Take a Good Look
โView, from Your sacred residenceโฆโ (Devarim 26:15) Chazal tell us (Medrash Tanchuma Ki Sisa) that the word โHashkifaโ (which means โto gaze with intentโ), usually has bad connotations. However, our parsha is the exception.ย Here, through the mitzvah of tzedakah, Hashem moves off the seat of judgement to that of [...]
ืชืกืชืื ืืื
"ืึทืฉืึฐืงึดืืคึธื ืึดืึผึฐืขืึนื ืงืืึฐืฉืึฐืึธ..." (ืืืจืื ืื:ืื) ืื"ื ืืืืจืื ืขื ืืืืื 'ืืฉืงืืคื',ืฉืคืืจืืฉื 'ืืืืื ืืืืื ื', "ืืืจ ืจืื ืืืืกื ืืจื, ืืืื ืืื ืฉื ืืขืื ืืขืฉืจืืช, ืฉืืืคืืื ืืช ืืงืืื ืืืจืื. ืฉืืื ืืงืื ืฉื ืืืจ ืื ืืฉืงืคื, ืืฉืื ืฆืขืจ ืืื... ืืืฅ ืืื, ืืฉืงืืคื ืืืขืื ืงืืฉื ืืืจื..." (ืืืจืฉ ืชื ืืืื ืื ืชืฉื:ืื), ืฉืืืืฆืขืืช ืืฆืืืช ืฆืืงื, ื' ืขืืืจ ืืืืืช ืืืื ืืืืืช [...]
ืืื ืื ืืืืช ืื ื
ืึนึฝืึพืึธืึนึงื ืขึทืึผืึนื ึดึื ืึผืืึนืึธืึดึื ืึผึดืงึฐืึทึฃื ื' ืึผึทึื ืึผึฃืึนืจ ืขึฒืฉืึดืืจึดึื ืึนืึพืึธืึนึฅื ืึธืึถึื ืึผึดืงึฐืึทึฅื ื' ืขึทืึพืขืึนืึธึฝืื ืขึทื-ืึฐึผืึทืจ ืึฒืฉึถืืจ ืึนื-ืงึดืึฐึผืืึผ ืึถืชึฐืึถื, ืึทึผืึถึผืึถื ืึผืึทืึทึผืึดื, ืึทึผืึถึผืจึถืึฐ, ืึฐึผืฆึตืืชึฐืึถื ืึดืึดึผืฆึฐืจึธืึดื (ืืืจืื ืื:ื,ื) ืขื ืคืกืืง ืื ืฉืืื ืืจื ืืืืื ื ืื, "ืืืืข ืืื ืขืื ืฉ ืื ืืืืจ, ืฉืื ืืืชืงืื ืืขืืื ืืืื ืืฉืจืื, ืจืง ืืืื ืฉืื ืขืฉื ืืืชื ื ืืกื ืืฉืืฆืื ื ืืืฆืจืื?" ืืืืืช [...]
Is This Really Me?
[Neither] an Ammonite nor a Moabite may enter the congregation of Hashem; even their tenth generation shall not enter the congregation of Hashem, to eternity. Because they did not greet you with bread and water on the way, when you left Egypt (Devarim 23:4-5) On the above verse, Rav Gedaliah [...]
A View From The Top
โโฆand you are to be careful to fulfill exactly as they instruct youโฆ do not deviate from the word they tell you, neither right or left.โ (Devarim 17:10-11) "Even if he (the judge) tells you about what appears to you to be right that it is left, or about what [...]
ืืื ืืืืขืื
"...ืึฐืฉืึธืึทืจึฐืชึผึธึฃ ืึทืขึฒืฉืึืึนืช ืึผึฐืึนึื ืึฒืฉืึถึฅืจ ืืึนืจึฝืึผืึธ... ืึนึฃื ืชึธืกึืึผืจ ืึดืึพืึทืึผึธืึธึืจ ืึฒืฉืึถืจึพืึทืึผึดึฅืืึฝืึผ ืึฐืึธึ ืึธืึดึฅืื ืึผืฉืึฐืึนึฝืื" (ืืืจืื ืื:ื-ืื) ืืืื ืืฉืืื. ืึฒืคึดืึผืึผ ืืึนืึตืจ ืึฐืึธ ืขึทื ืึธืึดืื ืฉืึถืืึผื ืฉืึฐืึนืื ืึฐืขึทื ืฉืึฐืึนืื ืฉืึถืืึผื ืึธืึดืื, ืึฐืึธื ืฉืึถืึผึตื ืฉืึถืืึนืึตืจ ืึฐืึธ ืขึทื ืึธืึดืื ืึธืึดืื ืึฐืขึทื ืฉืึฐืึนืื ืฉืึฐืึนืื (ืกืคืจื): (ืจืฉ"ื ืฉื) ืืขืชืื ืงืจืืืืช ืื ื ืฉืืืขืื ืืฆืืจืืช ืฉื ืืืืื ืืฉืจืื, ืฉืงืฆืช ืืืจืืืืช. [...]
