Pirke Avot, the Chapters of the Fathers in the Mishnah, the following statement is said by a mysterious figure named ‘Ben Bag Bag’,  בֶּן בַּג בַּג אוֹמֵר: הֲפֺךְ בָּהּ וָהֲפֺךְ בָּהּ, דְּכֺלָּה בַּה; וּבַהּ תֶּחֱזֵי, וְסִיב וּבְלֵה בַּהּ, וּמִנַּהּ לָא תְּזוּעַ, שֶׁאֵין לְךָ מִדָּה טוֹבָה הֵימֶנָּה Ben Bag Bag omeir: Hafohk Read More

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Ad Bli Dai

הָבִ֨יאוּ אֶת־כָּל־הַֽמַּעֲשֵׂר אֶל־בֵּ֣ית הָאֹוצָ֗ר וִיהִ֥י טֶרֶף בְּבֵיתִ֔י וּבְחָנ֤וּנִי ןָא בָּזֹ֔את אָמַ֖ר יי צְבָאֹ֑ות אִם־לֹ֧א אֶפְתַּ֣ח לָכֶ֗ם אֵ֚ת אֲרֻבֹּ֣ות הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַהֲרִיקֹתִ֥י לָכֶ֛ם בְּרָכָ֖ה עַד־בְּלִי־דָֽי׃ “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and test me now in this, says HaShem of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, Read More

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Kol Hamitpalel

…כֹּל הַמִתְפַּלֵל בְּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם “Everyone who prays in this place, in Jerusalem, it is as if he prayed before the Throne of Glory…” Pirkei De-Rabbi Eliezer 35 REFERENCES Pirkei De-Rabbi Eliezer in Hebrew Pirkei De-Rabbi Eliezer in English, Friedlander Translation – Amazon.com Pirkei De-Rabbi Eliezer in English, Finkle Translation – Amazon.com Pirkei De-Rabbi Eliezer in English Online, Read More