ืื ืื ืืื โ ืคืืืช ืื ื
"ืึทืึผึนึคืืึถืจ ืคึผึทืจึฐืขึนืึ ืึถืึพืืึนืกึตึืฃ ืึทืึฒืจึตึจื ืืึนืึดึงืืขึท ืึฑืึนืงึดึืื ืืึนืชึฐืึธึ ืึถืชึพืึผึธืึพืึนึืืช ืึตืืึพื ึธืึฅืึนื ืึฐืึธืึธึื ืึผึธืึฝืึนืึธ" (ืืจืืฉืืช ืื:ืื) ืืฉ ืืื ืืกืืจืื ืืจืืฉืื ืื ืืืืข ืืืกืฃ ืืขืฅ ืืคืจืขื ืืืฆื ืืืคื ืขื ืืจืขื ืืขืืื ืืืชืจืืฉ, ืืืจืืช ืฉืืืื ืื ืืืงืฉื ืืื ื ืขืฆืืช. ืืฉ ืฉืืืืจืื ืฉืืืกืฃ ืืจืืืฉ ืฉืื ืืจืืื ืืืืื, ืืืืง ืืืืฉืืช ืืืืื ืืื ืืชืช ืขืฆื ืืคืจืขื. ืืื, ืืื ืืฆืืข [...]
Selfless โ Less Self
So Pharaoh said to Joseph, โSince God has made all this known to you, there is none so discerning and wise as you. (Bereishis 41:39) There are a few explanations in the Rishonim as to why Yosef advised Pharaoh how to deal with the upcoming famine without being asked for [...]
ืืืฉืชื ื ืืืืชื ืืฉืชื ื
" ืึทืึฐืึดื ืึผึฐืึทืึผึฐืจึธืึผ ืึถื ืืึนืกึตืฃ ืืึนื ืืึนื..." (ืืจืืฉืืช ืื:ื) ืืืืจืฉ ืจืื (ืคื:ื) ืขื ืืคืกืืง ืืื ืืฉืืื ืืื ืื ืกืืื ืืช ืฉืขืืื ืืคื ื ืืืกืฃ ืืืฆืจืื ืืืคื ื ืืจืืื ืืฉืืฉื ืืืืจื, ืืฉืฉื ืืื ืืชืืืจื ืขืืืื, ืืืกืืฃ ืฉื ืืื ืืื ืืืืืืช ืืชืคืงืืื ืฉื ืืฉื ื ืืืื. ืืื ืื ืืื ืฉืขืกืงืื ืืคื ื 50 ืฉื ื ืืืจืืื ืืืชื ืื ืกืืข ืขืืืง ืืืจืื ืืคืจืืงื. [...]
The Unvarying Variable
And much as she coaxed Joseph day after dayโฆ(Bereishis 39:10) The Medrash Rabba (87:6) on the above verse equates many of the tests and rewards faced by Yosef in Egypt and Mordechai in the Purim story. The Medrash tells us that the wife of Potiphar tried to approach Yosef Hatzadik [...]
ืืคืขืืื ืืื ืืืื, ืืคืขืืื ืืื ืฉืืื
ืืกืืคืืจ ืืื ืืกืืคืจ ืขื ืฉื ื ืืืื ืชืืืืื ืืืืืื: ืืจืืฉืื ืืื ืชืืืืื ืฉื ืืืชื ืกืืคืจ ืฉืื ืืชืงืืคื ืฉืื ืืชื ืืขื ืืจืคืืจืืืช ืืืืชื ืืฉืื ืคืจืืืชื. ืืืชื ืกืืคืจ ืืืืืข ืืชืืืืืื ืฉืขืืืื ืืคืงืื ืขืื ืืฉืื ืชืืื ืืจืืื ืืืื ืืืื ืืงืืืฉืื ืฉืืืงืื ืืชืื ืืื ืืฉืจืื. ืืชืืืื ืืื ืืืืื ืืืงืจ ืืงืืืื ืฉืืืื ืฉืืื ืืืืชื ืฉืืืข. ืชืืฉืื ืืขืืจ ืืืืืื [...]
Sometimes Right, Sometimes Left
The following story is told involving two great talmidei chachaim: The first one was a talmid of the Chasam Sofer who lived in a time when the Reform movement was in its heyday. The Chasam Sofer instilled in his talmidim that they should keep a watchful eye, and that there [...]
