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Making the "main page" into more of a welcome and about the project page.
Update this week’s parsha to Vayera and link to the all-shiurim index
 
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Welcome to '''Step 4''' — a wiki of accessible Torah wisdom, tightly bound to identifiable sources in TaNaCh, Gemara, and Mesorah.
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== Why am I building Step 4 ==
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I am building this wiki because I want easier access to the kind of Torah I have learned from Rabbi Beryl Gershenfeld, and I want to make it as accessible as possible for others.
<div style="font-family:Georgia, serif; font-size:1.15em; font-weight:bold;">[[Shiurim|Explore All Shiurim →]]</div>
<div style="margin-top:4px;">Browse the complete table of contents for recorded shiurim, including summaries, source material, audio, and transcripts.</div>
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When I think about what is unique about the Torah I learned from Rabbi Gershenfeld, I believe that it can be summarized into the following three points:
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# Tightly bound to a specific identifialbe source in the TaNaCh, Gemara, or Mesorah
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# Deep
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I will explain each point below.
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✦ Today's Featured Article
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=== Tightly bound to a specific identifialbe source ===
'''[[Ahavat Hashem: From Shema to Integrated Love — נתיב אהבת השם, פרק א]]''' {{AISummaryDisclaimer}}
Anyone can claim to teach Torah.  Anyone can claim anything is in the Torah or is THE Torah Way. 


Perhaps you've heard someone say, "Everyone does it this way"
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[[Ahavat Hashem: From Shema to Integrated Love — נתיב אהבת השם, פרק א|Read full article...]]
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Or support themselves with a story about someone from a previous generation that "did things exactly this way" and "did exactly this". And you wouldn't want to argue against him would, you?
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'''Published:''' October 17, 2026
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? Did You Know...
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* ...that the word ''tirosh'' (wine) contains ''tirash'' (poverty), and this duality is the key to understanding Kiddush? ([[Kiddush: Tirosh or Tirash: Wine, Daas, and the Inner Work of Kiddush|source]])
* ...that [[Shabbos Candles: Illumination, Seder, and Oneg: The Meaning of Shabbos Candles|Shabbos candles]] are not merely about light, but about establishing ''seder'' — an ordered, purposeful framework for Shabbos?
* ...that the phrase ''[[Av Hamon Goyim]]'' — "father of a multitude of nations" — encodes a transformation in Avraham's very identity?
* ...that [[Leadership and Elokei HaRuchos|true leadership]] begins with recognizing that Hashem is the ''Elokei HaRuchos'' — the G-d of all spirits?
* ...that [[Making Kiddush Hashem|Kiddush Hashem]] is not only about martyrdom but about how we live every ordinary moment?
 
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📖 This Week's Parsha
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===Parashat Vayera===
<div style="color:#555; font-size:0.9em; margin-top:-8px; margin-bottom:8px;">20 Cheshvan 5787 · October 31, 2026 · Genesis 18:1-22:24</div>
 
''Vayera follows Avraham’s welcoming of guests, the promise of Yitzchak’s birth, the destruction of Sedom, the birth of Yitzchak, and the Akeidah.''
 
