Today is: The 5th Day, Elul 23, 5771 • 9 22, 2011
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Topics in the news
.
The members of American rock band R.E.M. announce they are splitting up after 31 years together.
.
In basketball, EuroBasket 2011 concludes with Spain defeating France in the final.
.
Monsoon rains cause flooding in Pakistan's Sindh province, killing at least 230 people and damaging more than a million homes.
.
A 6.9-magnitude earthquake near the India–Nepal border results in at least 102 deaths.
.
In Gaelic football, Dublin defeat Kerry to win the All-Ireland Senior Championship Final for the first time since 1995.
.
In Latvia's early parliamentary election, Harmony Centre, led by Nils Ušakovs, wins a plurality in the Saeima.
.
Current events
.
Armed conflict and attacks
.
At least five people are killed when a bus is bombed in Pakistan's Bajaur Agency. (Xinhua)
.
Disasters
.
Typhoon Roke passes through the Japanese island of Honshu, causing 13 deaths, and arrives in Hokkaido. (AP via ABC News America)
.
At least four people die and 18 are injured in a factory fire in the suburb of Dombivli in the Indian city of Mumbai. (IBN Live)
.
Heavy floods and related disasters across China, especially in the drainage basin of Han River and Wei River, have left 90 dead and 22 missing. (Xinhua) (AFP via Google)
.
International relations
.
Pope Benedict XVI commences a state visit to Germany. (The Telegraph)
.
The Peoples Republic of China warns over the proposed sale by the United States of newer versions of the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon to Taiwan. (Reuters)
.
Politics and elections
.
The first President of Cape Verde, Aristides Pereira, dies in Portugal at the age of 87. (Washington Post)
.
The Italian Chamber of Deputies votes today on the arrest of a former aide to Minister of Economy and Finance Giulio Tremonti on corruption charges. (Bloomberg)
.
Today's Laws & Customs
.
• Elul Observances
.
As the last month of the Jewish year, Elul is traditionaly a time of introspection and stocktaking -- a time to review one's deeds and spiritual progress over the past year and prepare for the upcoming "Days of Awe" of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur.
.
As the month of Divine Mercy and Forgiveness (see "Today in Jewish History" for Elul 1) it is a most opportune time for teshuvah ("return" to G-d), prayer, charity, and increased Ahavat Yisrael (love for a fellow Jew) in the quest for self-improvement and coming closer to G-d. Chassidic master Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi likens the month of Elul to a time when "the king is in the field" and, in contrast to when he is in the royal palace, "everyone who so desires is permitted to meet him, and he receives them all with a cheerful countenance and shows a smiling face to them all."
.
Specific Elul customs include the daily sounding of the shofar (ram's horn) as a call to repentance. The Baal Shem Tov instituted the custom of reciting three additional chapters of Psalms each day, from the 1st of Elul until Yom Kippur (on Yom Kippur the remaining 36 chapters are recited, thereby completing the entire book of Psalms). Click below to view today's Psalms.
.
Chapter 67 Chapter 68 Chapter 69
.
Elul is also the time to have one's tefillin and mezuzot checked by an accredited scribe to ensure that they are in good condition and fit for use.
.
Today in Jewish History
.
• Dove brings Olive Leaf (2105 BCE)
.
On the 301st day of the great Flood, Noah sent a dove for the 2nd time from the ark (see "Today in Jewish History" for Elul 17). This time, the dove stayed away all day; "the dove came in to him in the evening, and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf plucked off; and Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth" (Genesis 8:11).
.
Daily Quote
.
It's better to eat in order to pray than to pray in order to eat
.
- Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Lubavitch (1789-1866)
.
Daily Study
.
Chitas and Rambam for today:
.
Chumash: Nitzavim-Vayelech, 5th Portion Deuteronomy 31:7-31:13 with Rashi
•
Tehillim: Chapters 108 - 112
•
Tanya: Iggeret HaKodesh, beginning of Epistle 18
•
Rambam:
.
• Sefer Hamitzvos:
• 1 Chapter: Avadim Chapter Three
• 3 Chapters: Me`ilah Chap. 2, 3, 4
.
Hayom Yom: "Today's Day"
.
ThursdayElul 235703
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When R. Moshe, son of the Alter Rebbe, was between eight and eleven years old, he was studying the passage in Gittin 67a lauding the virtues of the sages. There R. Shimon bar Yochai said, "Learn my midot." R. Moshe was in doubt about the meaning of that last word, since there is Rashi's interpretation, "my teachings," and the simple meaning, "traits of character."
