Holidays and Fast Days

The Zohar predicted that the darkness of Hellenism would return in the days before Mashiach. How clearly we can see the darkness of assimilation in our day! The Kalever Rebbe explains how to drive out our personal darkness. 

A Jew who wants to truly live his Jewishness relies on the guidance of tzaddikim in every aspect of life. They awaken within each Jew the awareness of the holiness of his Judaism that gives meaning to his existence.

Many in our society proclaim to be "progressive", "modern", and in favor of social justice. Yet, they are quick to justify murderers and terrorists! How can such a dichotomy exist within the same person? The Kalever Rebbe explains...

When you light the Chanukah candles, you can bring down salvations. The days of Chanukah are particularly special to be healed above nature, for barren women to conceive, success and creating lots of light!

Holocaust Remembrance Day is 18-April. It's so difficult to see suffering! How can we look "through it" to see the greater good that will be born from it?

My girlfriend told that one of the hardest things about being raised by Holocaust survivors was that nothing she ever went through evoked much sympathy…

HOLOCAUST DAY is 21-Apr. If the guard was especially cruel, he won a visit to the camp brothel, made up of women inmates who were given more food...

There are hero stories and there are "Kiddush Hashem" stories, but the unprecedented true story of Major General Sidney Shachnow, ob"m, combines both and tops them all…

Why is it such a big deal to go to Meron on Lag b'Omer? Why is it important to rejoice with the tzaddik?

We do not forget for even a moment the great disaster that took place on Lag B’Omer 2021. The first step towards the tikkun of man is the tikkun of speech. He who corrects his speech can correct all his character traits.

Often, what unites us is tragedy or some communal difficulty. The main way of showing love and building love during those times is praying for each one of our people!

Let us not forget the lessons from the terrible tragedy in Meron, 2021. Now is the time to renew our commitment to fix the sin for which the Temple was destroyed - baseless hatred.

Read a riveting and inspiring story of one woman's efforts to obtain forgiveness for her childhood wrongs...

Do you feel stuck in a rut? Are you waiting for something to give you a push forward? David Ben Horin gives great advice that will even help us prepare for the new year...now!

Who doesn’t enjoy a decadent dessert? If we’re honest, we don’t get nearly as much pleasure from our learning or mitzvot. How can we change that?

Freelancing is a lesson in humility with zero expectations. But the upside potential is also that much more. If only we could freelance with God…

Our goal on Leil HaSeder is that our children will become bigger believers, truly trusting in Hashem’s goodness, speaking with Hashem at every step, and always looking forward to the Geula and yeshua, in those days, at this time. 

During the Seder, we are commanded to feel that we were personally liberated from Egypt. This takes real effort over time - how can we feel liberated when we're in such chaotic times?

Passover cleaning, kids, crumbs everywhere, pressure...IIEEEE! How do we properly deal with our children when we are under the pressure of Passover cleaning?

Nissan is a month when we can surprise ourselves by our ability to grow our happiness and emuna for the entire year! Rabbi Arush explains how...

Not every day is Purim! Not every day are we given an opportunity to simply ASK for Hashem’s blessings and our requests are granted. Purim is a day when not only are all our deficiencies upended, but we receive an abundance! Don’t waste Purim- ASK! 

The world is full of Hamans, but there is one thing that can save us, just like it did in the Purim story...

The great power of the Jewish people is their ironclad emuna that cannot be influenced by any sorrow or suffering. The best gauge of a one’s emuna is his prayer. With strong emuna, one's prayer can bring miracles.

We see a modern-day Haman, Achashverosh, and Mordecai. But where is a Queen Esther to prompt us to make teshuva and return to Hashem?

What gift can we give to our King, Hashem, when everything is His?  When we strengthen the emuna in another’s soul to make him an appropriate vessel to accept Hashem's sovereignty, this is considered truly a gift for Hashem.

Your prayers and your teshuva are precious to our Father in heaven! Yes, YOURS!! Do not think that you are “too far gone” to be able to turn your life around, or that your teshuva would not be accepted. Read the Kalever Rebbe’s inspirational encouragement... 

Teshuva is not just for Rosh Hashanah! Rebbe Nachman emphasizes daily hitbodedut (personal prayer) because one's entire teshuva depends on self-examination. Following the tzaddik and being connected to him means doing daily hitbodedut and teshuva.  

We are entering the Yamim Nora’im, The Days of Awe. We are now like full-grown wheat that is ready for harvest. Our job is to remove the chaff within ourselves and, through a teshuva process, become like fine flour. 

Acquiring the Torah is a daily task, not a one-time event. We will count 50 days from Pesach to Shavuot to refine our middot, but the work never ends. That's what is so beautiful about life. One is always moving forward, improving oneself, discovering new things.

During these days before Shavuot, we count each day toward personal growth. The change that we make in ourselves depends on the small, “unimportant” steps that we make each day. How can we avoid discouragement when we don’t see results from one day to another?  

In life we have to count. When we want something, we wait and count, we set goals and count. Counting is a part of life.

