Dec 17, 2014

Necha Golda 11-16-2014 (23 Cheshvan 5775)

This Way Up: Torah Essays on Spiritual Growth by Rebbetzin Tzipporah Heller
Chapter Four - Are you fooling yourself? - Page 19

Raize Guttman 11-30-2014 (8 Kislev 5775)

Parshat Noah - Chapter 8 - Verse 2

Nothing in the world is all bad...not even the flood.
And...the four widows of the Har Nof tragedy speak.

Raize Guttman 12-07-2014 (15 Kislev 5775)

Parshat Noah - Chapter 8 - Verse 7.
Learning from the wicked, paranoid raven.

Raize Guttman 12-14-2014 (22 Kislev 5775)

Chanukah Insights: Overcoming our enemies


Nov 28, 2014

Raize Guttman 11-23-2014 (1 Kislev 5775)

Har Nof Jerusalem Tragedy On the morning of 18 November 2014, two Palestinian men from Jerusalem entered Kehilat Bnei Torah synagogue, in the Har Nof neighborhood of Jerusalem, Israel, and attacked the praying congregants with axes, knives, and a gun. They killed 4 worshippers (Rabbi Moshe Twersky, Rabbi Calman Levine, Rabbi Aryeh Kupinsky, & Rabbi Avraham Shmuel Goldberg). They also critically wounded a responding Druze Israeli police officer, who later died. They also injured 7 male worshippers. The two attackers were then shot dead by the police.

and Parshas Noah

Sep 9, 2014

Raize Guttman 09-07-2014 (12 Elul 5774)

Parshas Noach - Chapter 7 - Verse 13
"On that very day"

Raize Guttman 08-31-2014 (5 Elul 5774)

Parshat Noach - Chapter 7 - Verses 8-12.

Miracle of animals coming by themselves.
With beginning of flood, no mention of Hashem's name.

Raize Guttman 08-24-2014 (28 Av 5774)

Parshas Noach - Chapter 7 - Verses 5 - 7.
Mitzvah of Emunah, complete faith in The Almighty.
The three T's to trust.

Raize Guttman 08-17-2014 (21 Av 5774)

Parshas Noach - Chapter 7 - Verses 3 - 4
Importance of number 7.

Raize Guttman 08-10-2014 (13 Av 5774)

Parshat Noach - Chapter 7 - Verses 1-2.
Theme of powerful speech/words.
How to praise.
What is the written Torah? The will of Hashem.
How did Noah learn Torah before it was given?

Aug 3, 2014

Raize Guttman 08-03-2014 (7 Av 5774)

This year, Tisha B'Av (the 9th of Av) begins at nightfall on Monday, Aug., 4 and lasts until nightfall Tuesday, Aug. 5.

Tisha B'Av during Israel War Protective Edge.

Jul 28, 2014

Esti Hoffman 07-27-2014 (29 Tamuz 5774)

We have a guest speakert today. Esti Hoffman (Raize's sister-in-law) speaks about last week's Torah portion - Parshat Masei, and how it relates to the current war in Israel.

Raize Guttman, our regular GEM TeleTorah teacher, was unable to return to Israel from NY as scheduled because all flights from the U.S. to Israel were cancelled by the U.S. FAA (Federal Aviation Assoc). She was re-booked on a flight that conflicted with the time of the class.
Many thanks to Esti for filling in!

Jul 22, 2014

Raize Guttman 07-20-2014 (22 Tamuz 5774)

Leading up to Tisha B'Av (9th Av).

The Three Weeks is an annual mourning period that is shortly approaching. This is when we mourn the destruction of the Holy Temple and our launch into a still-ongoing exile.
The period begins on 17 Tamuz, a fast day that marks the day when the walls of Jerusalem were breached by the Romans in 69 CE.

It reaches its climax and concludes with the fast of the 9th of Av, the date when both Holy Temples were set aflame. This is the saddest day of the Jewish calendar, and it is also the date that many other tragedies befell our people.

Jul 13, 2014

Penina Taylor 07-13-2014 (15 Tamuz 5774)

Special guest speaker, Penina Taylor shares the incredible story of her Jewish Journey.

Jul 10, 2014

Raize Guttman 07-06-2014 (8 Tamuz 5774)

Parshat Noach - Chapter 6 - Verse 19.
Mates in the Ark.



Raize Guttman 06-29-2014 (1 Tamuz 5774)

Today is Rosh Chodesh Tamuz. The special day of Rosh Chodesh is really for women.
Need for renewal physically and spiritually.

Raize Guttman 06-22-2014 (24 Sivan 5774)

Parshat Noach - Chapter 6 - Verse 18. Noach now entering the teva (ark).
Having empathy...feeling another's pain.

