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6 Elul 5763 - September 4, 2003 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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OPINION & COMMENT

Shore the Breaches in Elul

Nothing will stop Europeans from taking their summer vacations in August, not even the health of their own parents. Many left their parents to swelter in the unaccustomed European heat (it was about 20 degrees Fahrenheit (10C) hotter than usual), while they went away.

A Middos Workshop: Hakoras Hatov
Based on Shiurim of Rav Dovid Siegel

Part II

The first part explained the basic idea of hakoras hatov, the elemental recognition that someone has done me a favor. There is a human tendency to want to refuse to recognize dependency on someone else. Odom Horishon, in blaming his sin on Chavah, was not fully recognizing that she was given to him as a favor. Even if what he said was correct, he could not have said it if he had true and full recognition that she was given to him as a favor.

Chazal Tell Us How to Overcome Yishmoel
by Rabbi Mordecai Plaut based on a shiur of a rosh yeshiva in Yerushalayim

Part II

With the threats faced by those living in the Middle East and around the world from those of Arab extraction, the following penetrating analysis sheds light on important characteristics of the struggle with Yishmoel as described by Chazal. This is not to suggest that every Arab is as detailed here, but that the essential features of the contest are as explained, and the steps we must take -- which are matters of our personal and private avodoh -- are as outlined here.

Escorting the Queen -- Honoring Shabbos at Its Conclusion
by Rabbi Doniel Yaakov Travis

Shabbos is a day raised above the rest of the week for the purpose of expressing Divine Majesty. So much so, that our Sages say one should try to achieve the same level of excitement upon the entrance and departure of Shabbos as one would have when welcoming and bidding farewell to royalty. Since we do not actually see anything different with our eyes, how can we perceive Hashem's Kingship on Shabbos more than any other day?

Helping Poor Families

To the Editor:

The effects of cuts in child benefits are now being felt by many families. We probably feel that there is nothing the man in the street can do to help, besides davening for a change in government policy and maybe responding more generously to appeals for tzedokoh.

What the Nazis Knew
by Rabbi Avi Shafran

Dovid Hamelech's tefilla in Tehillim, "Make me wiser than my adversaries,"can also be read as "From my adversaries, make me wise." Sometimes, in other words, one can learn valuable things from one's worst enemies.


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