Problems or Challenges
“You shall also seek out from among all the people capable men who fear God, trustworthy men who spurn ill-gotten gain. Set these (people) over them as chiefs of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.” (Shemos 18:21) Many years ago, I was working as a shochet in a factory. Because of [...]
For Heaven’s Sake
And Moshe took the bones of Yosef with him: for he had made them take an oath on the children of Yisra᾽el, saying, God will surely redeem you; and you shall carry up my bones away from here with you. (Shemos 13:19) The Sages taught in the Tosefta (4:6–7): Come [...]
Cutting it Close
“And when a stranger shall sojourn with you, and will make the pesach-offering for Hashem, each of his maes shall be circumcised, and then he may draw near to perform it…” (Shemos 12:48) The grandson of Rabbi Akiva Eiger (1761–1837), Reb Leibel Eiger (Rabbi Yehuda Leib Eiger 1817–1888), became the [...]
Hashem’s Favorite Children
“…and bring out my armies, my people the children of Yisrael, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.” (Shemos 7:4) I have a friend who was very close with Rav Aharon Leib Steinman zt”l (1914-2017). Once, during a conversation, Reb Aharon Leib asked him: “If you were walking [...]
Taking Others Into Account
And Moshe said to God, who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt. (Shemos 3:11) I would like to share a question that I asked at my Shabbos table. Hashem solicits Moshe Rabbeinu to lead the Bnei [...]
Power of Prayer
“Moreover, I have given to thee one portion more than thy brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Emori with my sword and with my bow.” (Bereishis 48:22) Yaakov tells Yosef that he is going to give him Shechem — one extra portion above his brothers — [...]
It’s Not What You See
“…And he said, I am Yosef your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.” (Bereishis 45:4) The gemora in Sota (10b) recounts the story of Avshalom, the son of King Dovid, who rebelled against his father’s throne, and waged war against him. In the end, Avshalom met his death, yet his [...]
Clean Hands, Clear Conscience
And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack: and when they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid. (Bereishis 42:35) The Chasam Sofer (Moses Schreiber 1762–1839) discusses an important idea in one of his [...]
Judging the Judges
“And Yehuda said to his brothers, ‘What gain is there if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?’” (Bereishis 37:26) When judges deliver a judgment, they usually look for a precedent. The idea is simple: if a similar case has previously been decided, that ruling provides a framework for [...]
One For All and All for One
“And Yaakov said to Shimon and Levi, You have brought trouble on me to make me odious among the inhabitants of the land…” (Bereishis 34:30) The commentators argue at length over the justifications Shimon and Levi gave for destroying the inhabitants of Shechem. It is clear from the verses that [...]
Right Place, Right Time
“Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the Hashem is present in this place, and I did not know it!’” (Bereishis 28:16) The gemora in Sanhedrin (95b) tells us that after Yaakov Avinu had already passed the location of the future Beis Hamikdash, he said, “How could I walk [...]
Planting Seeds of Purity
“and Yitzchak was forty years old when he took Rivka as a wife, the daughter of Besuel the Arammian of Paddan-aram, the sister of Lavan the Arammian.” (Bereishis 25:20) In last week’s parsha, Chazal taught us that when Yitzchak brought Rivka into his home as his wife, the same miracles [...]
Giving is Getting
“He said I will not eat until I say what I need to say” (Bereishis 24:33) Why did Eliezer refuse to eat before delivering his message to Lavan? Generally, we assume that one with a connection with a talmid chacham will be positively influenced. We rarely worry that a talmid [...]
Becoming A Ba’al Chesed
And the Lord appeared to him by the terebinths of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; (Bereishis 18:1) Avraham Avinu treated his guests royally. As a result, klal Yisrael merited many “perks” from Hashem (See Bava Metzia 86b). But did Avraham Avinu [...]
Grazing Without Gazing
And Avram said to Lot, let there be no strife between me and you, and between my shepherds and your shepherds, for we are brothers. (Bereishis 13:8) The shepherds of Lot quarreled with the shepherds of Avraham. Avraham was troubled by this and said to Lot, “Why should we fight? [...]
Meaningful Prayer
“And, behold, I will bring the flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, in which there is a breath of life from under the heavens; and everything that is on the earth shall die.” (Bereishis 6:17) The Zohar reveals that the deeper meaning of this verse lies [...]
Before and After
“Because you have done this…” (Bereishis 3:14) Have you ever wondered why the snake, which began as an upright creature, was condemned to crawling on its belly as punishment? The Dubno Magid (Jacob ben Wolf Kranz of Dubno 1741–1804) explains with a parable. A wealthy man, passing through a town [...]
Weather You Like It Or Not
You shall dwell in a Sukkah for seven days; all that are part of the Jewish people shall dwell in Sukkahs (Leviticus 23:42) There is a fascinating halacha regarding the mitzvah of yeshivas sukkah which many people struggle to understand. The gemara derives from the above verse that one’s dwelling [...]