ืืชืจืื ืืืืืืืช
"...ืคึผึธืชึนืึท ืชึผึดืคึฐืชึผึทื ืึถืชึพืึธืึฐืึธ ืึฐืึธืึดืืึธ ืึทืขึฒื ึดืึผึถืึธ ืึผืึฐืึถืึฐืึนื ึฐืึธ ืึผึฐืึทืจึฐืฆึถืึธ" (ืืืจืื ืื:ืื) ืืืืจืื ื ืงืืืืชื ืืจืืค ืืืืจ ืฉืื. ืขื ืืืื ืฉืืชื ืื ืฉืืื ืืชืืืฅ ืืืื ืืชืช ืืจืืคืื ืืื ืื ืฉืืื ืืืื. ืืฉ ื ืืกืข "ืจืืื", ืฉืืืจื ืืื ื ืืกืข ืืืื ืืฉื ื ืืขืืื. ืืืจ ืฉืื ืฉืืื ืืืชื "ืืื ืืืื?", ืืจืื ืืคื ื ืฉืืื ืฆืจืื ืืืืืื ืืืืื ืืกืืื ืื ืกืืข. [...]
Thanks – Giving
โโฆOpen your hand generously to your brother, to your indigent, and to your destitute in your land.โ (Devarim 15:11) I was recently given a ride by a friend of mine. I have noticed over time that he tries very hard to give rides to whomever he can. There is one [...]
Whole Heartedly
โโฆwith all your heart and with all your soul.โ (Devarim 11:13) We understand that these words which we say twice a day tell us that oneโs service and devotion to Hashem must be full and all-encompassing. Rav Elyakim Schlesingerย (b. 1921) from London related the following story about the Kotzker Rebbe [...]
ืืื ืืื
"...ืึผึฐืืืึพืึฐืึทืึฐืึถื ืึผืึฐืืืึพื ึทืคึฐืฉืึฐืึถื." (ืืืจืื ืื:ืื) ืื ื ืืืื ืื ืฉืืคืกืืง ืืื, ืฉืื ื ืืืืจืื ืคืขืืืื ืืืื, ืืืืจ ืื ื ืฉืืฉืืจืืช ืืืืกืืจืืช ืฉืื ื ืื' ืืืืืืช ืืืืืช ืืืืืช ืืืงืืคืืช. ืืจื ืืืืงืื ืฉืืืื ืืจ ืืืื ืืื ืกืืคืจ ืืช ืืกืืคืืจ ืืื ืขื ืืจืื ืืงืืฆืง ืฉืฉืืข ืืืจื ืืืจืืกืง: ืื ืืื ืจืืฉ ืืฉื ื, ืืืื ืืื ืฉื ืืจืื ืืงืืฆืง, ืืื ืื ืืชืคืื ืืืืช ืืืืจืฉ, ืืื [...]
A Vacation to Remember
โโฆand you delve into themโฆโ (Devarim 6:7) Rashi tells us that most of oneโs speech should be in Torah and all else should be secondary. โIdle chatterโ is known to us as โbitul Torahโ and we are very familiar with its negative aspects. There is a question about Tisha BโAv [...]
ืืืคืฉื ืืืืืจ
"... ืึฐืึดืึผึทืจึฐืชึผึธึ ืึผึธึื..." (ืืืจืื ื:ื) ืจืฉ"ื ืืืืจ ืื ื "(ืกืคืจื) ืฉืื ืืื ืขืืงืจ ืืืืจื ืืื ืื ืขืฉื ืขืืงืจ ืืื ืชืขืฉื ืืคื"(ืฉื). "ืคืืคืื ืกืจืง" ืืืืจ ืื ื ืืืืืื ืชืืจื ืืื ื ืืืืจืื ืืืื ืืช ืืฆื ืืฉืืืื ืฉืื. ืืฉื ื ืฉืืื ืืืื ืชืฉืขื ืืื (ืฉืื ืขืชื ืืืฃ) ืื ืื ืื ืืคืืกืงืื. ืืชืฉืขื ืืื ืืกืืจ ืืืืื ืชืืจื, ืื [...]
