12/1/2025 - MONDAY EVENING.
Topic for today:
1. Harahaman:
... refers to a section of Hebrew blessings recited after the Birkat Hamazon (Grace After Meals) in Jewish tradition, meaning "May the Compassionate One". These are short, specific pleas for God's mercy, asking for things like honor, sustenance, and the coming of the Messiah, with variations across different Jewish communities (Ashkenazi, Sephardic, etc.).
12/2/2025 - TUESDAY EVENING.
Topic for today:
1. Nahem:
A special prayer added On Tisha B'Av to the Blessing on Jerusalem at the Mincha Service.
12/3/2025 - WEDNESDAY EVENING.
Topic for today:
1. Personal Pryer of Rabbi Judah: Yehi Ratzon:
A Personal Prayer before Amidah that made it into the Siddur. Berakhot 16b)
12/4/2025 - THURSDAY EVENING.
Topic for today:
1. Akedah:
The binding of Isaac - part of the Birkhot HaShahar.
12/5/2025 - FRIDAY EVENING - SHABBAT STARTS.
Topic for today:
1. Nishmat:
...one of the most beautiful poetic adorations in all of liturgical literature per Donin. Prayer is recited on Shabbat and Holidays after Song of the Sea.
12/6/2025 - SATURDAY EVENING - WORKING WEEK BEGINS.
Topic for today:
1. The Three Blessings of "Who has not made me."
- for not being a Non-Jew
- for not bring ignorant
- for not being a woman
why a woman?
...not to offend but to thank for full load of the mitzvoth obligation.
12/7/2025 - SUNDAY EVENING.
Topic for today:
1. The Woman's Blessing:
Per Donin, after the Geonic period it became customary for women to substitute she-asana kirtzono for the male blessing.
12/8/2025 - MONDAY EVENING.
Topic for today:
1. Geonic Period:
The "geonic period" refers to the era of Jewish history in the Middle Ages, from the late 6th century to the 11th century, named after the Geonim (the heads of the major Babylonian rabbinical academies)
12/9/2025 - TUESDAY EVENING.
Topic for today:
1. L'Olam Yehei Adam:
... is a Hebrew phrase meaning "At all times should a man fear God" or "Let a man always revere God," a significant opening line in a Jewish prayer sequence, part of the Birkhot HaShachar (Morning Blessings) preceding the Shema, emphasizing constant piety, truth-telling, and acknowledging God's mercy, even in private moments.
12/10/2025 - WEDNESDAY EVENING.
Topic for today:
1. Sacrificial Readings / Offerings:
...passages from the Bible and Mishnah that deal with the sacrificial offerings which were the core of the daily Temple service. Read/studied as part of Birkhot HaShahar.
12/11/2025 - THURSDAY EVENING.
Topic for today:
1. Sexton:
A synagogue sexton is the custodian or caretaker of a synagogue, responsible for maintaining the building, grounds, and sacred objects, ensuring everything runs smoothly for services and events.
12/12/2025 - FRIDAY EVENING - SHABBAT STARTS.
Topic for today:
1. Story of Joseph:
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-story-of-joseph/
12/13/2025 - SATURDAY EVENING - WORKING WEEK BEGINS.
Topic for today:
1. Ahad Ha'Am:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahad_Ha%27am#Truth_from_Eretz_Israel
12/14/2025 - SUNDAY EVENING.
Topic for today:
1. Al Hanisim Prayer:
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/full-text-of-al-hanisim-for-hanukkah/
12/15/2025 - MONDAY EVENING.
Topic for today:
1. Amud:
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/365935/jewish/The-Amud-Pillar-Lectern.htm
12/16/2025 - TUESDAY EVENING.
Topic for today:
1. Arava:
"Jewish Arava" refers to the Hebrew word Arava (ערבה), meaning "willow," a significant leafy branch used in the Jewish holiday of Sukkot (part of the Four Species, representing Jews with no Torah/good deeds but united in the ritual) and also the name for the dry, rift valley region in Israel and Jordan, a biblical wilderness area, and a modern Israeli community/institute focused on desert research and peace.
12/17/2025 - WEDNESDAY EVENING.
Topic for today:
1. Arba Kanfot:
Arba Kanfot (or Arba Kanfos) is a Hebrew term meaning "four corners," referring to a Jewish rectangular undergarment worn by Orthodox men and boys, also called Tallit Katan, that has fringes (tzitzit) on its four corners to fulfill the Torah commandment to wear fringes at all times, serving as a constant reminder of God's commandments. It's a smaller, poncho-like garment worn under regular clothes, distinct from the larger prayer shawl (Tallit Gadol), and comes in various materials like cotton, often with different tzitzit tying customs (Ashkenazi, Sephardic, Chabad).
12/18/2025 - THURSDAY EVENING.
Topic for today:
1. Aron Kodesh:
An Aron Kodesh (Hebrew for "Holy Ark") is the most sacred part of a synagogue, a cabinet or enclosure housing the Torah scrolls, symbolizing the original Ark of the Covenant in the Jerusalem Temple. Usually located on the wall facing Jerusalem, it's often elaborately decorated, with doors opening during services to reveal the holy texts, and it's considered a focal point of Jewish worship and identity.
