by Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com Although there are a number of dissimilarities, Vladimir Putin’s draft of soldiers reminds us of a difficult period in our own history with Russian and the draft. Last Wednesday, President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia will mobilize 300,000 men in an effort to make good its losses in Ukraine […]

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com Hashem, in His Infinite Kindness has given us a gift in the Aseres Yemei Teshuva – the Ten Days of Repentance.  How so?  Not everyone, unfortunately, merited to receive a judgment on Rosh HaShana.  Some people, have their spiritual report card pushed off. The phrase “Bein Keseh L’Asor” is […]

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com The material below is based upon Maamar #1,2, and 8 of Vaadim published in Elul of 5780 delivered by Rav Schustal Shlita and published by Rabbi Shimon Meir Perlman in a Kuntrus entitled, “Kol Dodi.” TWO CUSTOMS The Shulchan Aruch cites two customs for the strengthening that occurs during […]

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com THE SHLIACH TZIBBUR The Shliach Tzibbur that is chosen both for Selichos as well as the Yomim Noraim should have the following six qualities. The qualities are in the following order of preference. A] Talmid Chochom B] yarei Shomayim C] thirty years old or more D] Married with children […]

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com Rav Gershon Ribner shlita is an outstanding Torah scholar who has authored brilliant seforim on Shas.  The seforim are Talmudic masterpieces that reflect great depth and originality.  Rav Ribner is also a prestigious member of the faculty of Beis Midrash Gavoha in Lakewood.  “Consequential Choices” (295 pp) is an […]

by Rabbi Yair Hoffman for the Sfas Tamim Foundation Reuvain and Shimon, decided to purchase two lottery tickets together and pool their winnings.  They reasoned that since the Gemorah says that the Mazel of two is greater than one (Bava Metzia 105a) they had a greater chance of winning.  As it turned out, one of […]

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com First off – the reader should know that even though it is called Junior Shmiras HaLashon – the work is a masterful work that brings this intricacies of the Chofetz Chaim’s shmiras haLashon to life.  It is highly sophisticated in terms of combining simplicity with accuracy while not glossing […]

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com Reb Yanky was a man that everyone knew, and that no one knew.  Everyone knew and was affected by his extraordinary chessed.  But few knew the width, breadth, depth, relentlessness, and all-encompassing extent and nature of that chessed.  And all five of those adjectives are absolutely true. Rav Chatzkel […]

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com A lawyer once told of a surgeon who lined up his surgeries back-to -back – to back in order to maximize his income.  He would have an assistant close up the stitching as he would move on to the next patient.   The problem was that sometimes problems develop during […]

by Rabbi Yair Hoffman for the Sfas Tamim Foundation In late 1998,  Peter Thiel and Max Levchin founded a company called, “PayPal.” (It was originally called Confinity). Venture capital funding allowed it to combine with eBay transaction partnerships, and PayPal quickly shot up to 1 million users after just 15 months.  With Paypal, people can […]