.
At that moment the Alter Rebbe came in and said, in the chant he habitually used: "The Torah given us is all fine character-traits. Even the punishments there, are in truth acts of kindness and goodness. The two interpretations are one, and interdependent. There can be no fine character-traits without Torah; there can be no Torah without fine character."
.
Exactly the same incident happened to the Tzemach Tzedek, when he was between eight and eleven.
..
Today's Mitzvah
.
A daily digest of Maimonides’ classic work "Sefer Hamitzvot"
.
Negative Commandment 113
.
Doing Work with Animal Designated for Sacrifice
.
"You shall not do any work with the firstborn of your ox"—Deuteronomy 15:19.
.
It is forbidden to do work with an animal designated for sacrifice [e.g., to use the animal to plow or to transport a load].
.
• THE SACREDNESS OF EACH DAY IN TORAH
.
Genesis Chapter 1
בְּרֵאשִׁית
.
Yom Khah´mee´shee.. Fifth day
.
כ וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים--יִשְׁרְצוּ הַמַּיִם, שֶׁרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה; וְעוֹף יְעוֹפֵף עַל-הָאָרֶץ, עַל-פְּנֵי רְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמָיִם. 20
And God said: 'Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let fowl fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.'
כא וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים, אֶת-הַתַּנִּינִם הַגְּדֹלִים; וְאֵת כָּל-נֶפֶשׁ הַחַיָּה הָרֹמֶשֶׂת אֲשֶׁר שָׁרְצוּ הַמַּיִם לְמִינֵהֶם, וְאֵת כָּל-עוֹף כָּנָף לְמִינֵהוּ, וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים, כִּי-טוֹב. 21
And God created the great sea-monsters, and every living creature that creepeth, wherewith the waters swarmed, after its kind, and every winged fowl after its kind; and God saw that it was good.
כב וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם אֱלֹהִים, לֵאמֹר: פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ, וּמִלְאוּ אֶת-הַמַּיִם בַּיַּמִּים, וְהָעוֹף, יִרֶב בָּאָרֶץ. 22 And God blessed them, saying: 'Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.'
כג וַיְהִי-עֶרֶב וַיְהִי-בֹקֶר, יוֹם חֲמִישִׁי. {פ} 23 And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day. {P}
.
Topics in the news
.
The members of American rock band R.E.M. announce they are splitting up after 31 years together.
.
In basketball, EuroBasket 2011 concludes with Spain defeating France in the final.
.
Monsoon rains cause flooding in Pakistan's Sindh province, killing at least 230 people and damaging more than a million homes.
.
A 6.9-magnitude earthquake near the India–Nepal border results in at least 102 deaths.
.
In Gaelic football, Dublin defeat Kerry to win the All-Ireland Senior Championship Final for the first time since 1995.
.
In Latvia's early parliamentary election, Harmony Centre, led by Nils Ušakovs, wins a plurality in the Saeima.
.
Current events
.
Armed conflict and attacks
.
At least five people are killed when a bus is bombed in Pakistan's Bajaur Agency. (Xinhua)
.
Disasters
.
Typhoon Roke passes through the Japanese island of Honshu, causing 13 deaths, and arrives in Hokkaido. (AP via ABC News America)
.
At least four people die and 18 are injured in a factory fire in the suburb of Dombivli in the Indian city of Mumbai. (IBN Live)
.
Heavy floods and related disasters across China, especially in the drainage basin of Han River and Wei River, have left 90 dead and 22 missing. (Xinhua) (AFP via Google)
.
International relations
.
Pope Benedict XVI commences a state visit to Germany. (The Telegraph)
.
The Peoples Republic of China warns over the proposed sale by the United States of newer versions of the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon to Taiwan. (Reuters)
.
Politics and elections
.
The first President of Cape Verde, Aristides Pereira, dies in Portugal at the age of 87. (Washington Post)
.
The Italian Chamber of Deputies votes today on the arrest of a former aide to Minister of Economy and Finance Giulio Tremonti on corruption charges. (Bloomberg)
.
Today's Laws & Customs
.
• Elul Observances
.
As the last month of the Jewish year, Elul is traditionaly a time of introspection and stocktaking -- a time to review one's deeds and spiritual progress over the past year and prepare for the upcoming "Days of Awe" of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur.
.
