Making Prayer Personal | August 19, 2026

See today's text here! In this episode of The Daily Derech, Rabbi Marcus Rubenstein explores Parashat Ki Teitze, Hilchot Tefillah, and a teaching from Menorat HaMaor about the essential role of repentance. The Me’am Loez section examines mitzvot from the fourth aliyah, including returning lost objects, helping someone with an overloaded animal, and sending away a mother bird before taking its eggs. Rabbi Rubenstein emphasizes acting on what we see and practicing healthy kindness. The Rambam section explains that when praying with a congregation, one should generally keep pace rather than prolonging the service. Individuals may personalize the Amidah by adding appropriate requests within its middle blessings, while leaving the first and final three blessings unchanged. Menorat HaMaor introduces repentance as necessary for human existence. A midrash about creation teaches that the world could not endure without teshuvah, reminding us that recognizing mistakes, apologizing, and returning to God are essential. Today's text: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MhenqB7MWyPsMJrELqmWyWWEtSN-uSa1/view?usp=sharing Learn more at exploringjudaism.org/thedailyderech and reach out to Rabbi Rubenstein here.