Learning Torah with Rabbi Sariel Malitzky
A podcast dedicated to Torah study, hosted by Rabbi Sariel Malitzky. Each episode explores Jewish texts, teachings, and insights, offering guidance for listeners. The show focuses on making Torah learning accessible and engaging through structured lessons and discussions.
Episodes
Va’ani Tefilla #139: Gutting It Out in Our Davening
What do we do when just aren't feeling it?
Va’ani Tefilla #138: Building the Beis Hamikdash Through Your Shemoneh Esrei
How do the 19 Berachos of Shemona Esrei connect to the Mishkan and the Beis Hamikdash?
Finding Meaning and Inspiration in the Daled Minim
Why do we take the Daled Minim? What is the point? Why on Sukkos?
Va’ani Tefilla #137: Grab what you can!
How is Shevet Binyamin being called זאב יטרף a bracha? How does that connect to Tefilla?
The Joy of Viduy
Why do we sing a happy and upbeat tune before doing viduy? That seems so off and misplaced.What is the role of Viduy?How do we avoid becoming depressed or broken after all of the Viduy?
Regret That Builds, Not Breaks
Charatah, regret, is a critical component of Teshuvah. But regret can be uncomfortable and, if not approached properly, can lead to sadness and heaviness. How can we experience sincere regret in a way that builds us and propels us forward, rather than weighs us down?
Va’ani Tefilla #136: The Only Thing That Can Save Us
Why was Noach unable to save his generation? In what zechus were the Jewish people saved during the Purim story? And what can we do to save ourselves from the challenges and troubles we face today, both as a nation and as individuals?
Kavod Sefer Torah and Seforim #10: Taking Seforim or a Sefer Tehillim into the Bathroom: What Is Allowed?
Many people carry pocket-sized seforim or a Sefer Tehillim with them wherever they go. Whether attending a wedding, commuting to and from work, or simply waiting somewhere, having a sefer or Torah printout with us can help us maximize our time and fulfill וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּרֶךְ.But what happens when we need to use the restroom? How can we bring a holy sefer into a bathroom? Must it be left outsid
Kavod Sefer Torah and Seforim #9: Stacking and Using Seforim: What Is Allowed?
Can you stack a sefer or two together to make the sefer you are learning easier to read? What can you use seforim for? Can you place a computer on top of a sefer?Learn all about the proper way to treat and use seforim in this six-minute Dvar Halacha.
The First Step of Teshuvah and What If It’s Missing?
In this shiur, we explore the first steps of Teshuva according to the Rambam, Meiri, and Rabbeinu Yonah. What is the very first step in the Teshuva process, and why is it so critical? What happens if that first step is missing? Can you still do Teshuva, or is everything else meaningless without it?
Va’ani Tefilla #135: Keeping Things Fresh and Exciting
Rosh Hashana, Adam Harison, Beis Hamikdash, and SelichosWhat should we have in mind when we say אל תשליכנו לעת זקנה?
Kavod Sefer Torah and Seforim #8: The Sefer Fell: Pick It Up, Kiss It… But What If You’re in the Middle of Shemoneh Esrei?
We all instinctively know what to do when a sefer falls: pick it up and give it a kiss. But where does that come from? Did our Morah in preschool make it up, or is it actually rooted in halacha?Why did some Gedolim object to kissing a sefer? What did Rav Pam suggest doing when a sefer falls? And what happens if a sefer or siddur falls while you are in the middle of Shemoneh Esrei? Do you stop and
Va’ani Tefilla #134: The Freshness and Vitality of Youth: Rosh Hashanah and the Beis Hamikdash
Adam Harishon was born on Rosh Hashana.He sinned on Rosh HashanaWe can't sleep on Rosh Hashana.How does this all tie together?
Kavod Sefer Torah and Seforim #7: Can You Touch the Klaf or Atzei Chaim with Bare Hands?
The Gemara discusses the prohibition of touching a Sefer Torah ערום, with one’s bare hands. How far does this halacha extend? Do you really need to use the gartel or a tallis whenever you want to touch the Torah? What about touching the Atzei Chaim with your bare hands? Why are some people machmir about this?
Va’ani Tefilla #133: Don’t Be the Deaf Man at the Wedding
Why do we sometimes have a hard time connection to Tefilla?
Va’ani Tefilla #132: Do Your Actions Make Others Love Hashem?
What is the true litmus of your Ahavas Hashem?
Kavod Sefer Torah and Seforim #6: Must You Stand for a Pasul Sefer Torah?
A Sefer Torah has tremendous kedusha, and we stand to honor that holiness. But what if the Sefer Torah is pasul? If someone is carrying it into or out of shul, must we still stand? Does a Sefer Torah that becomes pasul retain its kedusha?
