Rabbi Dovid Orlofsky – Shares the concept of learning how to not focus on answering a question but on answering a questioner since each one has different motivations when asking questions. This helps us avoid getting stuck and stumbling at best and confrontational at worst. Good tips for Rabbis and regular folks alike.
Rabbi Dovid Orlofsky – Shares two important concepts: The first about the issue yeshios (which is asking for miracles). The Rabbi concludes its important not to ask for life changing miracles unless it is life or death issue since our ability to ask for these things is limited. The second is in the Q&A towards the end about the sin of Adam Harishon and how the yetzer hara (the snake) had to convince him to sin with a intellectual argument that it’s best to sin and then repent.
Rabbi Dovid Orlofsky – Shares his experience about Rabbi Meyer Fendel and the effect he had on the Rav and his family. This video personally hits home to a conservative Judaism upbringing in the 70s and 80s and how it’s long term affects can be felt today. However, the moral of the story of this video are the unsung heroes who made sacrifices to do Hashem’s work and the tremendous effects in counteracting which can be felt only today decades later. Some find their Jewish connection early in life and others later but these heroes saved American Jewry with their unbelievable belief and strength.
Rabbi Dovid Orlofsky – At the end of this video Rabbi Orlofsky shares an amazing lesson from a question from his audience. Do I have to follow what Jewish Law says or take my chances on my own judgment? Listen to what happens to the man on the airplane.
Shares how Rivka Imenu is the epitomy of chesed just like Avraham Avinu – this chesed balances out Yizchak Avinu’s din (judgment) – parallel to how Sarah Imenu’s din balances out Avraham Avinu’s chesed. The story of Rivka is one of the main examples of chesed in the Torah. Tzedakah can only be done to a poor person (not a rich person who doesn’t need it) but chesed can be done to everyone. Doing chesed is bringing Hashem’s name and presence in the World – something we can all do and make the World a better place.
Rabbi Dovid Orlofsky – Shares in this video how Yitzchak Avinu represents how din (judgement) can live in this World (which was the ideal state of the World but we couldn’t survive it in our current state so Hashem infused his rachamim (chesed) so we could survive). And, since that is unexpected he is named Yitzcack (laughter).
Rabbi Dovid Orlofsky – In the middle of this video, Rabbi Orlofsky shares about how important it is to have a general life mission statement and to spend time formulating it before you need so to speak. This will help is making small and large decisions in a non-random (I’ll figure it out when I get there) way. The Rabbi really shows how important this is to live a life that is consistent and principled yet give us listeners to formulate based on our own personal input. This can save us a lot of future headache and heartache.
Rabbi Dovid Orlofsky – Shares some important tips for the upcoming Yom Kippur including previous teshuva situations of our previous Jewish kings (King Saul and King David) and their constrasting reaction when being notified by a prophet that they have done wrong. As mentioned in one of Rabbi Orlofsky’s previous classes, the most important step in doing teshuva is to admit that we have done wrong and need to improve. This is very relevant for Yom Kippur and will open the door for it to be more meaningful and impactful.
Rabbi Dovid Orlofsky – Shares the teshuva is not hard – it just takes the step of recognizing that we have to do it and the rest comes easy. If we don’t admit that we have done wrong or see others who have done wrong (not us) it won’t be possible to change and do teshuva ourselves. This is an important five minute video to watch before the upcoming Chagim.
Say You’re Sorry (Ep. 253) – This full episode of the Rabbi Dovid Orlofsky show goes through the path of Slichot that Ashkenazi Jews start this Motze Shabbat.
Rabbi Dovid Orlofsky – Shares about the “going off to war” physical war is analogous to our internal battle we have with our yetzer hara (evil inclination). Also, the promise that through the mitzvot in this parasha that we are empowered to succeed in our challenges and life.