As I stood near the gravesites, the stunning view of Jerusalem from the silent, sun-bleached peak of the Mount of Olives caught my breath; the indescribable holiness…

We all want our prayers to be accepted by Hashem. We want to be counted among those who fear and love Him. We want to develop good middot, holiness, and purity. One prerequisite will bring all of these... 

It's not enough to continually ask, “When will Mashiach come”. Working on one’s emuna and and spreading it with family and friends  – that is  looking forward to the geula, and that is what brings Mashiach!

In the final days before Shavuot, let's internalize the unique purpose of a Jew's life. When we accepted Torah on Mount Sinai and became Hashem's people, we were set aside from the other nations.

Oh no, we have less than a week until Shavuot! I need to get my grocery list ready for major shopping. What kind of dairy course should I serve? I absolutely must find a new outfit... WAIT!! Rabbi Arush explains that the REAL preparation is in the heart. Also read about Rabbi Palagi's segula for Erev Shavuot.

What a powerful message! A Hollywood A-lister and social progressive who promotes everything that is destroying the world, conceded that natural disasters occur because Hashem is angry with us.

David tells it like it is - what exactly is the endgame of lust???

Celebrate New Years now? Yes! We have an amazing opportunity to renew our spiritual lives during this period.

What's the connection among Parashat Beshalach, Parshat Shirah, Tu B'Shvat, and Shovavim? RENEWAL! We are in a time of renewal for trees and for every Jew.

It has been nearly eighty years since the U.N. was founded to usher in an era of peace. Yet, the world is still consumed with conflict. What is stopping the long-awaited world peace? How can the mitzvah of Sukkot help?   

“You shall dwell in booths for a seven-day period so that your generations will know that I caused the Children of Israel to dwell in booths when I took them."

Sukkot and Simchat Torah prepared us to fight our inner spiritual battles with confidence of success. The Kalever Rebbe shows us our secret weapon ...

From Rosh Chodesh Elul until Yom Kippur we all become so forgiving to everyone. But what happens the day after? That’s when we have to restart, once again…

The root cause of Tisha B’Av still haunts us today, and not just during the Three Weeks! Am Yisrael, individually and collectively, is going through tremendous suffering – why? And what can each of us do to end our suffering once and for all? 

How is it possible to feel the loss of the Beit Hamikdash when we were never there? What impact will the Temple have on our lives? Read Rabbi Arush’s amazing answer!

In these times, when it is harder for everyone to make a living, let's pay more attention to our friends: listen to them, encourage them, be considerate. Give more tzedaka and help. Read an unbelievable, true story of such a person...

As we progress through the three weeks of mourning for the destruction of the Holy Temple and our extended exile, let’s remember that the cause is baseless hatred. This can only be remedied by fostering love of Yisrael, both within ourselves and others.

Celebrate New Years now? Yes! We have an amazing opportunity to renew our spiritual lives during this period.

What's the connection among Parashat Beshalach, Parshat Shirah, Tu B'Shvat, and Shovavim? RENEWAL! We are in a time of renewal for trees and for every Jew.

Can the modern man, armed with the latest generation of smartphone, connected to the internet and to hi-tech, relate to an arbor birthday or learn something from a humble tree?

A man is like a tree, and the most important thing is - water! Also find out why do we need to judge the trees at all?

Is there any significance that Israeli Independence Day is on 5-Iyar? YES, says the Vilna Gaon! This date is  closely tied to Mashiach and the Final Redemption. Let's not pass up this golden opportunity to pray especially hard for both!

Here is a three-part series of personal stories by those who lived in Israel during those days. Stories of emuna, bitachon, and wonderful achdut (brotherhood).

Gideon Lichtman taught under the assumed name of "Rimon" after Israeli President Ezer Weizman warned him that he could be a target for Arab assassination…

Ben wanted to be one of those guys, but he knew that he had little chance of being accepted to Golani. He was out of shape and almost 90 pounds overweight…

The words of Israel's sages and leaders in each generation come directly from God. They are given the ability to know exactly what they need to say to every Jew they meet.  Is it difficult to blindly heed the advice of a rabbi? Read on... 

Your prayers and your teshuva are precious to our Father in heaven! Yes, YOURS!! Do not think that you are “too far gone” to be able to turn your life around, or that your teshuva would not be accepted. Read the Kalever Rebbe’s inspirational encouragement... 

Tired of facing another Yom Kippur of asking forgiveness for the same offenses that you’ve mentioned year after year? Read Rabbi Arush’s advice about how to make this Yom Kippur different! 

You might think that the Day of Atonement should be terrifying, begging for mercy at the feet of the King of Kings. But it is actually a day of love! A MUST READ!

  Hashem says: "I will not build Jerusalem, the Holy City, in Heaven until I build Jerusalem on earth." Watch a beautiful video by Rabbanit Arush.

28-Iyar: Yom Yerushalayim: I put my hand on the stones but the tears that flowed were not mine. They were the tears of all Israel, tears that scorched and burned the heavy gray stone. A MUST READ!!

Why are we once more faced with the threat of losing parts of Jerusalem, Heaven forbid? Each Jew has a share in Jerusalem, the heart and focal point of our people…

Once the physical gate to Jerusalem, Chut shel Chessed now has turned the Mandelbaum Gate into the spiritual gate to Jerusalem!