Crying and or Sighing | September 10th, 2026

See today's text here!

In this episode of The Daily Derech, Rabbi Marcus Rubenstein explores the Akedah, Hilchot Shofar, and a teaching from Menorat HaMaor about the meaning and symbolism of the shofar.

The Parashah section examines the binding of Isaac and Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice him. Rabbi Rubenstein focuses on Rashi and Midrashic interpretations that seek to distance God from commanding the actual sacrifice, emphasizing the rabbis’ discomfort with that reading of the Torah.

The Rambam section explains the required shofar blasts for Rosh Hashanah. Because of uncertainty about the precise meaning of teruah, the halachic practice incorporates tekiah, shevarim, and teruah, resulting in a minimum of thirty blasts.

Menorat HaMaor presents the shofar as a reminder of the Day of Judgment and a spiritual wake-up call. It also symbolizes the future ingathering of the Jewish people and the resurrection of the dead.

Today's text: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YL6RQKDLl-DwtwPgZlqF1O6XzdPFOwph/view?usp=sharing

Learn more at exploringjudaism.org/thedailyderech and reach out to Rabbi Rubenstein here.