As the month of Divine Mercy and Forgiveness (see "Today in Jewish History" for Elul 1) it is a most opportune time for teshuvah ("return" to G-d), prayer, charity, and increased Ahavat Yisrael (love for a fellow Jew) in the quest for self-improvement and coming closer to G-d. Chassidic master Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi likens the month of Elul to a time when "the king is in the field" and, in contrast to when he is in the royal palace, "everyone who so desires is permitted to meet him, and he receives them all with a cheerful countenance and shows a smiling face to them all."
.
Specific Elul customs include the daily sounding of the shofar (ram's horn) as a call to repentance. The Baal Shem Tov instituted the custom of reciting three additional chapters of Psalms each day, from the 1st of Elul until Yom Kippur (on Yom Kippur the remaining 36 chapters are recited, thereby completing the entire book of Psalms). Click below to view today's Psalms.
.
Chapter 67 Chapter 68 Chapter 69
.
Elul is also the time to have one's tefillin and mezuzot checked by an accredited scribe to ensure that they are in good condition and fit for use.
.
Today in Jewish History
.
• Dove brings Olive Leaf (2105 BCE)
.
On the 301st day of the great Flood, Noah sent a dove for the 2nd time from the ark (see "Today in Jewish History" for Elul 17). This time, the dove stayed away all day; "the dove came in to him in the evening, and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf plucked off; and Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth" (Genesis 8:11).
.
Daily Quote
.
It's better to eat in order to pray than to pray in order to eat
.
- Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Lubavitch (1789-1866)
.
Daily Study
.
Chitas and Rambam for today:
.
Chumash: Nitzavim-Vayelech, 5th Portion Deuteronomy 31:7-31:13 with Rashi
•
Tehillim: Chapters 108 - 112
•
Tanya: Iggeret HaKodesh, beginning of Epistle 18
•
Rambam:
.
• Sefer Hamitzvos:
• 1 Chapter: Avadim Chapter Three
• 3 Chapters: Me`ilah Chap. 2, 3, 4
.
Hayom Yom: "Today's Day"
.
ThursdayElul 235703
.
When R. Moshe, son of the Alter Rebbe, was between eight and eleven years old, he was studying the passage in Gittin 67a lauding the virtues of the sages. There R. Shimon bar Yochai said, "Learn my midot." R. Moshe was in doubt about the meaning of that last word, since there is Rashi's interpretation, "my teachings," and the simple meaning, "traits of character."
.
At that moment the Alter Rebbe came in and said, in the chant he habitually used: "The Torah given us is all fine character-traits. Even the punishments there, are in truth acts of kindness and goodness. The two interpretations are one, and interdependent. There can be no fine character-traits without Torah; there can be no Torah without fine character."
.
Exactly the same incident happened to the Tzemach Tzedek, when he was between eight and eleven.
..
Today's Mitzvah
.
A daily digest of Maimonides’ classic work "Sefer Hamitzvot"
.
Negative Commandment 113
.
Doing Work with Animal Designated for Sacrifice
.
"You shall not do any work with the firstborn of your ox"—Deuteronomy 15:19.
.
It is forbidden to do work with an animal designated for sacrifice [e.g., to use the animal to plow or to transport a load].
.
• THE SACREDNESS OF EACH DAY IN TORAH
.
Genesis Chapter 1
בְּרֵאשִׁית
.
Yom Khah´mee´shee.. Fifth day
.
כ וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים--יִשְׁרְצוּ הַמַּיִם, שֶׁרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה; וְעוֹף יְעוֹפֵף עַל-הָאָרֶץ, עַל-פְּנֵי רְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמָיִם. 20
And God said: 'Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let fowl fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.'
כא וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים, אֶת-הַתַּנִּינִם הַגְּדֹלִים; וְאֵת כָּל-נֶפֶשׁ הַחַיָּה הָרֹמֶשֶׂת אֲשֶׁר שָׁרְצוּ הַמַּיִם לְמִינֵהֶם, וְאֵת כָּל-עוֹף כָּנָף לְמִינֵהוּ, וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים, כִּי-טוֹב. 21
And God created the great sea-monsters, and every living creature that creepeth, wherewith the waters swarmed, after its kind, and every winged fowl after its kind; and God saw that it was good.
כב וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם אֱלֹהִים, לֵאמֹר: פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ, וּמִלְאוּ אֶת-הַמַּיִם בַּיַּמִּים, וְהָעוֹף, יִרֶב בָּאָרֶץ. 22 And God blessed them, saying: 'Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.'
כג וַיְהִי-עֶרֶב וַיְהִי-בֹקֶר, יוֹם חֲמִישִׁי. {פ} 23 And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day. {P}
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