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Author Archives: Rabbi Leib Zalesch
Purim: Peeling Back the Mask, With a Little Help From Our Friends
A dichotomy: Purim is a time in which we are acutely aware of the poor. The Mitzvah of Matanot La’evyonim reminds us perhaps more poignantly than at any other time of year that the poor need consideration, attention, and respect. … Continue reading
Posted in Holidays, Pesach, Purim
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‘Till Inclusion Do We Part: A Rejoinder to the Challenge of Orthodox Inclusiveness and Acceptance
I recently read an article by an Orthodox Rabbi whose decision to host a Keshet event at his Shul caused me less anguish than the article he wrote defending that decision. His article can be found here. My response, more … Continue reading
Posted in Communal Matters
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Hoda’ah and the Meaning of Thanksgiving
I just posted about the Halachic propriety of Thanksgiving, but perhaps a Hashkafic take is in order as well. I’ve been learning Shemoneh Esrei with my Sixth Graders, and just the other day we got to the final three Berachot, … Continue reading
Posted in Classroom Experiences, Holidays, Tefillah, Thanksgiving
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Frum … Or Krum??? – Thanksgiving
Time once again for our not-at-all-weekly segment exploring issues of relative importance to the Jewish community and whether perceptions and attitudes stack up to the rigors of Halachic analysis (Frum) or kneel at the knees of wisdom and reason (Krum). … Continue reading
Posted in Communal Matters, Frum ... Or Krum??, Halacha, Holidays, Thanksgiving
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My All-Time Favorite Moments in Iggerot Moshe: Sources
For some time now I have delivered intermittent classes for adults on landmark Teshuvot in Iggerot Moshe. I am posting the sources, and in some cases linking to places elsewhere on this site where I have written up notes from the shiur, … Continue reading
Posted in Communal Matters, Halacha, Tefillah
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Under the Altar and Dreaming: Sustaining עקידה in a World of Choice
I have been swamped with work lately and unable to post, leaving me with a backlog of ideas for later. Meanwhile, I was thinking over Shabbat about an essay I wrote about ten years ago when I was taking an … Continue reading
Posted in Parshat Hashavua
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Exploring Lecha Dodi, Part 4: Verse #2 – Likrat Shabbat
Other entries in this series: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 5 | Part 6 Having explored the Refrain and Verse 1, we move on now to Verse 2 of Lecha Dodi. לקראת שבת לכו ונלכה … Continue reading
Posted in Lecha Dodi, Tefillah
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Weekly Feature: Frum … Or Krum?? – A Cappella Music During the Three Weeks
And now it’s time for our somewhat-weekly exploration of trends and whims in the Jewish community and how they stack up to the rigors of intellectual Halachic analysis. This Week’s Entry: An email I received last week from a Jewish … Continue reading
Exploring Lecha Dodi, Part 3: Verse #1 – Shamor V’Zachor
Other entries in this series: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 We left off last week with two questions related to the end of Verse 1: 1) We seem to state that … Continue reading
Posted in Lecha Dodi, Tefillah
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Parsha Perspicacities 