Toras Avigdor Expanded Shabbos booklet – Elul booklet 👇👇👇

Toras Avigdor Weekly Shabbos booklet Junior Edition 👇👇👇

Rav Avigdor Miller on Public Speaking Q: How could I learn to overcome my fear of public speaking? A: First of all, make sure you have something to say; that’s number one. And then when nobody is listening, give a speech in private. Practice talking in private. If you’re a capable person, if you’re a baal machshavos, you’ll be able to say something. You learned seforim, so why not? Practice talking. And I’ll give you some advice now. It’s worth a lot of money but I’m giving it to you free

I'm in the Kollel, and when I learn mussar, my chavierim might ridicule me. What should I do about this? And the answer is, keep on studying mussar. Let me explain something to you. What does mussar mean? Mussar means you're studying either Shaarei Teshuvah, Rabbeinu Yonah, which is a Rishon, and it's kuloh Torah. If you're studying Mesilas Yesharim, the Mesilas Yesharim is such a tremendous sefer that the Gra said he read through the first 11 chapters, and couldn't find one superfluous word,

Rav Avigdor Miller on Justifying Misfortune (Part 1) Q: Why did Hashem create certain children with mental retardation and other blemishes? A: And the answer is, why did Hashem create bees that sting? And why did He create snakes that have venom? The answer is everything in the world is purposeful. כל מה שברא הקדוש ברוך הוא בעולמו לא בראו אלא לכבודו – Everything declares the glory of Hashem (Avos 6:11). Now if we didn’t have subnormal children, then the people who have normal children woul

Rav Avigdor Miller on Justifying Misfortune (Part 2) Q: What kind of kindliness is that of Hashem to cause one father to suffer with a Mongoloid in order to give another father a chance to kvell in his normal child and even do some mitzvos to help Mongoloids? A: What kindliness is it that one father should be tested by having a Mongoloid child whereas another one is able to rejoice in comparison with his children? And the answer is everybody has something in this world. Nobody is perfect w

Rav Avigdor Miller on Sacrificing Tefillah to Help a Jew Q: Is it more important today for a young man, for purposes of shalom bayis, to wake up with a crying baby in the middle of the night or is it better to be fresh and on time for Shachris? A: Is it more important to sacrifice going to the minyan with energy and early in order to help his wife take care of the baby? It depends on the circumstances. In some cases there is no question at all what is more important. I told you this story

Rav Avigdor Miller on Male & Female Shabbos Guests Q: To what extent should conversation at the Shabbos table be limited between my Shabbos guests, males and females who are single? A: Now, male and female single guests at your table should just sit and eat. That’s all their mouths should be for. They don’t come to your house to socialize. And it’s best not to invite male and female singles together. You can have a Shabbos for single males, another Shabbos for single women. But not the sam

Toras Avigdor Weekly Shabbos booklet 👇👇👇

Toras Avigdor Weekly Shabbos booklet-Junior Edition 👇👇👇

Rav Avigdor Miller on Being a Talmid Chacham or Baal Tzedaka Q: If one has the opportunity to choose two careers, one of making money and being a baal tzedaka, or remaining in the Torah world and acquiring shleimus in Torah, which should he choose? A: There’s no question, תלמוד תורה כנגד כולם. You choose Torah because the person who has shleimus in tzedaka, if he lacks the shleimus of Torah, he’s lacking a bigger shleimus. There’s no question that the shleimus of Torah is much greater. I’l

Podcast Link: Chovos.podbean.com

Rav Avigdor Miller on Giving an Aliyah to a Woman Q: I heard about a synagogue that is willing to call a woman up to the Torah and I was told that there’s a Gemara that says that a woman was once called up for krias hatorah. A: I don’t know of any such Gemara but I do know that the Gemara says if you called her up she can be counted as one of the shiva kruyim; you can consider her one of the seven aliyos. Only that subsequently the gabbai is taken out in the backyard—I am saying this mysel

