Author: Rabbi Yitzchak Shmuel Ackerman, LMHC

November 7th, 2021

Mar b’rai d’Ravina ki havah mesayeim tzelosei amar hachi: Yih'yu l'ratzon imrei fi v’hegyon libi l’fanecha… Mar, the son of Ravina, when he concluded his tefilah, said the following: May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart find favor before You...(Tehilim 19:15 cited in Brachos 17a) What do we mean when we say this pasuk at the end of our tefila? If, when we were davening, the words of our mouths matc …
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Author: Rabbi Yitzchak Shmuel Ackerman, LMHC

October 26th, 2021

Ben Bag Bag says: hafoch bah v’hafoch bah, dcholah bah (Avos 5:22) Hafoch in it and hafoch in it.  What is it?  The Torah. What does hafoch mean? Rav said to Rav Kahana, hafoch with an animal carcass, do not hafoch with words.  (Pesachim 113a) This means a person should involve himself (hafoch) with a carcass rather than involving himself with words because the latter leads to inappropriate speech... (Maharsha ibid) Accordin …
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Author: Rabbi Yitzchak Shmuel Ackerman, LMHC

October 21st, 2021

Omar Rabbi Shimon ben Halafta: lo matza haKadosh Baruch Hu kli machazik bracha l’Yisrael elah hashalom. Rabbi Shimon ben Halafta said: haKakodosh Baruch Hu found no vessel that could contain blessing for Israel other than shalom. (Uktzin 3:12) My colleague received this email: This coming week Selichos begins. My father used to wake me up when I was in 1st grade, and he'd take me at midnight to Shul. Therefore, I have been doing that with …
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Author: Rabbi Yitzchak Shmuel Ackerman, LMHC

October 21st, 2021

B’tzedek tishpot amisecha, Judge your people with righteousness.  (Vayikra 19:15) The Sages taught: Judge your people with righteousness: [this means that] you should judge your fellow with the benefit of the doubt. (Shavuos 30a) This is not referring to judging between litigants, rather it refers to seeing your fellow do something you could interpret as a sin or a merit.  You should interpret him as doing something meritorious an …
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Author: Rabbi Yitzchak Shmuel Ackerman, LMHC

September 14th, 2021

Some people seem to be unsure of the meaning of one of the brachos we say every morning. When putting on shoes say [the bracha] she’asah li kal tzarki, Who has made for me all of my needs.   (Brachos 60b) What does putting on shoes have to do with providing all of my needs?  All I need is a pair of shoes?  That cannot be why the gemara associated this bracha with shoes. The Avudraham says, the reason for this bracha [bei …
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Author: Rabbi Yitzchak Shmuel Ackerman, LMHC

September 8th, 2021

This article, in its original form, was written in November of 2011. I spoke with the protagonist,  “Mirel,” last week.  Baruch Hashem, her daughter is now 13 and having the tantrums typical in form and to be expected of an adolescent.  Mirel is coping well and her daughter is the beneficiary. Here’s what I wrote, ten years and what seems a lifetime ago: I did not have a tantrum yesterday but if I were younger I j …
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Author: Rabbi Yitzchak Shmuel Ackerman, LMHC

September 8th, 2021

A person only connects to the higher levels through speech, it is the entire honorable part in him.  It is called the "living soul" of a man since the rest of the parts of the body die. And if a person loses this good part, the body remains dead and like an unwanted vessel. Therefore we are required [by halacha] to keep our word b’divrei Shamayim... And regarding all other matters, even though there is no positive or negative mitzvah a …
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Author: Rabbi Yitzchak Shmuel Ackerman, LMHC

September 8th, 2021

V’amarta bilvavecha koechi v'otzem yadi asah li es hachayil hazeh. And you will say in your heart, “My strength and the power of my hand have given me this success.” (Devarim 8:17) What do you think in your head after you’ve said that in your heart? You think, you realize, that the strength and the power came from Hashem. What about you?  What was your role in your success? Hashem gave everyone a vital role in succes …
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Author: Rabbi Yitzchak Shmuel Ackerman, LMHC

August 30th, 2021

Akavia ben Mehalalel’s son said to him, “Father, commend me to your colleagues.” Akavia said to him, “I will not commend you.” He said to Akavia, “Have you found something wrong with me?” Akavia said, “No.  Your deeds will cause you to be accepted, and your deeds will cause you to be distanced.”  (Eduyos 5:7)   He was telling his son that he should engage in maasim tovim in orde …
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Author: Rabbi Yitzchak Shmuel Ackerman, LMHC

August 24th, 2021

Vay’yisrotzatzu habanim b’kirba, the children ran [figuratively] inside of her.  (Braishis 25:22) Vay’yisrotzatzu habanim b’kirba: When she [Rivka Emeinu] stood at batei knesses and batei midrash, Yaakov moved convulsively to go out...  And when she passed by houses of idolatry, Esau ran and moved convulsively to go out.  (Braishis Rabbah 63:6) Stood at batei knesses and batei midrash: With reference to bate …
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