Va’ani Tefilla #131: Don’t Be an Ox with Horns in the Beis Medrash
After learning, and at a siyum, we say, ״מוֹדֶה אֲנִי לְפָנֶיךָ ה׳ אֱלֹהַי שֶׁשַּׂמְתָּ חֶלְקִי מִיּוֹשְׁבֵי בֵּית הַמִּדְרָשׁ וְלֹא שַׂמְתָּ חֶלְקִי מִיּוֹשְׁבֵי קְרָנוֹת.״. Isn’t that redundant? If we are among the יושבי בית המדרש, then clearly we are not יושבי קרנות! What, then, are we really thanking Hashem for?
Kavod Sefer Torah and Seforim #5: The Severity of Mistreating a Sefer Torah: Even If It Means It Will Be Lost Forever
How far must you go to avoid mistreating a sefer torah?
Does an Avel Kohen Get an Aliyah During Shiva When He Is the Only Kohen Present?
Does an Avel Kohen Get an Aliyah During Shiva When He Is the Only Kohen Present?
Va’ani Tefilla #130: Treating Tefilla Like You Treat Money
Don't be lazy!
Kavod Sefer Torah and Seforim #4: Bells and Whistles on the Torah: Must You Stand for the Sound?
Must you stand when you hear the sound of a Sefer Torah approaching? Is that why some Torah crowns have bells on them? And are those bells permitted on Shabbos?
Kavod Sefer Torah and Seforim #3: Turning Your Back to the Torah? Haftarah, Mussaf, and More
One may not turn his back to a Sefer Torah. So how can the person reading the Haftarah stand at the bimah while someone sits behind him holding the Torah? What about during the opening parts of Mussaf, when much of the congregation has its back to the Torah? Is that permitted? Why are many Sephardic shuls designed with this issue in mind?
Va’ani Tefilla #129: The Role of Simcha and Shirah in Tefillah
Before Shemona Esrei, we say משה ובני ישראל לך ענו שירה בשמחה רבה. Why do we say that? What is the role of Simcha and Shira in our davening?
Kavod Sefer Torah and Seforim #2: Standing for the Torah: In General, While Learning, and on Simchas Torah
The Shulchan Aruch rules that one must stand when a Sefer Torah is in motion.But what if the Aron Kodesh is open? What if you are in the middle of learning or davening? And on Simchas Torah, are you really required to stand for every hakafah?
Kavod Sefer Torah and Seforim #1: Turning Your Back to the Torah: Rabbis, Those Sitting in the Front of the Shul, and Everyone Else
We are beginning a new series on honoring a Sefer Torah and sefarim. In this first shiur, we discuss the prohibition against turning your back to a Sefer Torah.How can rabbanim give derashos with their backs to the Aron? What should those sitting between the Aron and the bimah do during laining?
Va’ani Tefilla #128: Davening from a Living Siddur
Why Did Rav Shraga Feivel Mendelowitz Daven While Looking Out the Window?How Can Davening Alone by a Lake Constitute a Minyan?
Va’ani Tefilla #127: Making Every Maariv Like Kol Nidrei and Every Shabbos Like Shabbos Shirah
Why did the Chasid in Kotzk say he was going to eat dinner after maariv on pesach?Why did he say he was going to davem Maariv on Leil Yom KippurRav Nachman of Breslov- even a rooster can wear a suit and eat a table
Kibbud Av Va'em #23: Honoring Grandparents: Is It a Halachic Obligation?
Is there an obligation to honor grandparents?Hear Rav Scheinberg's great Kasha on the din in the Shulchan Aruch!
Kibbud Av Va'em #22: No More Mother-in-Law Jokes: The Halachos of Honoring In-Laws
Is there a halachic obligation to honor one's in-laws?Must one say ברשות חמי when leading a zimun in the presence of his father-in-law?
Va’ani Tefilla #126: What Great Meals and Great Tefillos Have in Common
Some Siddurim mention to say a pasuk before davening. It's a Pasuk about Rivka, Yitzchak and the food she prepares for Yaakov. What does it have to do with davening?
Kibbud Av Va'em #21: Kidneys, Parental Alienation, and Other Challenging Questions in Kibbud Av Va'em
The Gemara discusses who bears the financial responsibility for fulfilling the mitzvah of Kibbud Av Va'em: the child or the parent. We also explored the contemporary issue of parental alienation and concluded with a fascinating organ donation question: If a person can donate a kidney to only one individual, should he donate it to his wife or to his mother?
Va’ani Tefilla #125: How to Show That Davening Is Important to You
What are ways to make sure davening is important to us?
