How Much Do We Need to Help The Poor Person?

In today's "Random Torah," we take a look at a ruling in the Shulchan Aruch concerning the obligation to give. How much should we give someone who is lacking?

There's a "funny thing" about society, that those who are a part of it tend to look down on those who lack. When the poor man asks for help, he is often met with a barrage of questions as to how in the world he ever got himself into his current predicament. Yet others don't believe him altogether. It cannot be that someone doesn't have - they say. Some simply push him off with the excuse "There is no money in the world. We're all struggling. Nobody has any money." Yet others recommend he seek psychological help for his problem. And then there are many who even tell others that the reason he is poor is because that is the lifestyle he wants to live. He wants to live on the street and do without food. And so the damaging, painful and humiliating list continues. Indeed, if he would only be in touch with the real "helpful" social workers, he would get back on his feet to where he should be and he'd never have to ask for another dime in his life. But he refuses to follow protocol and so - nebach - he has nothing.

The Worst of Sins - Lashon HaRah - Evil Speech and Gossip

In our "Random Torah" today, we take a look at a Halachic ruling from the Rambam. Within the Halachah, the Rambam brings a teaching to show how our Sages were able to offer prophecy as to a person receiving punishment (affliction) in this world and being totally cut off from the world to come. This is a huge statement to make, and if our Sages can be relied upon, we should best value the dangers of speaking evil and derogatory speech about others. Let us see what the Rambam ruled and just what our Sages said regarding the terrible sin of Lashon HaRah.

Which Direction to Face When Praying

In today's "Random Torah" we take a look at which direction to face when praying. It's a fascinating topic and one can talk about it for hours on end. One thing that does come out from it, is that when we pray - we turn to Hashem. Hashem is everywhere and ultimately when we direct our hearts to heaven, we have directed ourselves correctly. 

Let us never forget that making assumptions that praying in certain directions makes one's prayer less or more effective is negating the infinity of God Who is everywhere! There is no real need to overconcern oneself in which direction one prays because God is everywhere - no matter which direction we choose. Our prayers come from our hearts and are directed spiritually into higher worlds that we are barely even aware of! Fortunate are we that no matter where we find ourselves - God is there too!

Living in a physical world, however, also means that we will of necessity be facing a particular physical direction. With this in mind, we can then ask, if possible and we do have a choice to turn in one direction over the other, which direction is most suited to pray towards?

13 Nissan - Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Yosef Karo - Author of the Shulchan Aruch

The 13th Nissan (today) is the Yahrtzeit of one of the key pillars of the entire Jewish nation - Rabbi Yosef Karo (1488-1575). Born in Spain - fleeing with his family at the age of 4 due to the Spanish Expulsion - Rabbi Yosef Karo would go on to become one of the outstanding giants in Torah, producing a complete commentary on the Rambam's Halachic work - the Yad Hachazakah - which he called the Kesef Mishnah, thereafter doing a complete commentary on the four sections of Halachah (Jewish law) of the Tur (Rabbi Yaakov ben HaRosh - Rabbi Asher) entitled the Beis Yosef, and thereafter compiling all his encyclopaedic knowledge of every single area of Halachah - into his main work called the Shulchan Aruch (the Laid Table) - because indeed, he lays out the laws much like a table is laid out with everything in its place!

A point that many do not know is that Rabbi Karo was also a kabbalist of the highest order - living at the same time as the great Arizal (who was 46 years his junior!) in Safed. The Golden Age of Safed!

Rabbi Karo had a Maggid (an angel) teach him Torah as he drifted off into Innerspace while reciting various Mishnayot. It was in fact the Mishnah itself that would speak to him - teaching him the secrets of Torah. However, be that as it may - he was not on the level of the Arizal in terms of his knowledge of Kabbalah and had in fact asked the Ari to teach him.

The Ari (being privy to the secrets of souls and other mysterious things of life and Creation, knew well that the soul of Rabbi Yosef Karo was not suitable for those deepest of secrets. He told him so, but Rabbi Yosef refused to listen - imploring the Ari to teach him anyway!

The Ari told him that he should sit under a particular tree at a particular point in time... If he should see the Ari walking by him then, it was a sign he could learn the secrets, and the Ari would be prepared to teach him. The day arrived, and Rabbi Yosef did as the Ari instructed, but moments before the Ari walked by, he fell into a deep sleep - waking up only a few minutes later after the Ari had already passed!

