Weighty Matters
You shall have an honest scale, honest weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin. I am the Lord your G-d who brought you out of the land of Egypt. (Vayikra 19:36) It always troubled me that the Torah separates what we would classify generally as โstealingโ into several different [...]
ืืืืืช ืืืชื!
ืึธืึนึกืึฐ ืึฐึฝืงึธืจึธึฉืืชึธึฉ ืึฐืืืึฐื ึตึจื ืึฐืจืึผืฉืึธืึทึอึดื ืึตืืึนึืจ ืึผึนึื ืึธืึทึฃืจ ื' ืึธืึทึคืจึฐืชึผึดื ืึธืึฐึ ืึถึฃืกึถื ื ึฐืขืึผืจึทึืึดืึฐ ืึทืึฒืึทึืช ืึผึฐืืึผืึนืชึธึืึดืึฐ ืึถืึฐืชึผึตึคืึฐ ืึทึฝืึฒืจึทืึ ืึผึทืึผึดืึฐืึผึธึืจ ืึผึฐืึถึืจึถืฅ ืึนึฅื ืึฐืจืึผืขึธึฝืื (ืืจืืืื ื:ื) ื' ืืฉืื ืืช ืืื ืืฉืจืื ืขื ื ืืื ืืชื ืืขืืื ืืช ืืฆืจืื ืืื ืืื ืช ืฆืืื ืืืจื. ืืจื ืฉืืื ืฉืืืืจืื ืืฆืืื ืฉืื ืกืชื ืื, ืืืฉืื ืืชืืงืฉ ืขื ืืื ื' ืืขืืื ืกืืืื [...]
Living It
Go and cry in the ears of Yerushalayim, saying, Hashem said; I remember in your favour, the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, when you went after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown. (Yirmiyahu 2:2) Hashem praises Klal Yisrael for their willingness [...]
Refraining is Gaining
Rav Yishaya, a disciple of the famous Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa, fasted for 85 days because he could not understand a certain paradoxical tradition. He asked, how could it be that if dogs are called โbrazen creaturesโ in Tanach [Isaiah 56:11], that yet it is taught that in the World-to-Come, [...]
ืืกืืจ ืืจืข โ ืขืืฉื ืืื
ืืืงืื ืฉืืขืื ื ืชืืจื ืคืจืฉืช ืื ืจืื ืงืคื "ืจืื ืืฉืขืื ืชืืืืื ืฉื ืจ' ืื ืื ื ืื ืืืกื ืืื ืืชืขื ื ืฉืืื ืื [ืืืืฉ] ืชืขื ืืืช ืืืจ ืืืืื ืฉืืชืื ืืื "ืืืืืืื ืขืื ื ืคืฉ" (ืืฉืขืื ื ื:ืื) ืืืื ืืืืจ ืฉืืจื ืื "ืืืื ื ืฉืชืืื ืื ืืจืขื ื ืืจืื ืืคื ื ื' ืขืืฉื ื" (ืชืืืืื ืฆื:ื) ืืืื ื ืืืืจืื ืืช ืืจืขืืื ืฉืืื ืฉืืงืคืื ืฉืื ืืืืจ [...]
ืืื ืชืืจืืฆืื
ืึฐื ึถึฃืึทืข ืฆึธืจึธึืขึทืช ืึฐืืึผืึธืึ ืึถืึพืึทืึฒืจึนึฃื ืึทืึผึนืึตึื ืึืึน ืึถืึพืึทืึทึฅื ืึดืึผึธื ึธึืื ืึทืึผึนืึฒื ึดึฝืืื (ืืืงืจื ืื:ื) ืจืืื ืืืืคืจืฉืื ืืฆืืื ืื ืฉืืืฆืืจืข ืืฆืืื ืืืืืื ืืืืช ืืืื. ืื ืืืฉืืขืืช ืฉื ืืืืช ืืืืงื ืืืื? ืื ืฉืื ืฉืืืืจืื ืืืฉืื ืืจืข ืืืืืื ืืืฆืืืง ืืช ืขืฆืื ืืืืืจื, "ืืื ืื ื ืืื!". ืื ืืชืืจืืฅ ืืื ืื ืจืืืื ืื, ืื ืืืืจืื, "ืื ืฉืืืืจืชื ืขืืื ืืื ืืขื ืืืืืงืช [...]
No Excuses
โโฆaffliction on the skin of the body, the person shall be brought to Aaron the Kohen or to one of his sons, the kohanim.โ (Vayikra 13:2) Many of the commentators take note that the Metzora was told specifically to go to a kohen. What is the significance of going specifically [...]