Raize Guttman 06-15-2014 (17 Sivan 5774)

Parshat Noach - Chapter 6 - Verse 17.
Until now we have been speaking about the very specific details of building the teva (ark).
Bringing the flood and Hashem's pact with survivors.

Raize Guttman 06-08-2014 (10 Sivan 5774)

Parshat Noach - Chapter 6 - verse 16.
Building the Ark continued.

Raize Guttman 06-01-2014 (3 Sivan 5774)

Preparation for the holiday of Shavuos, when we receive the Torah.

Raize Guttman 05-25-2014 (25 Iyyar 5774)

Parshat Noach - Chapter 6 - Verse 15.
Building the Ark.

Raize Guttman 05-18-2014 (18 Iyyar 5774)

Lag B'Omer shiur.

May 12, 2014

Raize Guttman 05-11-2014 (11 Iyyar 5774)

Parshat Noach - Chapter 6 - Verse 14.
Hashem tells Noach to build the ark.

May 11, 2014

Raize Guttman 05-04-2014 (4 Iyyar 5774)

Parshat Noach - Chapter 6 - Verse 12.
The last thing we spoke about is how the world was corrupt. Our verse now continues along the same lines.

Raize Guttman 04-27-2014 (27 Nisan 5774)

Yomtif has not ended. We discuss the days between Pesach & Shavuot and speak about Sefirot Ha Omer.

Apr 27, 2014

Raize Guttman 04-06-2014 (6 Nissan 5774)

Pesach shiur. Pesach seder is tomorrow night. Pesach means a mouth that speaks. Telling over the story to the next generation. So much of our seder is speech. The preparation for Pesach is Rosh Chodesh Nissan. It brings with it the mitzvah of the blessing over the trees.

Mar 30, 2014

Raize Guttman 03-23-2014 (21 Adar II 5774)

Let's start talking about Pesach as it is a few weeks away. It is not meant to be stressful. We should enjoy. It has so much meaning. Much of this shiur comes from ideas presented by Rabbi Zev Leff in his book "Festivals of Life" . Pesach is the first day of our nationhood.

Raize Guttman 03-30-2014 (28 Adar II 5774)

Pesach Seder in Two Weeks. So many different important ideas and aspects. But the most basic idea is Chometz & Matzoh.

Mar 18, 2014

Mar 5, 2014

Raize Guttman 03-02-2014 (30 Adar I 5774)

Today is Rosh Chodesh Adar II. Adar is a month of joy. Today in Jerusalem the Haredi world came together to daven for the Jewish people. Signs all over saying "go and gather all the Jews together". Just like in the Purim story. Today is a modern day assemblage of the Jews.

Parshat Noach - Chapter 6 - Verse 11.

Feb 26, 2014

Raize Guttman 02-23-14 (23 Adar I 5774)

Parshat Noach - Chapter 6 - Verse 10.

Raize Guttman 02-16-14 (16 Adar I 5774)

Today we begin a new Parshat - Noach!
Parshat Noach - Chapter 6 - Verse 9.

Shprintze Rappaport 02-09-14 (9 Adar I 5774)

Today we have a shiur by Shprintze Rappaport, a GEM alumni. She speaks about Leadership.

Raize Guttman 02-02-14 (2 Adar I 5774)

Parshat Bereisheit Siyum (completion celebration).

Raize Guttman 01-26-14 (25 Sh'vat 5774)

Today we complete Parshat Bereisheit - Chapter 6 - Verse 5.

Jan 20, 2014

Raize Guttman 01-19-14 (18 Sh'vat 5774)

Parshat Bereisheit - Chapter 6 - Verse 1.

Raize Guttman 01-12-14 (11 Sh'vat 5774)

Parshat Bereisheit - Chapter 5 - Verse 25.

Raize Guttman 01-05-14 (4 Sh'vat 5774)

Parshat Bereisheit - Chapter
Last week we spoke about the tremendous character trait that Enoch possessed - that of cleaving to Hashem. He is the 7th generation after Adam.

Jan 1, 2014

Raize Guttman 12-29-13 (26 Tevet 5774)

Bereisheit - Chapter 5 - Verses 3 - 24.
The Torah now introduces us to the next 10 generations between Adam and Noach. The world was going down, down, down. The world was corrupt. But in each of these 10 generations a righteous person lived who lived an exceptionally long life. Enoch was born in the 7th generation from Adam. He comparatively died younger than the other righteous people at 365. Enoch is singled out from all the 10 generations for his incredibly close relationship with Hashem. So why was he taken from the world at a younger age than the others if he was the most righteous?