The Real Truth
AND KORAH CONVENED [ALL THE CONGREGATION] AGAINST THEM, by means of scoffing language: that whole night he went round to all the tribes and tried to win them over: “Do you really think that I care for myself alone? It is only for all of you that I have a [...]
Training Our Vision To See the Good
“…that you may look upon it…” (Bamidbar 15:39) I was having a discussion with someone from the shul this week and the conversation turned to a common human tendency: when things go wrong, we immediately notice and complain. Yet when things go right, we often take them for granted, assuming [...]
Feeling Small = Becoming Big
“And Moses himself was very humble, more so than any other human being on earth.” (Bamidbar 12:3) How could Moshe Rabeinu write in the Torah, about himself, that he was the most humble of men? Isn’t that the very opposite of humility? On Shavuos, we celebrated Kabalas Tatorah. Rav Yosef [...]
One For All And All For One
“And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks…” (Shemos 34:22) The Yom Tov of Pesach is named “Pesach” for the korbon Pesach. Sukkos is named “Sukkos” for the mitzvah of sukkah. But the name “Shavuos” seems, at first glance, to have little connection to the Torah, the bikurim, or the [...]
Two Paths – Same Destination
"and they shall put on it the covering of taĥash skins, and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put in its poles." (Bamidbar 4:6) The torah tells us that all the utensils in the Mishkan were wrapped with techeles on the inside and or tachash [...]
Good Times
“And I will turn towards you…” (Vayikra 26:9) “And I will set my face against you…” (Vayikra 26:17) One of the greatest gifts that a person can receive is spare time. It grants us the precious opportunity to “freelance” in our avodas Hashem. The Chiddushei Harim (Yitzchak Meir Rotenberg-Alter 1799-1866) [...]
Inside and Out
“…(Bo moom) that has a blemish…(moom bo) he has a blemish” (Vayikra 21:17,21) People are well aware that the Chofetz Chaim lived to a ripe old age (well into his 90’s) and that he held a birthday celebration on his 80th birthday. When asked why he was celebrating, he explained [...]
Up-lifting
Speak to all the congregation of the children of Yisrael, and say to them, “You shall be holy: for I the Lord your G-d am holy.” (Vayikra 19:2) Why was it necessary to gather klal Yisrael together just to hear this statement? What makes this parsha so important that it [...]
Hashem’s Warnings, Our Protection
This is analogous to a noblewoman who entered the king’s palace. When she saw the whips hanging, she was afraid. The king said to her: ‘Fear not, those are for the slaves and the maidservants, but you will eat, drink, and rejoice.’ When Israel heard the Torah portion dealing with [...]
Pure Service, Pure Simcha
Do not drink intoxicating wine, you and your sons with you, when you enter the Tent of Meeting, lest you die: it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations (Vayikra 10:9) Chazal use a parable to explain how we know why Aharon’s sons were killed: A king observed that [...]
Tiny Choices, Eternal Consequences
“And thou shalt relate to thy son on that day, saying, this is done because of that which the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.” (Shemos 13:8) The gemara in Chagigah (Jerusalem Talmud Chagigah 2:1) tells us about the mother of Acher. While she was pregnant [...]
10 – 7
“Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, On the tenth day of this month that every man shall take a lamb, in accordance with the house of their fathers, a lamb for a house.” (Vayikra 12:3) The source of Shabbos Hagadol is the time when the Bnei Yisroel officially [...]
En-wrapped in Davening
“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, If any of you bring an offering to the Lord, from the cattle, from the herd, and from the flock, your sacrifice should be brought from.” (Vayikra 1:2) Shmoneh Esrei is in place of the sacrifice (korban), and therefore one [...]
The Best, You Can
“And the rulers brought shoham stones, and stones to be set, for the efod, and for the breastplate” (Shemos 35:27) Chazal teach us that the word Nesi’im (וְהַנְּשִׂאִם) is written without a yud because the Nesi’im were lax and did not act with zerizus (alacrity) in bringing their donations for [...]
Unlocking the Mishkan’s Secrets
“See, I have called by name Betzalel the son of Uri, the son of Chur, of the tribe of Yehuda: and I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship” (Shemos 31:2-3) Chazal tell us that [...]
The Pathway to Purim
And it shall be upon Aharon when he comes to minister: and its sound shall be heard when he goes in to the holy place before the Lord, and when he comes out, so that he not die. (Shemos 28:35) In his book From Volozhin to Yerushalayim (1933), author Meir [...]
A Holy Space
They should make me a sanctuary; that I should dwell among them. (Shemos 25:8) Rav Yehuda Ades, Rosh Yeshiva of Kol Yaakov in Bayit Vegan, constructed a physically beautiful edifice for his yeshiva right in the heart of a residential neighborhood. On Friday nights, many of the local baalei batim [...]
“Two Paths to Healing”
If he rises again, and walks abroad upon his staff, then shall he that struck him be acquitted: only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall cause him to be thoroughly healed. (Shemos 21:19) The Torah tells us in Parshas Beshalach, “ani hashem rophecha” - “I [...]