In fact, Rabbi Yosef became an in-law to the Ari with their children marrying each other. (For those wondering about their difference in age, Rabbi Yosef Karo married three times in his life and fathered a child when much older - who married the Ari's son/daughter (I forget whose son married whose daughter!)

Many of the Ari's descendants are known today, but I am not sure who the descendants are of Rabbi Yosef Karo.

You can find out more about this great man and his works by seeing the Wikipedia: 

Rabbi Yosef Karo's contribution was so invaluable to the Jewish people that it is practically impossible to speak about Jewish law today without mentioning the Shulchan Aruch! It is studied every single day by almost all observant Jews (or those who value the importance of Jewish law - any way!)

In order to obtain Rabbinical Ordination, one must be knowledgeable in a variety of areas in the Shulchan Aruch - as well as one knows the back of one's palms! This excludes the need to know the major commentaries that accompany the essential text of the Shulchan Aruch (and of course all the material that actually precedes the coding of the law as detailed in the SA.) In particular, the rabbinical student must learn the laws of Kashrut - the laws of forbidden mixtures, salting meat in order to Kasher it as well as the laws of the forbidden mixture of meat and milk.

Those furthering their studies will also learn the important areas of the SA including the laws of Shabbat, Mikvaot, Niddah, Shaatnez, immersing vessels in a Mikvah, the laws of interest (charging interest to a Jew is forbidden by another Jew,) laws of daily life, Eiruvin, mourning, laws of Pesach and dozens of other topics afterwards.

One who is a master of the entire Shulchan Aruch can truly call himself a Rabbi in every sense of the word - but sadly, there are not many who reach this goal in its entirety due to the enormous amount of material to learn... and hence why many spend their entire days devoted to learning Torah - day and night - night and day.

This - of course, excludes the time invested in learning the Arizal's works, the Zohar and all the material associated with the hidden Torah.

The Torah of Hashem is perfect, restoring the soul. The testimonies of Hashem (G-d) are faithful, making the simple wise. (Psalms 19:7)

If you'd like to purchase a copy of the book - "Maggid Mesharim" (English translation) which includes the teachings that the angel taught Rabbi Yosef Karo, contact Reb Eliyahu today - for all your Torah book needs!

Rabbi Yechiel Michel Epstein - The Aruch HaShulchan

Rabbi Yechiel Michel Epstein (1829 - 23 Adar Beit 1908) - commonly known as the Aruch HaShulchan - after the magnum opus he wrote with that very name was a Rabbi and Posek of the highest calibre. His multi-volumed work - taking over twenty years to write - covers all four sections of the accepted code of Jewish law - the Shulchan Aruch - written in the exact same format. It is based mostly upon the Jerusalem Talmud and the Rambam.

Whereas the way of the Shulchan Aruch is to give the Psak Halacha directly, it is the way of the Aruch HaShulchan to work in the opposite manner by first providing all the necessary sources - Rishonim and Acharonim (which he argues upon frequently,) and then leading into the Halacha itself. The author is lenient wherever he can be. He was not "just" an author of a major Halachic work considered authoritative today, but he was also the Rav of an entire city - Novozybkov (now Bryansk region). It was due to his actual rabbinical experience that he focused on bringing lenient opinions whenever necessary - having actually seen how important this was in practice. His introduction to his work brings in his feelings and why he chose to Paskin as he did. Even the intro is a master work! It is fascinating to note that though he is not considered a Chassid, the town he was Rav for was in fact made of a majority of Chassidim - and of them - Chabad stood out most!

9 years later he became the Rav of Navardok (for which he is best known) and remained there for 34 years. He was close to Rav Shmuel Salant of Jerusalem and was a firm supporter of the Rebbi Meir Baal HaNeis charity fund - a fund supporting the Jews of Eretz Yisrael (charity being given in the merit of Rabbi Meir Baal HaNeis.) In fact any charity given to support Jews living in Israel today is really a part of this much larger fund - though this was the essential fund that began the focus and importance of supporting those living in Israel.

There was always a challenge within the Torah world as to which of the Halachic works would be accepted - the Mishnah Berurah or the Aruch HaShulchan (both published at very similar times - though the Aruch HaShulchan was printed later leading many to accept it as more authoritative!) Though the Mishnah Berurah gained greater acceptance for a standard in learning - this in no way detracted from the greatness of the Aruch HaShulchan which is just as necessary when it comes to deciding Halacha in a proper Torah context. The Aruch HaShulchan is simply a master piece in Halacha!