ืืคืกืื ืคืกืืื
" ืึฐืจึธืึตื ืึธืงึฐืึธื ืึถืช ืึทืชึผึฐืจึธืคึดืื" (ืืจืืฉืืช ืื:ืื) ืจืืื ืืืืคืจืฉืื ืฉืืืืื ืืืืข ืจืื ืืงืื ืขืื ืืช ืืชืจืคืื โ ืืืืืืื ืฉื ืืื - ืืฉืืฆืื ืืืืชื. ืืืืข ืืื ืคืฉืื ืื ืืจืกื ืืืชื (ืืื ืฉืืชืืจื ืืฆืืื ืขืืื ื ืืขืฉืืช)? ืืื ืืขื ืืช ืขื ืฉืืื ืื, ืืจืฆืื ื ืืืขืืืช ืืืจื ืืขื ืืื ืช. ืืืืจื ืืืืจืช, "ืืืจ ืจื ื ืืื ืื ืืืฆื ืืชื [...]
Donโt Stand by Idol-ly
Rachel had taken the idolsโฆ (31:34) Many of the mefarshim ask why Rachel took the idols of Lavan with her when leaving his home. Why didnโt she just destroy them (as the Torah commands us to do)? To answer this question, I would like to bring to your attention an [...]
The Fast Track
Isaac said to his son, โHow did you succeed so quickly, my son?โ (Bereishis 27:20) Rav Meir Shapiro once described to a wealthy man the number of hours that the boys were learning in his Yeshiva, yet the wealthy man was unimpressed. Rav Shapiro responded, โThough you may work in [...]
ืืืกืืื ืืืืืจ
"ืึทืึผึนึคืืึถืจ ืึดืฆึฐืึธืงึ ืึถืึพืึผึฐื ึืึน ืึทืึพืึผึถึื ืึดืึทึฅืจึฐืชึผึธ ืึดืึฐืฆึนึื ืึผึฐื ึดึื" (ืืจืืฉืืช ืื:ื) ืืจื ืืืืจ ืฉืคืืจื ืชืืืจ ืคืขื ืืคื ื ืขืฉืืจ ืืช ืืกืคืจ ืืฉืขืืช ืฉืืืืืื ืืืืืจืื ืืืฉืืืชื, ืืื ืืขืฉืืจ ืื ืืชืจืฉื. ืืจื ืฉืคืืจื ืืกืืืจ ืื, "ืืฃ ืขื ืคื ืฉืืชื ืขืฉืื ืืขืืื ืืืฉืจืื ืืืชืจ ืฉืขืืช ืืื ืฉืืืืืจืื ืืืืืื, ืืกืืื ืืื ืืื ืฉืืฉืืชื ืื ืขืืื, ืืื ืกืคืง [...]
ืืื ืืืืื ืืืื
"ืึทืึฐืึดึื ืึผึทืึฒืฉืึถึจืจ ืึผึดืึผึคืึผ ืึทืึผึฐืึทืึผึดืืึ ืึดืฉืึฐืชึผึืึนืช ืึทืึผึดืงึผึทึคื ืึธืึดืืฉืึ ื ึถึฃืึถื ืึธืึธึื ืึผึถึืงึทืข ืึดืฉืึฐืงึธืึืึน ืึผืฉืึฐื ึตึคื ืฆึฐืึดืืึดืืึ ืขึทืึพืึธืึถึืืึธ ืขึฒืฉืึธืจึธึฅื ืึธืึธึื ืึดืฉืึฐืงึธืึธึฝื" (ืืจืืฉืืช ืื:ืื) ืืืืจื ืืกืคืจืช ืื ื ืืฉืื ืืืื ืืืืจ. ืืืื ืขื ืชืืืื ืืื ืื ืงืื ืืืืจืื. ืืคืฉืจ ืืื ืืืฉืื ืฉืืืืจืื ืืขืืื ืืืืืื ืื ืงืื ืืืื ืชืืืื ืืื! ืืืืข ืืืจืฉืื ืืื ื ืืชื ืืืืช ืื? ืื"ื ืืกืคืจืื ืื ื ืขื [...]
All in Good Measure
When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold nose-ring weighing a half-shekel, and two gold bands for her arms, ten shekels in weight. (Bereishis 24:22) The gemora tells us something very peculiar. A talmid chacham has an obligation to take revenge on others. One would have thought [...]
