Rav Yitzchak Berkovits, founder and director of The Jerusalem Kollel (www.thejerusalemkollel.com), is a widely respected authority on Halachah and well known for his telephone tapes on Shmiras Halashon. He is well known as a teacher and lecturer throughout Jerusalem and was ordained at the Mirrer Yeshiva, Jerusalem.
Jews appreciate the many shades of joy. Yet Purim with its noise, wine, and merrymaking doesn't match any defined shade. Rabbi Berkovits shares a profound insight: how salvation is born from tragic events in our individual and collective history. One day each year, try celebrating sorrow with pure blind faith and a wide smile.
Rav Berkovits in his naturally systematic and orderly way, goes through all the laws of the month of Adar and the Purim day itself. A thorough lecture to learn or review most of the laws relating to Purim.
Yom Kippur Katan is a day of soul searching, a look at the month that has passed. But teshuvah's first step is the decision to act, spawned by the sincere desire to become a bigger person. If you have that, you can be sure Hashem is behind you, helping you overcome yourself to become great. Lets realign our priorities, rejuvenate our enthusiasm, and tackle the new month with a fresh burst of energy.
Once a month we celebrate a day that’s not quite like Shabbos, nor like Yom Tov. Rosh Chodesh is a time of kapparah – a day laden with special meaning for women. Hear how the moon’s 'minimization' whispers the secrets of why imperfection was woven into creation. When did the feminine ability to resist sin come to the fore, and how can women can have a greater impact on completing the world’s purpose then men.
"To be successful in learning Torah, everything you don't understand needs to be treated as the greatest problem you've ever faced." Rav Berkovits explains the process of reaching beyond your preconceived limitations. If you're in the market for motivation and inspiration to make Torah your highest priority, you may have just found a gold mine.
Rabbi Yitzchak Berkovits is a widely respected teacher with a unique ability to present a wide range of Jewish thought and practice in the most clear and understandable manner. The author of two books on shemiras haloshon (the practice of positive speech), Rav Berkowitz has taught and counseled thousands of students, from the novice to ordained rabbis. In this talk, Rav Berkowitz addresses the guidelines needed for chesed.
If a shabby beggar were to ask to join your family for dinner, would you invite him in? To answer this question properly you must first have a clear picture of your own essential needs and priorities, as well as the essential needs of others. To fulfill the mitzvah of chesed, find out how our job is to 'play God', as it were, in order to arrive at your optimal response in every situation.
Rav Berkovits gets into the nuts and bolts of this confusing and emotional topic. Hear the basic rules, guidelines, and principles to help you decide when, and how much, and under which circumstances to distribute your maiser money to bring about the most good.
Nedarim is one of the least known areas of practical halacha. Generally, we are discouraged from making nedarim, but there are times when they are appropriate. Rav Berkovits elucidates the distinction between hafara and hatara and when to use the overused phrase 'bli neder.'
Many feel that high self-esteem is a necessity in this rough and tumble world, and that humility is a harmful trait in that the more you have, the less you'll think of yourself. Rav Berkovits' mature expose of this middah shows how living without an inflated ego frees a person from the constant habit of jealousy and measuring up.