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Revision as of 05:54, 19 July 2026 by AdamSinger (talk | contribs) (Auto-update: parsha and holidays for week of 2026-07-19)

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

✦ Today's Featured Article

The Nine Days: Why Doesn’t Our Torah Seem to Create Shalom?

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

Published: July 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 Vaetchanan
11 Av 5786 · July 25, 2026 · Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11

Vaetchanan contains some of the Torah's most central passages: Moshe's plea to enter the Land, the repetition of the Ten Commandments, the Shema, and the V'ahavta. The parsha also includes the command to teach Torah to one's children and the designation of cities of refuge.

Haftarah (Ashkenaz): Isaiah 40:1-26

Shabbat Nachamu — the Shabbat of Consolation after Tisha B'Av

🗓 Upcoming Holidays

Holiday Date
Tish’a B’Av July 23, 2026
Tu B’Av July 29, 2026
Rosh Hashana LaBehemot — New Year for Animals August 14, 2026
Leil Selichot — Night of Selichot — penitential prayers begin September 5, 2026
Erev Rosh Hashana — Eve of Rosh Hashana September 11, 2026
Rosh Hashana 5787 — Jewish New Year (5787) September 12, 2026
Rosh Hashana II — Second day of Rosh Hashana September 13, 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 →