Rabbi Moshe Feinstein once said that the decisions of the Aruch HaShulchan - who was a full-time practising Rav - take precedence over many Poskim who were not practising Rabbanim. A Rav takes into account more than just the black and white facts of a case before rendering a Halachic decision.

There are two beautiful editions available for purchase, one being the Oz VeHadar which also includes footnotes of the Mishna Berurah's rulings where differences are found. This in fact highlights the importance of learning all these Halachic works together - and not assuming one can learn each one independent of the other. (This is a great general principle in learning Torah and Halacha - which is really all one and perfect!)

Rabbi Epstein had an exceptionally humble and wise son - Rabbi Baruch - who due to not being able to secure a job in Rabbinics in the United States at that time(!) - became a successful bookkeeper. Let that not attest to any lack of knowledge in Torah on his part - when we know he compiled two hugely successful works in the Torah world today - the Torah Temimah - an entire commentary on the Chumash showing the references of the Gemara to the various sections in the Chumash - as well as Mekor Baruch - a major work of immense proportions sharing about the history of his family. One section is translated and is known as "My Uncle the Netziv". It is a fascinating story of the relationship between Rabbi Baruch and his uncle Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Yehuda of Volohzin. In fact his uncle was none other than his brother-in-law as well, having married his sister after his first wife died (making him the son-in-law of the Aruch HaShulchan.)

You can keep up with daily learning of Aruch HaShulchan by accessing the Aruch HaShulchan Luach here.

Rabbi Yoel Sirkes - the Bayit Chadash (Bach)

Rabbi Yoel Sirkes (1561-20 Adar 1640) was known as the Bayit Chadash or better - the BaCh after the major commentary he wrote on the Arba'a Turim (the Tur - written by Rabbi Yaakov ben Rabbeinu Asher - the Rosh.) His commentary can be found on the outside of every page of the Tur.

The Tur is one of the most basic Halachic texts dealing with all aspects of Halacha as relevant today. The Tur takes into account the most essential Halachic opinions up until his day and reflects his final opinion in his own code. As the years moved on, two very important Halachic commentaries were added to the Tur - that of Rabbi Yosef Karo (1488-1565) known in his commentary as the Beis Yosef (House of Joesph) and also known as the author of the Shulchan Aruch and later the Bach (Bayit Chadash - the New House) - Rabbi Yoel Sirkes. The Beis Yosef details the opinions of hundreds of Rishonim (early codifiers of Halacha) as he examines every single Halacha as brought in the Tur. Later he compiled his Magnum Opus Shulchan Aruch giving a final verdict as to the opinion to follow after his immense analysis of the different opinions in the Beis Yosef.

Rabbi Srikes was not happy with the final opinion ruling system as he felt it would detract from people learning the codes as they appear in their original form. He therefore wrote his own commentary - the New House (as opposed to the House of Josef - the Beis Yosef) and then hoped all would come to learn the codes as they appear through the original opinions and analysis.

The Bach was an adherent to Kabbalah and he opposed the type of study known as Pilpul. He was also the father-in-law of the Taz (Rabbi Dovid HaLevy Segal), who wrote a major commentary on the Shulchan Aruch and who often cites his father-in-law (whether in agreement or even in sharp disagreement!)

He is considered one of the most basic and powerful leading Halachic authorities in all matters of Torah law today.

Maharam Ash - Rabbi Meir Eisenstater - Yahrtzeit 24 Tevet

Born: 1760

Died: 1852 (24 Tevet)

Today is the 160th Yahrtzeit of the Maharam Ash - Rabbi Meir Eisenstater.  He was one of the great rabbis of Hungary. He was born in the city of Eisenstat (hence his surname) which is now Austria. He was one of the first students of the Chatam Sofer - Rabbi Moshe Sofer (Schreiber,) studying in Mattersdorf and afterwards Pressburg, and was accounted for as one of his greatest students.

He acted in the capacity of Av Beit Din in various cities, Ungvar being one of them - where he set up a large Yeshiva where hundreds of students studied - amongst them many of the greatest rabbis of Hungary. After the death of his teacher, the Chatam Sofer, people turned to him with questions in Halacha. From then onwards, he stood out the most as the spiritual force of the Jews of Hungary.

His responsa are published in his two volume work "Imrei Eish."

The Importance for Jewish Men to Learn all the Laws of Family Purity (Part 2)

If you're joining us for this series, please read Part 1 before continuing.