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'''Haftarah (Ashkenaz):''' II Kings 4:1-37
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[https://www.sefaria.org/search#query=Vayera Read on Sefaria →]
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🗓 Upcoming Holidays
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! Holiday !! Date
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| Chanukah: 1 Candle — First night of Chanukah || December 4, 2026
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| Chanukah: 2 Candles || December 5, 2026
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| Chanukah: 3 Candles || December 6, 2026
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| Chanukah: 4 Candles || December 7, 2026
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| Chanukah: 5 Candles || December 8, 2026
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| Chanukah: 6 Candles || December 9, 2026
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| Chag HaBanot || December 10, 2026
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Browse by Topic
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'''Shabbos & Kiddush'''
* [[Kiddush: Tirosh or Tirash: Wine, Daas, and the Inner Work of Kiddush|Tirosh or Tirash: Wine and Daas]]
* [[Kiddush: Wine as Sod in Kiddush: Bridging the Hidden and the Revealed|Wine as Sod in Kiddush]]
* [[Kiddush: Bridging Zohar and Maharal: Wine, Binah, and the Meaning of Kiddush|Bridging Zohar and Maharal]]
* [[Kiddush: Distinguishing Shabbos with Wine and Word|Distinguishing Shabbos with Wine and Word]]
* [[Shabbos: The Framework of Oneg and Kedusha|The Framework of Oneg and Kedusha]]
* [[Shabbos Candles: Illumination, Seder, and Oneg: The Meaning of Shabbos Candles|Illumination, Seder, and Oneg]]
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'''Leadership & Character'''
* [[Leadership and Elokei HaRuchos|Leadership and Elokei HaRuchos]]
* [[Leadership|Leadership (overview)]]
* [[Making Kiddush Hashem|Making Kiddush Hashem]]
* [[Teaching the world|Teaching the World]]
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'''Ahavat Hashem & Avodah'''
* [[Ahavat Hashem: From Shema to Integrated Love — נתיב אהבת השם, פרק א|From Shema to Integrated Love — נתיב אהבת השם, פרק א]]
 
'''Torah Sources & Study'''
* [[Crucial Gur Aryehs for Bereishit, Shemos, and Vayikra|Key Gur Aryeh Sources]]
* [[Gershenfeld Booklet for Learning Chumash and Gur Aryeh|Learning Chumash with Gur Aryeh]]
* [[Calling beshem Hashem|Calling beshem Hashem]]
* [[Av Hamon Goyim|Av Hamon Goyim]]
* [[Bamidbar 27:16|Bamidbar 27:16 — Elokei HaRuchos]]
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'''About Step 4:''' This wiki preserves Torah wisdom learned from Rabbi Beryl Gershenfeld — tightly bound to identifiable sources in TaNaCh, Gemara, and Mesorah; deep; and relevant. [[Main Page/About|Learn more →]]
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Latest revision as of 08:06, 29 October 2026

Welcome to Step 4 — a wiki of accessible Torah wisdom, tightly bound to identifiable sources in TaNaCh, Gemara, and Mesorah.

Browse the complete table of contents for recorded shiurim, including summaries, source material, audio, and transcripts.

✦ Today's Featured Article

Ahavat Hashem: From Shema to Integrated Love — נתיב אהבת השם, פרק א

Note: This summary was generated by AI based on the transcript of the shiur. It was not written or reviewed by Rabbi Gershenfeld.

Published: October 17, 2026

? Did You Know...

  • ...that the word tirosh (wine) contains tirash (poverty), and this duality is the key to understanding Kiddush? (source)
  • ...that Shabbos candles are not merely about light, but about establishing seder — an ordered, purposeful framework for Shabbos?
  • ...that the phrase Av Hamon Goyim — "father of a multitude of nations" — encodes a transformation in Avraham's very identity?
  • ...that true leadership begins with recognizing that Hashem is the Elokei HaRuchos — the G-d of all spirits?
  • ...that Kiddush Hashem is not only about martyrdom but about how we live every ordinary moment?

📖 This Week's Parsha

Parashat Vayera

[edit | edit source]
20 Cheshvan 5787 · October 31, 2026 · Genesis 18:1-22:24

Vayera follows Avraham’s welcoming of guests, the promise of Yitzchak’s birth, the destruction of Sedom, the birth of Yitzchak, and the Akeidah.

Haftarah (Ashkenaz): II Kings 4:1-37

🗓 Upcoming Holidays

Holiday Date
Chanukah: 1 Candle — First night of Chanukah December 4, 2026
Chanukah: 2 Candles December 5, 2026
Chanukah: 3 Candles December 6, 2026
Chanukah: 4 Candles December 7, 2026
Chanukah: 5 Candles December 8, 2026
Chanukah: 6 Candles December 9, 2026
Chag HaBanot December 10, 2026
All dates begin at sundown of the evening prior. Times are for Diaspora.

About Step 4: This wiki preserves Torah wisdom learned from Rabbi Beryl Gershenfeld — tightly bound to identifiable sources in TaNaCh, Gemara, and Mesorah; deep; and relevant. Learn more →

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