The newly released book “Exhilarating Torah Insights on Recreation and Vacation” is now available (as a paperback, hardcover and digitized version) for purchase and delivery on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/
This insightful and thought-provoking book delves into these questions and many more, offering profound insights. With over 50 meticulously crafted essays, it masterfully conveys the Torah’s perspective on recreation and vacation. As an indispensable guide, this work will enable readers to attain a deeper understanding of these important topics.
It makes a great gift for parents, siblings, friends, relatives, neighbors, business associates, acquaintances and learning partners. Purchase it at https://amzn.to/3eyh5xP.
Some of the questions discussed in this book are the following.
What role does recreation play in our service of Hashem?
What does the Torah teach us about music?
What lessons can we glean from specific types of recreation, such as sports?
Is there a mitzvah to take a vacation?
What does the Torah say about comedy and humor?
To join the thousands of recipients and receive these insights free on a weekly email, obtain previous articles, feedback, comments, suggestions (on how to spread the insights of this publication further, make it more appealing or anything else), to sponsor this publication which has been in six continents and more than forty countries, or if you know anyone who is interested in receiving these insights weekly, please contact the author, Rabbi Yehoshua Alt, at [email protected]. Thank you.
To purchase any of the author’s books (hardcopy or e-book) and get it delivered to your door, please send an email to [email protected] or visit https://amzn.to/3eyh5xP
לעילוי נשמת שמואל אביגדור בן יצחק מאיר
These Torah articles can also be viewed in French and Hebrew at https://www.dirshu.co.il/
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Rabbi Alt merited to learn under the tutelage of R’ Mordechai Friedlander ztz”l for close to five years. He received Semicha from R’ Zalman Nechemia Goldberg ztz”l. Rabbi Alt has written on numerous topics for various websites and publications and is the author of the books, Fascinating Insights and Incredible Insights. His writings inspire people across the spectrum of Jewish observance to live with the vibrancy and beauty of Torah. He lives with his wife and family in a suburb of Yerushalayim where he studies, writes, and teaches. The author is passionate about teaching Jews of all levels of observance.
Please feel free to print some copies of this publication and distribute them in your local shul for the public, thereby having a hand in spreading Torah.
Raising Hands, Reaching Potential
Hands are unique among the body's parts in that, in their default position, they hang downward. However, they have the remarkable ability to be lifted above the head.
This carries deep symbolism. The act of raising our hands represents the potential to accomplish far more than we might imagine. (Hands represent action, as this is where action is performed from, so it represents the ability to accomplish.) as we know that people only use a fraction of their potential. If we put our minds to it, we can accomplish far more than we ever conceived. While we often use only a fraction of our abilities, the act of lifting our hands serves as a reminder that, with focus and determination, we can achieve far more than we thought possible.
Furthermore, the hands’ ability to rise above the head signifies that we must carry out the commands of Hashem that go beyond our intellectual understanding. The hands being raised over the head symbolizes actions above the intellect. That is to say, performing mitzvos we do not grasp with our intellect, such as shaatnez. With this we can grasp ויהי ידיו אמונה, he remained with his hands in faithful prayer,[1] which can be understood to mean to perform mitzvos even if you don’t understand them, because you have emuna in Hashem.[2]
Finally, one last point the hands rising about the head teaches is that merely learning about a mitzva is not enough. It is essential to perform the mitzvah.
[1] Shemos 17:12.
[2] There are also mitzvos that we may not fully understand at the moment but with time, we might come to grasp their meaning. Even so, we are still required to observe them, regardless of our current understanding. This reflects a deeper interpretation of נעשה ונשמע, we will do and we will obey (Shemos 24:7): we commit to performing the mitzvos (נעשה) even if we do not yet understand them (נשמע).
