Colors: Blue Color

Rabbi Dov Keilson, well-known speaker, shared an inspiring shiur virtually on behalf of Chazaq, Asher to The Yatzar, and 5 Towns Central on the theme of appreciating our bodies. This shiur was part five of a series and was dedicated in memory of Dr. Nachman Schorr z”l, Mrs. Dvora Leah Hecht a”h, and Mrs. Shoshana Strickman a”h.

With Rosh Chodesh Kislev approaching, Chanukah is on the way. There is a famous machlokes [dispute] in the Gemara (Maseches Shabbos) on the following question: Madlikin mi’ner l’ner, o lo? (Can you take a Chanukah candle and use it to light another Chanukah candle? Yes or no?) On this there is a machlokes [between] Rav and Shmuel: Rav says no, Shmuel says yes. Rav says no because ka mach’chish mitzvah – you diminish the mitzvah. If I take a light to light another light, then I’m going to spill a little of the oil, or a little of the wax and the result is that I will diminish the first light. And Shmuel doesn’t worry about this. Now, we know, in general, Machlokes Rav u’Shmuel, halachah k’Rav – the law is always according to Rav (against Shmuel) with only three exceptions, and this is one of them.

More than 27% of assets distributed to charities in all sectors

The Jewish Communal Fund (JCF), the largest Jewish donor-advised fund in the country, distributed a record $536 million in grants to charities in all sectors during the 2020 fiscal year ending June 30, 2020 – a 17.5% increase from 2019. JCF Fundholders recommended a record-number of grants – 64,188 – to thousands of charitable organizations, an 18% increase from 2019. The average grant amount was $8,352 – an increase of 16% as compared to the previous year.