Set Apart
โHow can I bear this nation by myself?โ (Devarim 1:12) Chazal tell us that it is not by coincidence that the word "Eicha" is used here in this verse. It seems to me that every time the word โEichaโ is used, it is discussing Klal Yisraelโs feelings about their place [...]
ื ืคืจืืื
ืืืื ืืฉื ืืืื (ืืืจืื ื:ืื) ืื"ื ืืืืจืื ืฉืื ืืืงืจื ืืชืืจื ืืฉืชืืฉืช ืืืืื "ืืืื" ืืคืกืืง ืื. ื ืจืื ืื ืฉืืื ืคืขื ืฉืืืืืจืช ืืืืื "ืืืื" ืืืืจ ืืชืืืืก ืืจืืฉืืชืื ืฉื ืืื ืืฉืจืื ืืืื ืืงืืื ืืขืืื. ืืื ื ืืงืืจ ืืช ืืจืขืืื ืืื ืขืื ืืืชืจ. ืื ื ืืืฉื ืฉืืืืคื ืืืื ืื ืฉืื ืืืื ืื ืฉืื ืฉืืืื ื ืืืจืฆืื ื ืืืืชื ืืืื ื ืขืื ืฉ [...]
ืืืื ืฉื ืืืืื
ืึนึฅื ืึทืึตึื ืึผึฐืึธืจึืึน ืึผึฐืืืึพืึทืึผึนืฆึตึฅื ืึดืคึผึดึืื ืึทืขึฒืฉืึถึฝืื (ืืืืืจ ื:ื) ืืืืจื ืืืชืืืืช (ืกื:ื) ืืกืคืจืช ืื ื ืขื ืชืืืื ืืื ืืืื ืฉืืืืคื ืงืืืข ืืืจ ืืืืชื ืืื ืขืจื ืฉืืช ืืฉืขื ืืกืืืืช. ืฉืืืข ืืื ืืื ืืื ืฉืงืืข ืืืืืืื ืืืืช ืืืืจืฉ ืืื ืืืจ ืืืื ื ืืจืืื. ืืืฉืื ืฉืฉื ืื ืฉืืื ืื ืืืจ ืืืจ, "ืืื ืืื ืืช ืื ืื [...]
Strong Words
โโฆhe may not profane his word. He shall do all that he said.โ (Bamidbar 30:3) The Gemora in Kesuvos tells us about a big masmid who always came home every Erev Shabbos at a certain time. One week he was lost in thought in the Beis Medrash and missed his [...]
You Deserve It
โTherefore tell [him], that I give him My covenant [of] peace. It shall be for him and his descendants after him a covenant of eternal kehunah because he was zealous for his God and made atonement for Bnei Yisroel.โ (Bamidbar 25:12-13) The Chofetz Chaim observed that his daughter had an [...]
ืืืืข ืืื
ืึธืึตึื ืึฑืึนึืจ ืึดื ึฐื ึดึจื ื ึนืชึตึฅื ืึืึน ืึถืชึพืึผึฐืจึดืืชึดึื ืฉืึธืึฝืึนืื ืึฐืึธึคืึฐืชึธื ืึผืึนึ ืึผืึฐืึทืจึฐืขึฃืึน ืึทืึฒืจึธึืื ืึผึฐืจึดึืืช ืึผึฐืึปื ึผึทึฃืช ืขืึนืึธึื ืชึผึทึืึทืช ืึฒืฉืึถึคืจ ืงึดื ึผึตืึ ืึตึฝืืึนืงึธึืื ืึทืึฐืึทืคึผึตึืจ ืขึทืึพืึผึฐื ึตึฅื ืึดืฉืึฐืจึธืึตึฝืื (ืืืืืจ ืื: ืื-ืื) ืืืคืฅ ืืืื ืืืืื ืฉืืชื ืืขืื ืืื ืช ืืืกืฃ, ืืื ืืื ื ืืืชื ืืืืืืช ืฆืืงื, ืื ืขื ืื ืืืื ืฉืืฉ ืืืื, ืืฉ ืืื ืืืงืื ืฉืืคืฉืจ ืืืฉืชืืฉ ืื ืืขืืืืช ื'. ืืืขืฉื, [...]