Today out topic is:

Family Purity - and The Anticipated Menstruation

Remember, we're focusing on why it's so important that all Jewish men familiarise themselves thoroughly with the laws of Family Purity. Many feel it's just not for them to know laws that seem to be for women only. This is not true. Jewish men must become completely familiar with these laws - as much as women. The marriage should be seen as being as important to the man as it is to the woman. If he's not showing his readiness to understand these laws, something will be lacking from the marriage. Knowing these laws means that he'll be able to add something to the marriage - something that might well make the difference between a home filled with peace and a home (unnecessarily) lacking it.

Let's take a look at the importance of understanding the laws of the anticipated menstruation – not from the women's point of view – but from the husband's! 

Once a woman has a cycle she must immediately take note of the day and time this occurs. This information is needed in order to prepare her for the possibility of her next cycle. There are different ways of calculating these times (for another article), but let's take it as the norm that the woman must already document that after her cycle and purity (Mikvah immersion) she may already have to prepare for another cycle, should she not fall pregnant. 

What does a husband stand to gain by knowing the laws for these calculations?

The most basic reason for learning these laws is that he can support his wife in working through the calculations together – should she need this. At the start of a marriage (in particular!) a woman – even after a series of Kallah lessons, may feel so overwhelmed with the laws, that she forgets what to do! She can always ask her Kallah teacher to help her go over the material again (or she can read it through in a good book.) But when the stress of the cycle happens, she may panic. Imagine the frustration a woman feels when she turns to her husband (embarrassed!) explaining to him that she has no idea how to calculate her next anticipated cycle! She needs his time… She need him to turn to her and be able to say that he cares about her following these laws – for both of them.

At this point, however, many husbands will attack their wives, complaining that they did not study well enough. Thereafter there will be further disharmony in the relationship (already – at such an early stage in the marriage!) She may feel alienated from her husband and may even (intentionally or unintentionally) make an error – calculating the wrong day. Having a separation day when it is not required can be just as problematic as not having the day when it is required! After all, why the need to lose out on a day of intimacy just because of a miscalculation?! On the other hand, the possible problem of being intimate on a day that is forbidden can make for a disaster!

A man should be comfortable enough with his knowledge of the calculations to be able to guide his wife if she is in need of assistance. He may feel like it's a drag for him to have to learn some laws which he feels are only relevant to his wife (apparently a time waster for him.) In the long run however, his knowledge of these laws, may well make the difference of a strong caring marriage, rather than a marriage (of strife) where the husband lacks the time to assist his wife in fulfilling what may be perhaps the most important laws in the Jewish home.

For those men that feel purity in their Jewish home is important, consider this: Not being proficient in these laws, may well set the stage for a wife who feels so left out and unwanted, that she could choose to simply make things up in order to show externally that she is trying. It won't help much if she's off though – and ultimately may lead to a lackadaisical attitude towards these laws - altogether. In such an instance, both husband and wife then stand the chance of being involved in a variety of Aveirahs. While the husband may well think he is doing the right thing – his wife may one day turn around bitterly explaining how she never understood the laws properly and never actually fulfilled them. One may wonder then (once that moment is realised) – if the husband will be as enthusiastic with his response that it was all up to his wife! 

No man can do without learning about the laws of the anticipated menstruation. To feel that Chatan classes without these laws is good enough to start one's marriage is an irresponsible approach for the Chatan towards his wife and family. Ultimately one's wife may well one day lose out. In turn the husband will lose out too. And in turn, a marriage may even fall apart. 

If you're serious about maintaining the laws of Family Purity in your home, make sure – if you are a man – to become fluent in these laws. A husband should be familiar with these laws well enough to be able to teach them over to someone else if need be. It may well show your spouse just how much you appreciate her efforts in maintaining a truly pure Jewish home and encourage her to stay strong in observing these laws.

ADVANTAGES OF THE HUSBAND KNOWING THE LAWS OF ANITICPATED MENSTRUATION:

1. Shows an attitude of care
2. Will bring Shalom Bayit at a time of extreme frustration
3. Makes the husband aware that his wife is taking this Mitzvah seriously
4. Makes the husband aware of just how important these laws are
5. Makes the husband aware that his wife cares about his spiritual well-being as much as she cares about her own
6. Reduces the chances of mistakes being made (especially at the start of the marriage)

LEARNING THESE LAWS WILL HELP THE HUSBAND KEEP THESE THINGS IN MIND:

1. It takes time to calculate the dates. Give your wife the alone time she may need to sit down and make sure she's doing them correctly
2. Dinner may have to wait an extra five-ten minutes…
3. Don't be irritated if your wife has lost her way in doing the calculations
4. Be there for your wife – if she needs you (and even if "she doesn't"!
5. Never put the entire focus of this Mitzvah on your wife. It's your Mitzvah too

DISADVANTAGES TO LEARNING THESE LAWS

None! You'll be learning Torah. You'll be able to help your wife if she needs it. You'll be paving the way for true Shalom Bayit!