ืืืื ื ืืื ืืืื
ืึทืึผึนึจืืึถืจ ืึนืฉืึถึื ืึถึฝืึพืึทืึฒืจึนึื ืงึฐืจึทึคื ืึถืึพืึทืึผึดืึฐืึผึตึืึทึ ืึทืขึฒืฉืึตึื ืึถืชึพืึทืึผึธึฝืืชึฐืึธึ ืึฐืึถืชึพืขึนึฃืึธืชึถึืึธ ืึฐืึทืคึผึตึฅืจ ืึผึทึฝืขึทืึฐืึธึ ืึผืึฐืขึทึฃื ืึธืขึธึื ืึทืขึฒืฉืึตึื ืึถืชึพืงืืจึฐืึผึทึคื ืึธืขึธืึ ืึฐืึทืคึผึตึฃืจ ืึผึทึฝืขึฒืึธึื ืึผึทืึฒืฉืึถึืจ ืฆึดืึผึธึฅื ื'ื (ืืืงืจื ื:ื) ืืืฉื ืืืื ืฉืืื ืืช ืืฉืืื ืืืื: "ืื ืืืจื ืืืื ืื ืื ืขื ืืืื, ืืื ืืื ืชืืคืจ ืขื ืืื ืฉื ืฉืืจ ืืื ืืฉืจืื?" ืขื ืฉืืื ืื ืืื ืขืื ื ืืฆืืืื ืืืืืจื [...]
We Are In This Together
Then Moshe said to Aaron: โCome forward to the altar and sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering, making expiation for yourself and for the people; and sacrifice the peopleโs offering and make expiation for them, as Hashem has commanded.โ (Vayikra 9:7) The Meshech Chochma asks the following question, [...]
ืืื ืืจืืงืื ืืืื ืฉืืืงืื
ืฆึทึคื ืึถึฝืชึพืึทืึฒืจึนืึ...(ืืืงืจื ื:ื) ืจืฉ"ื (ื) ืฆื ืืช ืืืจื - ืืื ืฆื ืืื ืืฉืื ืืจืื ืืื ืืืืืจืืช. ืืืจ ืจ' ืฉืืขืื ืืืืชืจ ืฆืจืื ืืืชืื ืืืจื ืืืงืื ืฉืืฉ ืื ืืกืจืื ืืืก(ืชื"ื ื:ื) ืฉื ืื ืืจืืืืช ืื ื ืืืืจื ืืืื"ื ืืื - ืงืฉื ืืืืื ืฉืจืง ืืืื ืฉืืืื ืื ืืจืืืื ืืืื ืืืงืจืืช ืืขืืื, ืฆืจืื ืืืืง ืืืชื ืืืขืืื [...]
No Tricks or Shticks
"Command Aaronโฆ" (Vayikra 6:2) Rashi: โโฆRebbe Shimon says: the verse needs to encourage people more regarding mitzvos that one has to spend money on.โ For many years I have been bothered by this Chazal - it was difficult to understand that just because the Kohen doesnโt get anything out of [...]
ืืขืืืช ืขื
ืึทืึผึนึจืืึถืจ ืฉืึธืึคืึผื ืึถืึพืฉืึฐืืึผืึตืึ ืึธืึธึืืชึดื ืึผึดึฝืึพืขึธืึทึฅืจึฐืชึผึดื ืึถืชึพืคึผึดึฝืึพื' ืึฐืึถืชึพืึผึฐืึธืจึถึืืึธ ืึผึดึคื ืึธืจึตึืืชึดืึ ืึถืชึพืึธืขึธึื ืึธืึถืฉืึฐืึทึืข ืึผึฐืงืึนืึธึฝืื (ืฉืืืื ื ืืดื:ืื) ืืืคืืจื ืฉื ืคืจืฉืช ืืืืจ ืืืืืง ืฉืืื ืืืื ืืืง ืืฉืื ืขืืืง ืืื ืืืืื ืงืจืื ืืช ืืืฉืื ืืช ืฉื ื'. ืืขืื ืฉืฉืืืื ืื ืืื ืืืจ ืฆืืืื ืฉืื ืืงืืช ืฉืื, ืฉืืื ืืจืืืฉ ืฉืืื ืืชืืืืื ืฉืจืง ืื ืฉืื ืคืจืืืื ืื ืืจืืืืื ืืืฉืื, [...]
Spirit-u-all
Saul said to Samuel, โI did wrong to transgress Hashemโs command and your instructions; but I was afraid of the troops and I yielded to them.โ (Shmuel I 15:24) In the Haftara of Parshas Zachor, King Shaul retained some of the spoils of Amalek in order to bring offerings and [...]
