Aish.com Daily - 25 Elul

Daily Email Form   Torah Reading: Nitzavim 25 Elul 5775 / September 9, 2015     DAILY LIFT TODAY IN JEWISH HISTORY GROWING EACH DAY ASK THE RABBI QUOTE PHOTO Print Entire Mailing #463   Courageous Silence Print Version » There are instances when it takes courage to remain silent. It would be easier to speak up, but the right thing to do is to be silent. Someone insults you. You can easily say something in return that would be the equivalent of a devastating knockout punch. You don't say a word. Your silence is an expression of courage. (from Rabbi Pliskin's book, "Courage") See Rabbi Pliskin's new book "Self-Confidence" Elul 25 Print Version » This is the traditional day of the beginning of Creation, as recorded in the first chapter of Genesis. While other religions 'start' their calendar from the founding of the religion, the Jewish calendar begins with Creation. In Jewish consciousness, every nation is integral to humanity: Non-Jews were welcome to bring offerings to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, which the prophet Isaiah referred to as the "house for all nations." Technically, the Jewish calendar does not begin until day six of Creation (Rosh Hashana), which commemorates the birth of mankind. This is because human beings are the pinnacle of Creation, enjoined to protect the world and to utilize all its resources to bring the world to its spiritual completion. Elul 25 Print Version » Moses assembled the Sanctuary (Exodus 40:18) ... The Glory of God filled the Sanctuary. (Exodus 40:34) The Talmud describes in great detail how each component of the Sanctuary was fashioned, and that the completion of each component was a mitzvah. Nevertheless, the Divine Glory did not descend until the component parts were assembled into the whole. The 613 mitzvot of the Torah are indeed the essential parts, without which the structure of a Torah life is impossible.However, they must be assembled into the ultimate whole, which is even greater than the sum of its parts. In the past two centuries, the study of Torah works of mussar and chassidut were promoted by the great luminaries, Rabbi Yisroel of Salant and the Baal Shem Tov. Both met with resistance by many Torah scholars, who argued that the study of the Scriptures and Talmud alone was an adequate guide to living a Torah life. These two great sages realized that while previous generations could assemble the component parts of the Torah into the desired whole, later generations required additional help in doing so. Formal study of mussar and chassidus is essential if people are to live a life that attests to the Glory of God. Sometimes we may be disappointed in observing some people who are apparently observant of Torah and yet do not lead exemplary lives. Invariably, these people do not implement the teachings of mussar and chassidus, so that while they possess the building blocks, they fail to assemble the structure of a Jewish life. Today I shall ... devote myself to the study of the ethics of Jewish living.See more books by Rabbi Abraham Twerski at Artscroll.com   Elul 25 Print Version » Baby Girls I just got back from the hospital where my wife gave birth to a gorgeous baby girl! My question is: If it had been a boy, I know we would given the name at his Bris. But in this case, is there a special ceremony when a girl is born. When my brother had a baby girl recently, they didn't make any ceremony. The Aish Rabbi Replies: First of all, Mazal Tov! May you merit to raise her to Torah, to the wedding canopy and to good deeds! The naming of a Jewish daughter is a most profound spiritual moment. The naming ceremony is linked to the public reading of the Torah. During the Torah reading, a special "Mi Sheberach" blessing is said. The blessing begins with a prayer for the mother's health. It continues with the giving of the baby's name -- and a prayer that this new Jewish daughter should grow to be a wise and understanding Jewish woman of goodness and greatness. The baby naming is traditionally followed by a "kiddush" in honor of the baby girl, where friends and relatives gather to share good food, speak words of Torah, and share the family's profound joy. For details of how to choose a name for the baby, and the significance of a Jewish name, see the article, "Naming Your Baby" Elul 25 Elul 25 A stunning cloudy night over Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) by Daniel Malkiel.   Featured at Aish.com       Prayer Power   Praying for Barak: An Amazing True Story   Making High Holiday Prayers Relevant     Follow us on Facebook What do you think of this email? Help us make these personalized newsletters — and our site — better. Send us your questions and comments to tellus@aish.com. Forward this email to a friend. 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