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Revision as of 17:04, 15 August 2026 by AdamSinger (talk | contribs) (Auto-update: parsha, holidays, featured article for week of 2026-08-15)

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

✦ Today's Featured Article

Tisha B'Av: We Only Go Up in Kedusha

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 23, 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 Ki Teitzei

9 Elul 5786 · August 22, 2026 · Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19

The most mitzvot of any single parsha — 74 commandments. Topics include: the beautiful captive, the firstborn's inheritance, the rebellious son, returning lost objects, the rooftop fence, forbidden mixtures, and the obligation to remember Amalek.

Haftarah (Ashkenaz): Isaiah 54:1-10

🗓 Upcoming Holidays

Holiday Date
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
Tzom Gedaliah September 14, 2026
Erev Yom Kippur — Eve of Yom Kippur September 20, 2026
Yom Kippur — Day of Atonement — holiest day of the year September 21, 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 →