Va’ani Tefilla #124: The Best Advice to Improve Your Davening
Struggling to connect with davening? How do you get better at it? Why does nothing seem to work?
The Halachos of Motzai Tisha B'Av on Thursday Night
When Tisha B'Av falls on a Thursday, there are a number of unique halachos that apply on Thursday night and Friday. When may you get a haircut? When can you eat meat? What about doing laundry? (There's certainly plenty of it waiting!)
Va’ani Tefilla #123: Politics Is Gematria Amalek
Avoid politics and being swayed by the rich uncle.
Does a Diabetic Who Eats Cake Against Medical Advice Recite a Berachah?
Does a Diabetic Who Eats Cake Against Medical Advice Recite a Berachah?The cake is delicious and perfectly wholesome in and of itself. Yet for this particular person, it is dangerous to eat. How does this help resolve an apparent contradiction between Berachos 35a and 36b?
Can You Have Cleaning Help Come on Tisha B'Av Morning?
This year, Tisha B'Av falls on Thursday, a day when many people have cleaning help come to their homes. May the cleaning help come on Tisha B'Av morning, or is that prohibited?
Va’ani Tefilla #122: Davening Even When You Feel Disconnected
Sometimes we feel "dead" in our Avodas Hashem. How do we approach that? Is there any way to work around that?
Va’ani Tefilla #121: Standing Tall Despite the Mockery
Be strong in the face of mockery!
Kibbud Av Va'em #20: Honoring Uncles and Aunts
Is there any obligation to honor uncles and aunts?
Motzai Tisha B’Av: Still Mourning or Moving Forward?
On the one hand, as the day of Tisha B'Av progressing the restrictions become less severe. However, even after Tisha B'av is over the nine days restrictions still remain. How are we to make sense of this?What should our attitude and feelings be on Motzai Tisha B'Av?
Kibbud Av Va'em #19: Honoring Older Siblings: What Does Halacha Require?
You have to honor your oldest brother. What about all older brothers? What does halacha say about an older sister? What is the reason for all of this?
Kibbud Av Va'em #18: Honoring Stepparents: What Does Halacha Require?
What does Halacha say about honoring stepparents?
Va’ani Tefilla #120: True Mesirus Nefesh and Your Davening
The Belzer Rebbe and the Imrei Emes teach us what Mesirus Nefesh looks like. You don't have to actually give up your life to be moser nefesh.What are examples related to davening?
Three Weeks & Nine Days: Halacha, Minhag, and Misconception
So many halachosso much confusionJoin us as get clarity!
Your Opportunity To Help Rebuild The Beis Hamikdash
What are we mourning?Why was the Bsis Hamikdash detroyed?How can we rebuild it?
Kibbud Av Va'em #17: Can a Convert Say Kaddish for a Non-Jewish Parent?
A convert's parent passes away. Do they say Kaddish? Are they allowed to? Are they obligated to?
Va’ani Tefilla #119: What If Tonight's Maariv Were Kol Nidrei?
Do you daven at the block minyan for Kol Nidrei? What if it's raining? What would Shabbos look like if this was your only one? How to create a feeling of Hischadshus in davening and Avodas Hashem
Va’ani Tefilla #118: Don't Just Think It. Live It.
We are not just recounting stories. We have to live them
Va’ani Tefilla #117: Yerushalayim is the Heart
Rav Wolfson shares shorter thoughts on Tefila
Kibbud Av Va'em #16: Must a Convert Honor Their Non-Jewish Parents?
In Halacha, a convert is like a new born baby and not connected halachickally to their non-Jewish parents. Would they still be obligated to honor their non-jewish parent? Why or why not?
Kibbud Av Va'em #15: Must You Honor Wicked Parents?
We generally do not honor Reshaim. However, a parent is a parent regardless of level of observance. Must you honor a parent who is a Rasha? Why or why not? How do we pasken?
Va’ani Tefilla #116: Mind Matters With Korbanos and Tefilla too
In what do our Tefilos resemble Korbanos?
Va’ani Tefilla #115: Completing Our Understanding of Modim Derabanan
We finally have an asnwer to our Modim Derabanan question
Kibbud Av Va'em #14: Your Personal Chumra Vs. Kibbud Av Va'em
Many young men and women return from their year in Eretz Yisrael wanting to take on new chumros. What happens when a parent objects and tells their child not to adopt a particular chumra?The child feels strongly that the chumra is meaningful and will help them grow in their avodas Hashem. Must they listen to their parent, or may they nevertheless choose to adopt the chumra?
Va’ani Tefilla #114: Be Smart Enough to See The Miracles of Daily Life
Open your eyes!