Rav Avigdor Miller on Torah for Girls Q: What parts of the Torah may you teach girls and which parts may you not? A: In general — I won't say in particular but in general, all things of yiras Shomayim, mussar, middos tovos, and all things that they have to practice, should be taught. A great deal must be taught to girls. I’ll give you an example. Girls must learn they can’t be mazikin – they cannot harm somebody’s property. However, there’s a difference. A boy learns the dinim of nezikin,

Rav Avigdor Miller on the Test of Money Q: Why is it that when Jews acquire money, many times they seem to weaken in their service of Hashem? A: How is it that people who become wealthy tend to forsake the principles of their fathers? Now this is something that’s a well known phenomenon. It’s constantly reiterated in the Scriptures, in the Tanach. וישמן ישרון ויבעט – Yeshurun became fat. The righteous nation became fat and began kicking (Devarim 32:15). It’s like a cow. A cow, if you don’t

Rav Avigdor Miller on Platonic Friendships Q: Is it possible for a young man and a young lady to be friends, but only friends? A: And the answer is you have to know that that’s one of the most unrealistic things in the world. Men and women have an attraction that’s made by nature, by Hakodosh Boruch Hu. And it’s necessary at all times to be on guard against that. And there cannot be any kind of affinity, of friendship—unless from a distance. But not by telephone and not by writing. No conn

Rav Avigdor Miller on Praying for the Sick Q: Should the choleh pray he should get well? If Hashem made him sick for a reason maybe it’s not better for him to get well. A: And the answer is suppose a man next door chalilah is a choleh. Should I say, “Let him be a choleh; it’s better for him”? No, you shouldn’t say that. You have to pray for him that he should get better. If Hakodosh Boruch Hu has His ideas, let Him do what He wants, but our job is we want our fellow Jew to get better. Now,

Toras Avigdor Weekly Shabbos booklet 👇👇👇

Toras Avigdor Weekly Shabbos booklet Junior Edition* 👇👇👇

Rav Avigdor Miller on Jewish Atheists vs. Gentiles Q: Who is better, a non-observing Jew or a gentile who keeps the seven laws of the sons of Noach? A: The answer is, a pious gentile who keeps the Sheva Mitzvos Bnei Noach is certainly better than a non-observing Jew. No question about that. Not only that. A gentile who doesn’t keep the seven laws of the sons of Noach, but he worships idols, is better than a Jew who is an atheist. That is, a Jew who is an atheist is worse than somebody who

The Mesilas Yeshorim suggests we spend time every day thinking about our actions. How much time does the Rov suggest we do, and how to go about thinking about that? The gentleman from Australia is asking a question: how much time should we devote to the Mesilas Yeshorim proposal of thinking about our lifestyle in general, and our actions in particular? And the answer is, it depends on the person. Now, if you'll do it five minutes a day, then you're a huge success. You're worried about the ques

Rav Avigdor Miller on the Benefits of the Yeshiva System Q: Are the yeshivas today functioning as they should or are they dealing with problems unique to American bachurim? A: Let me tell you something about the yeshivas. There certainly is room for improvement in the yeshivas, but I want to tell you something. I've been in the yeshivas for many years. Over fifty years ago, I came to Chaim Berlin; over fifty years ago. And I saw bachurim who were worthless; they didn't learn anything. Toda

Rav Avigdor Miller on Celebrating Labor Q: Isn’t the added leisure time in modern society, like legal holidays, a sign that generations are improving because it means Hashem trusts us to do better things with our free time? A: Isn’t the fact that we have more leisure time today a sign min haShamayim that we’re better because it means that we’re more capable of using our leisure time? And the answer is – now you might condemn me for these words but I’m not going to back out no matter what y