ืืืืฆืขืื ืืฉืืืื ืืื ืืืืจื
ืึทืึผึทึจืจึฐื ืึนืฉืึถึื ืึถืชึพืึผืืึพืึทืึผึฐืึธืืึธึื ืึฐืึดื ึผึตืึ ืขึธืฉืึฃืึผ ืึนืชึธึืึผ ืึผึทืึฒืฉืึถึืจ ืฆึดืึผึธึฅื ื' ืึผึตึฃื ืขึธืฉืึืึผ ืึทืึฐืึธึฅืจึถืึฐ ืึนืชึธึื ืึนืฉืึถึฝืืย (ืฉืืืช ืื:ืื) ืืงืืืืฉ ืืืืช ืืื ืกืช ืืฉืืืข ืฉืขืืจ, ืืืืจื ื ืขื ืื ืืฉื ืฉื ืืื ืื ืฉืื ืืชืืืืืื ืฉืื ืื ืืขืืจืืื ืืคืืื ืืื ืฉื ืจืื ืืืืจืื ืืื ืคืฉืืืื. ืืฉื ื ืฉืืืื ืจืืื ืืืขืืจืืื ืืื ืื ืฉืื ื ืขืืฉืื ืืืืื. ืืกืคืจ ืืื ืืื ืืื ืืฉื ืจืื ื [...]
Whole-Sum
And when Moshe saw all of their work โ and behold, they did everything as Hashem had commanded โ then Moshe blessed them. (Shemos 39:43) At last weekโs Kiddush, the topic was brought up about how many people and actions are involved in even the simplest things in life. There [...]
ืืืืงื ืืืื
ืึทืึฐืฆึทึฃื ืึนืฉืึถึื ืึทืึผึทืขึฒืึดึจืืจืึผ ืงึฅืึนื ืึผึทึฝืึผึทืึฒื ึถืึฎ ืึตืืึนืจึ ืึดึฃืืฉื ืึฐืึดืฉืึผึธึื ืึทืึพืึทืขึฒืฉืืึผึพืขึืึนื ืึฐืึธืืึธึื... (ืฉืืืช ืื:ื) ืืืืฉื ืขืฉืืืช "ืืืืื" ืืฉืืช ืืชืคืจืฉ ืืืจื ืืื ืืขืฉืืืช "ืขืืืื". ืืืฉืจ ืืืืืื ืืช ืืืืืืช, ืืชืืืืขืื ืืื ืฉืคืืจืืฉ ืื ืืื ื ืืืืืง, ืืืฉืืขืืช ืืืื ืืืชืจ ืชืืื ืขืฉืืืช "ืขืืืื ืืฆืืจืชืืช". ืืขืืจืช ืืคืฆืื ืืืืื ืขืฉืืื ืืฉืจืืฃ ืงืืืจืืืช ืจืืืช, ืื ืืื ื ื ืงืจืืช ืืืืื, ืืื [...]
Well Placed
โMoshe commanded and they thereupon had this proclamation made throughout the camp: โLet no man or woman make further effortโฆโโ (Shemos 36:6) In English the concept of doing โmelachaโ on Shabbos is generally translated as doing โworkโ. When one studies the halachos, one becomes aware that that translation is a [...]
ื ืืฉืืื ืืช ืืื ืฉืืืืืื ืืืชื ื
ืึฐืึธ ื' ืึทืฆึผึฐืึธืงึธื ืึฐืึธื ืึผ ืึผึนืฉืึถืช ืึทืคึผึธื ึดืื. ืจึทืึผึดื ืืึนืกึดื ืืึนืึตืจ: ืึตืฉื ืึผืึผืฉืึธื ืึผึฐืืึนืึธื ืึดืึผืึน, ืึดืฉืึฐืจึธืึตื ืขืึนืึฐืจึดืื ืึผึฐืึทื ืกืึผืฃ ืึผืคึถืกึถื ืึดืืึธื ืขืึนืึตืจ ืขึดืึผึธืึถื... (ืืืจืฉ ืชื ืืื ืื ืชืฉื ืื:ื) ืืฉ ืืืืื "ืฉืื ืื ืฉืื ืืช ืืื ืฉืืืืืื ืืืชื ื", ืฉืื ื ืืืืื ืฉืืืื ื ืืืื ืื. ืขื ืืื ืื ืืืืข ื ืืชื ืืืืื ืืืืจืฉ ืขื ืคืจืฉืช ืืฉืืืข. ืืฆืืืื ืืืขืื [...]