Kibbud Av Va'em #13: Father or Mother: Whose Honor Takes Precedence
Who comes first- father or mother? Why?Hear the kasha asked to Rav Chaim Brisker on this halacha and his sharp answer
The Fire of Machlokes—and How to Extinguish It
how does machlokes evolve? How do we end them?
Va’ani Tefilla #113: Opening Our Eyes to Daily Miracles
We thank Hashem in our davening for the miracles that he performs for us every day. Are there miracles that happen every day? What should we be thinking about when we say that tefilla?
Kibbud Av Va'em #12: Visting Other Graves When Visiting the Grave of a Parent
Where does that minhag come from?
Kibbud Av Va'em #11: Hareini Kaparas Mishkavo Twelve Months and Kaddish for Only Eleven
Why do we say הרני כפרת משכבו for the full 12 months while Kaddish is only recited for 11 months?Should one say זכרונו לברכה or the full statement of the Gemara?
Va’ani Tefilla #112: A Thousand Reasons to Say Thank You
A Thousand Reasons to Say Thank You
Kibbud Av Va'em #10: A Child's Final Act of Honor- The Meaning of Hareini Kaparas Mishkavo
Why does a child say הרני כפרת משכבו? What is the meaning of it? Why do some people not say it?
Who Told You You're a Grasshopper? Lessons From The Meraglim
The Meraglim say: וְשָׁ֣ם רָאִ֗ינוּ אֶת־הַנְּפִילִ֛ים בְּנֵ֥י עֲנָ֖ק מִן־הַנְּפִלִ֑ים וַנְּהִ֤י בְעֵינֵ֙ינוּ֙ כַּֽחֲגָבִ֔ים וְכֵ֥ן הָיִ֖ינוּ בְּעֵינֵיהֶֽם׃ we saw the Nephilim there—the Anakites are part of the Nephilim—and we looked like grasshoppers to ourselves, and so we must have looked to them.”How did they know how they were viewed? Why was that such a bad sin?
Va’ani Tefilla #111: Keep Thanking Hashem
Continue learning the צוואה of the יסוד ושורש ועבודה and his approach to thanking Hashem
Kibbud Av Va'em #9: Are We Required to Stand for Our Parents Today?
What is the source that you have to stand up for your parents? Why don't we do it today?
Va’ani Tefilla #110: Thanking Hashem For Everything, Literally Everything
Is this where Rav Avigdor Miller learned his approach? Sounds like it! Learn how to thank Hashem for EVERYTHING
Kibbud Av Va'em #8: Please Do Me The Favor In Honor Of My Father
We contunue learning Kibbud Av Va'em and understand a new aspect of the Mitzvah
Kibbud Av Va'em #7: Your Attitude Matters When It Comes To Kibbud Av Va'em
Does attitude or affect matter with Kibbud Av Va'em? What about during other mitzvos?
Va’ani Tefilla #109: Thanking Hashem When Things Go Wrong
How do we approach Hashem when things go wrong? How can we thank Hashem even during those moments?
Kibbud Av Va'em #6: Honoring Parents Even When They...
How far must one go to honor their parent?
Va’ani Tefilla #108: Modim Derabbanan
Rav Wolfson has a beautiful and inspiring approach to מודים דרבנן. This is the start of that piece.
Va’ani Tefilla #107: Thank You, Hashem, for Giving Us the Ability to Thank You
We start to learn about מודים דרבנן
Shavuos With Rav Elya Lopian
On Shavuos, everyone agrees that we must eat, drink, and celebrate through physical enjoyment. Why? What is the reason? Shouldn’t Shavuos be exclusively about Torah?Rav Elya Lopian offers two beautiful explanations.Hear About Rav Elya and How His Life Shaped Me.
Va’ani Tefilla #106: Bringing Intentionality to Our Davening and Learning
haow do we get Avraham Avinu to daven with us? How do we get the Amoraim to learn with us bichavrusa?
Va’ani Tefilla #105: Davening Shacharis with Avraham Avinu
We connect to the Avos with our davening
Va’ani Tefilla #104: How to Grow Wings to Make Sure Our Torah, Tefillah, and Mitzvos Soar to Shomayim
We need wings to make sure our Tefilla (and Torah and Mitzvos) can soar to Shomayim. We want to be אפרוחים and not ביצים. How do we get those wings?
Cleaning Floors on Shabbos, Chapped Lips, Uvda D’Chol, and More
Can you sweep or mop a floor on Shabbos?Is applying lip balm to chapped lips permitted?What exactly is considered עובדי דחול?Join us as we answer your questions on halachic topics and see how Chazal and the Poskim guide everyday Shabbos living.
Va’ani Tefilla #103: Are You an Egg or a Chick?
The Zohar says people are either the egg or the chick. What does he mean? What is the difference between the two?
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