Pelaos HaParsha: Things You Never Learned In Yeshiva

What does it meant to be a good boy?

Getting married at the age of 1 (!?)

What was the plan when putting Moshe in the water?

Did the Rashbam call the Shemos Rabbah one of the Seforim Chitzonim?

Did Moshe Rabbeinu have a speech impediment?

Did Jews wear gloves all the time?

Harmless Handshake or Chukas Akum?

Now the happiest day for klal Yisrael on the English calendar.

Parenting lessons in the Parsha.

Why we give the bracha to be like Ephraim and Menashe.

Why Chanuka Seudos are greater than all other Seudos.

Why are there blood libels nowadays?

Why do only 8 psukim in the Parsha not start with the letter Vav?

The importance of Bris Millah to our Parsha and Chanuka.

Explaining the opinion of Rav Shraga Feivel

L'iluy Nishmas my nephew Yitzchak Shlomo ben Manis Levi

Rabbeinu Bachya on Standing/Sitting while speaking

Learn about Rabbeinu Ephraim

Limmud zechus on Shadchanim

Eating immediately when food is put down

Bowing down, thanking Hashem, is how we can be saved from all troubles.

Why did Avraham save Lot but not his own wife, Sarah?

Why does sitting during a speech forgive everyone's sins?

Chumash like you’ve never learned it before. Exploring fascinating Rishonim and Midrashim.

Fulfilling Teshuva and Tefila through our Selichos.

A beautiful addition to the Levush (regarding Selichos).

When we are called "Banim."

(Mentioning Hashem being our father on Rosh HaShana)

Explaining how we tap into the great zechus of Akeidas Yitzchak, through the blowing of Shofar and eating the ram's head.

Understanding the importance of remembering times of Shmad.

The Selicha refers to them blessing Hashem, what bracha were they making during Sha'as HaShmad? [The Rishonim don't mention them making a bracha of Kiddush HaShem]

A line-by-line translation and explanation of Rashi’s piyut, illuminated by the words of the Rishonim.
We explore what it means that the “gates of prayer” are locked — and why daven at all if they are.
We also explore:

The “windows of teshuva” and how they remain open

Why, if this world is compared to the letter hei with an opening at the bottom, a person must return through the side to do teshuva

In this episode I reveal my identity :)

This episode discusses the first Selicha we say, B’motzai Menucha, and the Arugas HaBosem — one of the only Rishonim’s commentaries on Selichos that has been published.

Some ideas discussed are:

How Selichos are tefilos.

How “kedusha” is really praising Hashem.

How yissurin and the difficulties of galus forgive our sins.

The different nuschaos and peirushim the Rishonim had on this Selicha. Duration: 00:18:57

In this episode, we explore the meaning behind key phrases in Malachei Rachamim through rare Rishonim manuscripts. Along the way, we tackle fascinating questions: Is Gavriel an angel of mercy or judgment? And what does it mean when we call ourselves ‘sick’?

In this episode, we uncover deep insights into the hidden strength of prayer and humility:

How to make R’ Yehuda bar Yakar’s approach practical

Why the tefillah of someone embarrassed yet silent carries extraordinary power

How the simplest Jews can sometimes hold the greatest influence in Shamayim
…and more eye-opening perspectives on the essence of davening.

Introducing Rabbeinu Shmuel HaKohen of Lotharingia (לותיר), who was murdered al kiddush Hashem in Mainz on the 3rd of Sivan, 1096. This episode serves as an introduction to the Selicha Malachei Rachamim, focusing on how to understand the phrase itself through the lens of Rabbeinu Yehuda b”r Yakar. We also address "Barchuni L’shalom", "Bamarom Yelamdu", and other similar expressions with a different approach. The Selicha itself, bez”H, will be discussed next week.

Exploring a fundamental principle that illuminates our Yom Tov davening and deepens our understanding of the Selichos we recite.

In this episode, we explore a fascinating selicha and, using numerous unpublished manuscripts, uncover the deeper meaning behind its words. Discover how these rare sources shed new light on what the text is really saying.

This episode uncovers a forgotten perspective from R. Yehuda ben R. Yakar that could change how we view Machnisei Rachamim. We explore differences between manuscript editions, show how his ideas influenced later sources, and explain why—based on his words—saying this tefillah might not be controversial after all.