Rav Avigdor Miller on Sacrificing the Shofar for Shabbos Q: Why is it a bigger sin to carry the shofar on Shabbos than to not blow it? A: I’ll explain to you. Because to blow the shofar on Rosh Hashana is what’s called a mitzvas aseh; it’s a command of doing. If you don’t do it, so you transgressed a command, but there’s no punishment; there’s no severe punishment if you repent and it’s immediately forgiven. But Shabbos is very important. Shabbos is the soul of the Jewish nation. And how f

Rav Avigdor Miller on Thinking About the Past Year Q: The Rav said tonight that we should get busy before Rosh Hashanah remembering all the good that Hashem has given us since last Rosh Hashanah. But don’t we have to spend the little time we have left thinking about our sins and our behavior over the past year and making resolutions for improving this coming year? A: You’ll recall that I said the words, “as part of our work.” Really, there’s so much work to be done that we don’t have time

Toras Avigdor Rosh Hashana booklet 👇👇👇

Toras Avigdor Rosh Hashana booklet - Junior Edition 👇👇👇

Rav Avigdor Miller on Asking Mechilah from Your Spouse Q: How does one start fresh to regain his respect and his regard for his wife? A: That's a good question. How can a man gain again a fresh attitude towards his wife? Now before the Yom Hadin we have to understand that this is one of the most important of all principles. I want to emphasize that. הכל לפי רוב המעשה – We're judged according to the multitude of our acts, the number of our acts. Let's say if you did fifty mitzvos, it's not

Rav Avigdor Miller on Kavanah by Tashlich Q: What’s the main kavanah we should have by tashlich? A: Tashlich is for the purpose of doing a certain act by means of which we demonstrate that we understand that Hakadosh Baruch Hu is the One who forgives our sins. We have to know that the kaparas avonos is not merely a result of things we do, of rituals. Some people think they do certain things and it wipes out their sins. Some think that if they’re shlugging kaparos, it wipes out their sins.

Rav Avigdor Miller on Thinking About the Past Year Q: Why do we wish people a ksiva v’chasima tova? Doesn’t the judgment of Hashem on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur go according to your deeds? What’s a bracha going to help? A: Absolutely a man is judged according to his deeds. But tefillah helps too. So you’ll ask, why does your tefillah help? If you’re judged according to your deeds why do you pray? You’re going to be judged according to your deeds and that’s all, so why pray? And the answer

Toras Avigdor Yom Kippur booklet 👇👇👇

Toras Avigdor Yom Kippur booklet - Junior Edition 👇👇👇

Rav Avigdor Miller on Kol Nidrei Q: What does Kol Nidrei have to do with Yom Kippur? A: The connection of Kol Nidrei to Yom Kippur? The answer is, it’s been blown up to more than there really is. The idea of Kol Nidrei is based on a gemara in Nedarim. If a person wants to make a tnai, a stipulation, in the beginning of the year that all the nedarim that he’ll make during the upcoming year should be batel, so he should stand up in the beginning of the year and make that tnai. So Kol Nidrei

Kol nidrei really has become much more important than it really was in the beginning. However, it's understood by the Jewish nation as follows: that a man should know that whatever he says is of utmost seriousness. A person can create laws of Torah by opening his mouth. I once heard a shiur by the gaon Reb Shimon Shkop, and he said, "What is a neder? A neder is a tefillah to Hashem, that He should create an issur d'Oraisa, at my request." That's how great a man's words are. Hashem gives you th

Rav Avigdor Miller on Eating on Erev Yom Kippur Q: Why is it a mitzvah to eat on Erev Yom Kippur? A: The Gemara says if you eat erev Yom Kippur it’s like you fasted two days. Not only one day, Yom Kippur; it’s like fasting two days. Now, Rabbeinu Yonah explains in his Shaarei Teshuva, why it’s so, why it’s a big mitzvah to eat on erev Yom Kippur. Now pay attention. He gives three reasons. On erev Yom Kippur keep in mind the three reasons. One reason is, he says, Yom Kippur is a yontif. You