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Special special Shabbos

A good erev Shabbos to all.  Special that it is Shabbos mevarichim. Rosh Chodesh is Wednesday night and Thursday. The new moon as they announce in shul will be Tuesday at the tenth hour 14 minutes and 11 seconds. I have no idea what that means but it’s a custom to announce the ‘birth’ of the new moon when we say the blessing for Rosh Chodesh.  The mitzva of Rosh Chodesh was the first mitzva we were given as a nation, still in Egypt. this Shabbos if we were in shul we would read the portion in Exodus 12:1 when we were given the mitzva. Of eating the Pesach offering in Egypt, declaring the month of Nissan the first month of the year. It is a beautiful parsha of VaYakhel.  I was reading Rav Yaacov Galinsky’s sefer on this parsha and his words struck me as so timely as this Shabbos there is no public transportation and etc. I’m sure you have all seen the messages about how this week  the entire country of Israel is keeping Shabbos. The cynics can say what they wil...
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HaShem is here, HaShem is there HaShem is truly everywhere plus some ideas

Dearest Friends,  Im just thinking in the early morning that the sounds of birds chirping is such a wonderful sound in these days. Nature continues, amid rain storms and strong winds the birds still awaken at dawn to sing praises to HaShem. And this morning there are no buses rumbling through their minyan. (I didn’t check if they are maintaining a distance but it always sounds like it).  I was asked to explain some of the Tehillim. The lovely lady who asked said she can’t say it fast enough, and it’s hard not to understand what you are saying.  (okay, there went a bus-but one bird is still giving forth. Probably the choir master. )  First of all, Tehillim is not a how many can you say in 5 minutes sort of thing. It’s fine wine. You savor every word. I’m attaching a link to a wonderful site called Machon Mamre with the literal translation and the Hebrew. My version is a translation plus brief commentary, as included in the Tehillim Hamefurash תהלים המפורש.  ...
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Explanation of chapter 20 of Tehillim

Chapter 20 was written by King Dovid for a time of war. When he would send his general, Yoav and all of the soldiers of Israel out to battle, King Dovid would stand in Jerusalem and pray for them. There are those who say that King Dovid wrote this for the Levite's to say for him and his army whenever they went out to war. The Malbim ( a commentator) says that King Dovid had a war with a nation very far from Jerusalem and when they heard about in Jerusalem they prayed there for him that he should succeed and sent an army to help him. While still marching toward him, the army received word that King David had a miraculous victory. The Zohar teaches that there are 70 letters in this psalm, corresponding to the 70  officers and nations which are the pains and torments of the Shechina (Divine presence). While the Gaon of Vilna says these 70 letters correspond to the 70 years of the birth pangs of Mashiach. There are many many references to the number 70 regarding the final redemption...
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