** If you are getting married soon or looking to refresh your knowledge of these laws, contact Rav Eliyahu for Chatan Lessons or Shoshanah for Kallah Lessons, or email Rav Eliyahu or Shoshanah directly. 

The Importance for Jewish Men to Learn all the Laws of Family Purity (Part 1)

The laws of Family Purity – Taharat HaMishpacha – are complex. But Family Purity is really the most basic foundation of a Jewish home. Without it, the entire purity of the Jewish home is lacking. With it – the possibility for a home filled with all things Jewish i.e. Kashrut, Shabbat and all the other Torah laws.

It seems however that many men are under the impression that these laws don't apply to them! I suppose it's something like thinking that the laws of Tefillin don't apply to women (so why should they bother learning them?!) Would any woman involve herself in learning the laws of Tzitzit or Mezuzah – for example?! And even if for some reason they felt the need to, would they go into the depth that men should go into in order to know exactly how to fulfil these Halachot properly?!

Sadly – one can even find men sitting in Yeshiva complaining that the laws of Niddah (Family Purity) are just not their thing. Personally, I keep wondering what happened to Tractate Niddah – one of the Gemaras of the Talmud – dealing with these laws in their entirety. Sadly – again – many men shy away from learning this tractate – thinking that perhaps it is better for women to learn it.

Yet, in a strange twist of events, after marrying, men find that they are actually a half of the marriage – a half of the main family (at least at the time of the wedding!) What goes through their minds when it comes to considering the important laws of Taharat HaMishpaha then?! Could it be that they feel that their wives will surely have taken a Kallah course – a series of Shiurim (lessons) to help them know what the laws are? Of course (they think,) when it comes to putting them all into practice, the full responsibility of following these laws will rest strictly upon them!

Anyone who truly values what these laws are about will understand that this is just not the right approach to take. Every Chatan (groom) should be prepared to take a course in learning about these laws – and thoroughly! Every Chatan should be as acquainted with these laws as his Kallah is. 

Some may wonder why. Why should a Chatan ever learn these laws altogether?! And even if he should learn some of them (just in case!) why learn the laws of Chatzitzot (intervening substances that cause a problem when a woman immerses in a Mikvah)? Why learn the laws of Chafifah (the laws regarding the washing and preparation for immersion in the Mikvah)? Why the need to know the laws concerning the time for the anticipated menstruation? Surely these laws relate exclusively to the woman?! It's up to her to know how to fulfil these laws. He surely won't be present when his wife is preparing to immerse. He also won't be present moments before the immersion to check if his wife has any intervening substances. And quite frankly – why should he care when her next anticipated menstruation will be?! Let her keep her own tabs on things, and just let him know when it's important to know (whatever it is he's supposed to know!)

Though it's true that some Mitzvot are "man based" and others "woman based" it should be clear that every husband take an active part in supporting his wife to be able to her fulfil her Mitzvot properly too. It's one of those things that might actually aid in creating real Shalom Bayit (peace in the home!) But there's more to it.

In the coming posts, we're going to examine the importance of these laws – especially from the husband's point of view. We'll see just what a difference it can make in knowing the laws which are seemingly unrelated to the husband.


If you are getting married soon or looking to refresh your knowledge of these laws, contact Rav Eliyahu for Chatan Lessons or Shoshanah for Kallah Lessons, or email Rav Eliyahu or Shoshanah directly. 

Steady Learning... Become a Posek in 5 Years!

JUST 15 MINUTES A DAY...
BECOME A POSEK IN 5 YEARS!

So you're serious about learning?! You may well have come to the conclusion that there are two main components to Torah – Aggadata and Halacha. There certainly is more to it than that, but these two areas give one a good idea of the fullness of Torah.

The Aggadata are the stories that one finds scattered throughout the Gemara etc. Though they may seem like fables of sorts, in actuality they contain the deepest secrets of the universe. Those with a love for superficiality will think that the stories in the Aggadata are no better than "Jack and the Beanstalk" and the like. Stories filled with fantasy at the best of times, and just good general living guidance at others. Those who realise that every word in the Torah (Gemara included) are completely G‑d given, will surely realise that these stories can be compared to the most outer garments of the king (King).

