Tailor-Made Teshuvah
The thing (teshuva) is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, for you to do it. (Devarim 30:14) In the Selichos, after shema koleinu and ashamnu, we have three paragraphs that discuss how different prophets (Micah, Daniel, and Ezra) approached Hashem in beseeching mercy for accepting [...]
Essence-tial
“…and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous.” (Devarim 26:5) I once heard the following from one of the mashgichim of Beis Medrash Gevoha of Lakewood: During Magid at the Seder we say gadol atzum – to teach us that the Jewish people were exceptionally strong, as highlighted in [...]
First Impressions
“…and you see among the captives a beautiful woman and you desire her and would like to take her as your wife…” (Devarim 21:11) I would like to share an incident from years ago involving one of my children. While walking in a forest, he found a stack of caps, [...]
Money Manners
“…for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise, and perverts the words of the righteous (in judgement).” (Devarim 16:19) The following story, which I heard in my youth, illustrates the above Pasuk: The Shach (Shabbsai ben Meir HaKohen 1621–1662) was involved in a din Torah with another man. Though a great talmid [...]
This Land is Your Land, This Land is My Land
"and you shall dwell in their land": A story happened where Rebbe Elazar Ben Shamua and Rebbe Yochanan Hasandler were traveling abroad to learn Torah from Rebbe Yehuda Ben Biseira. They arrived at tzaydan, where they remembered Eretz Yisrael. Whereupon they raised their eyes and wept and rent their garments, [...]
A Nofesh For You Nefesh
Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day: (Devarim 8:11) There is an English saying, “If you want to remember something, try to forget it; if you want to forget something, try [...]
The Power of Prayer
“And I besought Hashem at that time, saying…” (Devarim 3:23) Among the stories in the Torah, one of the most difficult to understand is that of Moshe hitting the rock. This infraction led to a severe consequence: Moshe was barred from entering Eretz Yisrael, a privilege he fervently sought in [...]
Every Generation’s Churban
“THESE are the words which Moshe spoke to all Yisrael…” (Devarim 1:1) RASHI: TO ALL ISRAEL — Had Moshe reproved only part of the nation, those who were then in the marketplace (absent) might have said, “You heard this from the son of Amram, and did not respond at all [...]
The War that Never Ends
“And Elazar the Kohein said to the soldiers who came, going to the war…” (Bamidbar 31:21) The Torah describes how the spoils of war were to be divided among the victors. The Satmar Rebbe (Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum 1887–1979), questions the wording: why does it say “going to the war” rather [...]
Finishing Up The Job
“Pinchas, the son of Elazar, the son of Aharon the priest, has turned my wrath away from the children of Yisrael, in that he was zealous for my sake among them” (Bamidbar 25:11) The Gemara in Bava Basra (10a) poses a powerful question: Why does poverty exist? If Hashem cares [...]
All From The Boss
And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Mo᾽av with him. And Balaq said to him, What has the Lord spoken? (Bamidbar 23:17) RASHI: WHAT HAS THE LORD SPOKEN? — This was a language of mockery, as if to say, “You [...]
See Good, Feel Good
Wherefore they who speak in similes say, come to Cheshbon, let the city of Sichon be built and established. (Bamidbar 21:27) Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman says that Rabbi Yochanan says: What is the meaning of that which is written: “Therefore they that speak in parables [hamoshlim] say: Come to Heshbon! [...]
Stop and Think
Rav says: On, son of Peleth, did not repent on his own; rather, his wife saved him. She said to him: What is the difference to you? If this Master, Moses, is the great one, you are the student. And if this Master, Korach, is the great one, you are [...]
Fringe Benefits
“…and it shall be to you as a fringe, that you may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them…” (Bamidbar 15:39) At the end of the Parsha it discusses the mitzvah of tzitzis. It is clear from the Torah itself that tzitzis serve [...]
Was That Me?
“And Miriam was shut out from the camp for seven days: and the people did not journey until Miriam was brought in again.” (Bamidbar 12:15) In our everyday experiences, we encounter a mix of positive and negative events. Many of us reflect on these occurrences, trying to determine if Hashem [...]
Keep it Going
“He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die: because the crown of his God is upon his head.” (Bamidbar 6:7) There are many different ways of approaching challenges, and especially as to how to use [...]
Sleepless Nights
As we know, Shavuos is the time that we celebrate receiving the Torah. The luchos habris were the physical expression of our bond with Hashem. However, that original article of our connection was destroyed by Moshe Rabbeinu shortly thereafter. It took us a few months to receive a second set. [...]
Rising to the Occasion
“Count the children of Levi after the house of their fathers, by their families: every male from a month old and upward shalt thou count them.” (Bamidbar 3:15) I was once driving past a public school in a small town in Ontario, Canada, and the children recognized me as a [...]