12/19/2025 - FRIDAY EVENING - SHABBAT STARTS.
Topic for today:
1. Asarah B'Tevet:
Asarah B'Tevet (Tenth of Tevet) is a minor Jewish fast day commemorating the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem, which led to the destruction of the First Temple and exile, and also serves as a general memorial day for Holocaust victims whose death dates are unknown. Observed from dawn to nightfall, it's a time for repentance, adding special prayers like Selichot, and is unique as the only minor fast that isn't postponed if it falls on Shabbat, requiring fasting even then.
12/20/2025 - SATURDAY EVENING - WORKING WEEK BEGINS.
Topic for today:
1. Jewish Atzeret:
...specifically Shemini Atzeret, is a distinct but closely linked holiday following the seven-day festival of Sukkot, meaning "Eighth Day of Solemn Assembly" or a final gathering, representing a sacred pause before returning to daily life, where special prayers for rain are recited, and often combined with Simchat Torahin Israel and the Diaspora to celebrate the completion and renewal of the Torah reading cycle. It's a day of intimate connection with God, symbolizing lingering in His presence after the larger festivals.
12/21/2025 - SUNDAY EVENING .
Topic for today:
1. Avelut:
Avelut (Hebrew: אֲבֵלוּת) is the Jewish term for the period and practices of mourning after a death, encompassing stages like Shiva (7 days of intense mourning at home), Sheloshim (30 days with some restrictions), and a 12-month period for mourning a parent, involving customs like reciting the Kaddish prayer and refraining from celebrations to honor the deceased and process grief within a structured, meaningful framework.
12/22/2025 - MONDAY EVENING .
Topic for today:
1. Avodah shebalev:
Avodah shebalev (עֲבוֹדָה שֶׁבַּלֵּב) is a Hebrew phrase meaning "service of the heart," referring to sincere, heartfelt prayer and inner spiritual work, as opposed to mere ritualistic actions. Rooted in Deuteronomy 11:13 ("serve God with all your heart"), it defines tefillah (prayer) as a profound internal process of connecting with God, requiring focus (kavanah), sincerity, and self-reflection, rather than just reciting words.
12/23/2025 - TUESDAY EVENING .
Topic for today:
1. Barekh:
"Barekh" (or Bārakh) is a fundamental Hebrew word meaning "to bless," stemming from a root for "knee," implying kneeling or bowing in reverence, and refers to blessings, praises, or thanksgivings, especially Jewish berakhot (blessings) recited for food, commandments, or God, and famously used in the Passover Seder's Birkat Hamazon (Grace After Meals). It's also a name and a concept for acknowledging God as the source of all good.
12/24/2025 - WEDNESDAY EVENING .
Topic for today:
1. Bedikat Chametz: Search for Chametz:
12/25/2025 - THURSDAY EVENING .
Topic for today:
1. Samuel Belkin:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Belkin
12/26/2025 - FRIDAY EVENING - SHABBAT STARTS.
Topic for today:
1. "Boneh Yerushalayim":
"Boneh Yerushalayim" (בונה ירושלים) is
Hebrew for "Builder of Jerusalem," referring to God, and is a significant phrase in Jewish liturgy, especially in the Amidah prayer, expressing hope for Jerusalem's restoration as an eternal city, symbolizing national unity, divine presence, and the establishment of the Davidic throne. It's also the name of a modern anti-Zionist Jewish congregation in Israel, showing its varied contemporary meanings.
12/27/2025 - SATURDAY EVENING - WORKING WEEK BEGINS.
Topic for today:
1. Chofetz Chaim:
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/4380962/jewish/Who-Was-the-Chofetz-Chaim.htm
12/28/2025 - SUNDAY EVENING.
Topic for today:
1. D'oraitha:
...(or De'oraita) is an Aramaic term in Jewish law meaning "from the Torah," referring to commandments or laws originating directly from the written Torah (the first five books of the Bible) or the divine revelation at Sinai, distinguishing them from De'rabbanan (rabbinic laws) established by rabbis later, with d'oraitha laws generally carrying greater legal weight.
12/29/2025 - MONDAY EVENING.
Topic for today:
1. Ehad Mi Yodea:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7v6tY_u-Mls
12/30/2025 - TUESDAY EVENING.
Topic for today:
1. Eidah:
...is a Hebrew word meaning "congregation," "assembly," or "community," often denoting a group bound by shared experience and purpose, distinct from a general "crowd" (kahal). It's used in Jewish tradition for religious gatherings, as a name, and for specific Jewish organizations like the Edah HaChareidis(a rabbinical authority) or in summer camp age groups (e.g., Eidah Aleph). The term emphasizes a structured, purposeful gathering, often linked to witness (eidut) and destiny (ye'ud).
12/31/2025 - WEDNESDAY EVENING.
Topic for today:
1. El Molai Rahamim:
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