Rabbi Mordechai Becher’s VLog on Sukkot 5774
Rabbi Becher talks about Sukkot, comparing it to “A Spiritual Harvest.” View this video directly on Vimeo
Rabbi Becher talks about Sukkot, comparing it to “A Spiritual Harvest.” View this video directly on Vimeo
The most distinctive feature of the festival of Sukkot, and the mitzvah from which it derives its name, is the Sukkah, the “booth.” The Torah writes, You shall dwell in booths for a seven-day period; everyone included in Israel shall dwell in booths: So that your future generations will know that I caused the Children…
The Torah designates the tenth day of the seventh month (Tishrei) as the “Sabbath of Sabbaths,” the day that we call Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. In the seventh month on the tenth of the month you shall afflict yourselves and you shall not do any work…. For on this day He shall provide…
The Thirteen Attributes of G-d’s Mercy Rabbi Becher explores the significance of the 13 attributes of Divine mercy that we recite during this time of the year. View this video directly on VIMEO
The Inner Voice Rabbi Becher explains how the shofar is both a prayer and also unifying voice of the Jewish people. View this video directly on VIMEO
“For this mitzvah is not far from you; it is not in heaven that you shall say ‘Who will ascend for us to the heavens…’” (Deuteronomy 30:11) Nachmanides states in his commentary that this verse refers to the positive commandment of repentance. He cites two other verses as sources for this mitzvah: “…you shall return…
National Responsibility Taking responsibility for each other is what binds the Jewish together. The covenant in the parsha is the covenant that makes every Jew a “guarantor” for each other. View this video directly on VIMEO
The Jewish calendar begins with the month of Nissan, the month in which the Jewish people were redeemed from Egypt, the month in which we celebrate Passover. The Torah designates the months by number only, not by name: this month is called the “first of months.” Nissan marks the beginning of Jewish history because the…
Happiness Rabbi Becher explains that happiness is not a single peak, but a series of summits each higher than the previous one. View this video directly on VIMEO
The central mitzvah of Rosh Hashanah, and the defining feature of this festival in the Torah is the sounding of the shofar. We begin to practice for this mitzvah by blowing the shofar every day of the month preceding Rosh Hashanah. A hollowed-out ram’s horn is blown to produce sounds known as tekiah, shevarim, and…