ืืงืคืืฅ ืื ืื ืืงืคืืฅ – ืื ืืืืื
"ืึทืึผึดืฉืึฐืึทึคื ืึทืึฐืจึธืึธืึ ืึถืชึพืึธืึืึน ืึทืึผึดืงึผึทึื ืึถืชึพืึทึฝืึผึทืึฒืึถึืึถืช ืึดืฉืึฐืึนึื ืึถืชึพืึผึฐื ึฝืึน" (ืืจืืฉืืช ืื:ื) ืืฉื ื ืืืฉืืช ืฉืื ืืช ืืืื ืืื ืืกื ืืืจืืืช ืืฉืืืื. ืืฉ ืื ืฉืื ืฉื ืื ืกืื ืคื ืืื ืืฆืขืืื ืงืื ืื ืืืฉ ืฉืคืฉืื ืงืืคืฆืื ืืฉืจ ืืืื. ื ืจืื ืื ืฉืืืืื ืืื ืืืืฉืืช ืืืืกืก ืขื ืืขืืคื ืืืจืื ืืืืื ืงืื ืื ืืืืจื ืืื ืืขืืืช ืืื ืืืื ืืืฉื ืืื ืงืฆืจ. ื ืืืจ ืขื ืจ 'ืืจืืื, [...]
Testing 1-2-3
And Abraham extended his hand and took the knife to slay his son. (Bereishis 22:10) There are different approaches as to how to enter a swimming pool. Some people go in inch-by-inch, and others just take the plunge, jumping right in. It seems to me that the difference of approaches [...]
Leave It To Someone Else
Hashem said, โNevertheless, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall name him Yitzchak and I will maintain My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring to come. (Bereishis 17:19) Sometimes people have good news and they want to share it with their loved [...]
ืชืขืืืจื ืืช ืื ืืืืฉืื ืืืจ
"ืึทืึผึนึฃืืึถืจ ืึฑืึนืงึดึืื ืึฒืึธืึ ืฉืึธืจึธึฃื ืึดืฉืึฐืชึผึฐืึธึ ืึนืึถึคืึถืช ืึฐืึธึ ืึผึตึื ืึฐืงึธืจึธึฅืืชึธ ืึถืชึพืฉืึฐืึืึน ืึดืฆึฐืึธึืง ืึทืึฒืงึดืึนืชึดึจื ืึถืชึพืึผึฐืจึดืืชึดึฅื ืึดืชึผึืึน ืึดืึฐืจึดึฅืืช ืขืึนืึธึื ืึฐืึทืจึฐืขึฅืึน ืึทืึฒืจึธึฝืื" (ืืจืืฉืืช ืื:ืื) ืืคืขืืื ืื ืฉืื ืจืืฆืื ืืฉืชืฃ ืืืฉืืช ืืืืืช ืขื ืืงืืจืืื ืืืืจืืื. ืืืฉ ืกืื ืฉื ืชืืจืืช ืฉื ืื ืืืื ืืจืืฉืื ืืกืคืจ ืืช ืืืฉืืจื ืืืืื ืขื ืืืจืื. ืื ื ืจืื ืงืฆืช ืืืืจ, ืืืืืื ืฉืืกืืคื ืฉื [...]
What a ืฉื
And they said, โCome, let us build us a city, and a tower with its top in the sky, to make a name for ourselves; lest we be scattered all over the world.โ (Bereishis 11:4) The sin of the dor haflaga is discussed by many commentators, yet I believe that [...]
ืืืื ืฉื!
"ืึทืึผึนืืึฐืจึืึผ ืึธึฃืึธื ื ื ึดืึฐื ึถืึพืึผึธึฃื ืึผ ืขึดึืืจ ืึผืึดืึฐืึผึธืึ ืึฐืจึนืืฉืึฃืึน ืึทืฉืึผึธืึทึืึดื ืึฐื ึทึฝืขึฒืฉืึถืึพืึผึธึื ืึผ ืฉืึตึื ืคึผึถืึพื ึธืคึืึผืฅ ืขึทืึพืคึผึฐื ึตึฅื ืึธืึพืึธืึธึฝืจึถืฅ" (ืืจืืฉืืช ืื:ื) ืืืคืจืฉืื ืื ืื ืืขื ืื ืืืื ืฉื ืืืจ ืืืคืืื, ืืืื ืื ื ืืืฉื ืฉืืื ืฉืื ืจืืื ืืื ืืื ื ืืจืืจื ืื ืืื ืืืืช ืืืื. ืืจืฆืื ื ืืืืืฉ ืืกืืจ ืืืืืกืก ืขื ืคืืจืืฉื ืฉื ืืจื ืฉืืฉืื ืจืคืื ืืืจืฉ, ืฉืืืขืชื ืจืืืื ืื ืืืืื ื ืืืืื ื ืืงืืืืชืืื. [...]