Those whose lives are superficial tend to think the king is all about a crown on some man's head, some elegant and royal garments, together with the best of gold, silver and diamonds that money can buy! Those who understand that the king is actually a somebody, know full well that the external garments are nothing more than a hint at the real person inside. If one really wants to know more about the king, it may take a lifetime of effort to become more acquainted with the real person – the real soul – behind the garments.

With all the fun and stories out the way – together with the deepest secrets of life itself, there is the other important area of Torah – the Halacha. The Halacha – from the word "Holech" meaning "going" is the actual rules of how to go about living one's life. When it comes to waking up in the morning, what must be done?! What about when one gets dressed – are there laws to this to?! What about walking and the clothes one wears – are there specific rules to this too?! Then there are the holy days of the year, the Shabbat and festivals. There are laws that apply to eating and drinking. There are laws regarding honest business dealings. Laws for marriage and married life. In fact, there are laws for every single second of the day. Some people (Tzaddikim) are aware of every second of the day – making sure to utilise it so that that moment is engaged in the fulfilment of G-d's will. Others are less "enthusiastic" about things, but are still very serious about fulfilling G-d's will whenever they know more about it. They are careful with eating kosher, observing the holy days etc., though they may not quite know the intricacies of serving G-d every single second of the day!

The Shulchan Aruch – written by Rabbi Yosef Karo (1488-1575) contains the laws for every Jew to master! It is divided into four sections, though it is the first section – Orach Chaim (The Path of Life), that is by far the most important for every single Jew to be familiar with – inside and out! But with 693 chapters of learning to get through, it is by no means an easy task! More than this, in order to truly understand the original text, one needs to learn something more – something even more practical to help in understanding how to fulfil the laws – some 500 years later. The Chofetz Chaim – Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan (1839-1933) authored the most authoritative commentary on this first section of Shulchan Aruch – calling it the Mishna Berura or "Clear Teaching." Through learning the Mishna Berura one truly gets to grips with the first section of the Shulchan Aruch, and one learns how to conduct one's days on a day to day basis as every Jew should.

There is no excuse for anybody. Every Jew is required to work through these laws and to become totally fluent in them. Of course, knowing 693 chapters of law can certainly make one an authority of sorts! We could all leave the work of learning to the Poskim – the Halachic deciders. Alternatively we could get stuck into it ourselves, spending time each day, until we master the material on our own.

But where do we begin?! Programs of all sorts have sprouted up, and it has become easier than ever to learn the Mishna Berura today. In fact, you can find timetables to help you master the contents of the Mishna Berura in just one year! Then there are two other beautiful programs available. Would you believe that if you learned just one page (2 sides) of the Mishna Berura a day, you could complete the entire 693 chapters in just 2.5 years? And if this is too difficult, why not consider one of the most wonderful programs available – the Amud Yomi – just one side of a page of Mishna Berura a day. It will take 5 years to work through, but considering the effort you'll be putting in – for just one side of a page a day – you can become a walking encyclopaedia on the first section of the Shulchan Aruch in just this small amount of time! What's wonderful about this project is that if you follow the timetable set up, you will end up learning the laws applicable to each festival at the correct time, and then going back to the ordinary day to day learning when the festival is over.

It's a great program. I highly endorse it to anyone keen enough to want to engage in learning Halacha – Jewish law – seriously. You won't regret it! Of course, if you feel you'd like to work through it, but lack the necessary learning skills, you are always welcome to set up a one-on-one learning session with Rav Eliyahu and work through the Amud each day using Skype. The great thing is that you can accomplish an Amud within just 15-30 minutes a day!

So think of that! For just some 15-30 minutes a day, you'll get to understand the most basic Jewish laws applicable to every single Jew – in a period of just 5 years. You'll be an expert, and everyone will be asking *you* the right way to behave as a Jew!

If you're serious, I highly encourage you to take a look at http://mishneberurayomis.org. Spend some time navigating the site and seeing how it works, and of course, don't forget to ask them to send you a free timetable for the 5 year learning schedule. It's a truly beautiful publication and a pleasure to work with. You'll be able to keep track of your progress, and as the days go by, you'll be excited to see just how much you're accomplishing. There's a short 5 minute insight Shiur in audio that is sent every day to help you master the material… all for free!

If you still don't come right in learning Halacha, and are in need of assistance, contact Rav Eliyahu directly, and set up a serious learning program. Go for it… 5 years, 2.5 years, or even one year! You can make it happen – this year… You can make it happen – TODAY!