No Thought Will Be Left Behind
Chazal, when discussing shemita, mention that it was given on Mount Sinai, and they explain that just as the mitzvah of shemita was given on Mount Sinai, so too were all the mitzvahs given on Mount Sinai. The question is: What was it about the mitzvah of shemita that compelled [...]
ืืืืื ืืืฉืื ื
ืืืฉืจ ืื"ื ืื ืื ืขื ืืฆืืืช ืฉืืืื, ืื ืืฆืืื ืื ืฉืืื ื ืืชื ื ืืืจ ืกืื ื, ืืืกืืืจืื ืฉืืื ืื, ืื ืืืฆืืืช ื ืืชื ื ืืืจ ืกืื ื. ืืฉืืื ืืื, ืื ืืืืื ืืืฆืืืช ืฉืืืื ืฉืืืืื ืืช ืื"ื ืืืกืงื ื ืฉืืืฆืืื ืืื ื ืืชื ื ืืืจ ืกืื ื, ืืืฉื ืืืืฉืื ืืืืืจ ืฉืื ืืืฆืืืช ื ืืชื ื ืื ืื ืืืจ ืกืื ื? ืืื ืื ืจืฉ"ื ืืชืืืืช ืคืจืฉืช [...]
Mon-Day
This Motzaโei Shabbos is Lag BโOmer. To many people, this is a major event on the Jewish calendar. Yet when our parsha lists all the Jewish festivals, Lag BโOmer is perhaps conspicuous by its absence. The classical understanding of the uniqueness of the day is that Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, [...]
ืืืื ืฉืจืืงืืื ืื ืงืคืฆืื ืงืืืื
ืืืืฆืื ืฉืืช ืืื ื"ื ืืขืืืจ. ืืื ืฉืื ืจืืื, ืืื ืืืจืืข ืืฉืืขืืชื ืืืื ืืฉื ื ืืืืืื. ืืื ืืจืฉืืืช ืืืืื ืืืืคืืขืื ืืคืจืฉื ืฉืื ื, ื"ื ืืขืืืจ ืื ื ืืฆื, ืืืืื ืืคืืื ืืืื ืืืขืืจื. ืืืื ื ืืงืืืกืืช ืฉื ืืืืืืืืช ืฉื ื"ื ืืขืืืจ ืืื ืืกืชืืงืืชื ืฉื ืจืื ืฉืืขืื ืืจ ืืืืื, ืฉืืืื ืืช "ื ืกืชืจืืช ืืชืืจื" ืืขื ืืฉืจืื,ย ืืืฉืืืจ ืื ื ืืืจืฉืช [...]
Positive Response to a Negative Incident
The gemora (Nedarim 66b) tells the story of a man from Bavel who married a woman from Eretz Yisrael and had a language problem with her. He asked his wife to make โa couple of beansโ for dinner; she took it literally and made him only two beans. Not wanting [...]
ืชืืืื ืืืืืืช ืืคืขืืื ืฉืืืืืช
ืืืืจื ืื ืืจืื (ืกื:) ืืกืคืจืช ืขื ืืื ืืื ื ืืื ืฉืขืื ืืืจืฅ ืืฉืจืื ืื ืฉื ืืืฉื. ืืืจ ืื: ืืฉืื ืื "ืฉืชื ืขืืฉืื", ืืืืืจ - ืืขื. ืืืฉืื ืื ืฉืชื ืขืืฉืื ืืืฉ. ืืขืก ืขืืื. ืืืืจืช, ืืืจ ืื: ืืฉืื ืื ืกืื - ืืืื ืืืืื ืืืื ืชื ืืืชื ืฉืื ืชืืฉื ืื ืจืง ืฉืชืื ืืืชืืื ืืื ืืื ืกืขืืื. ืืืฉืื [...]
Looks Are Deceiving
12:3 And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. The medrash points out that the expression โand on the eighth dayโ here is in regards to bris milah, but an almost identical expression appears in Parshas Emor (22:27) regarding an animal, which can be used [...]
ืืฉืืจื ืืช ืืืืฃ!
ืึผืึทืึผืึนื, ืึทืฉึผืึฐืึดืื ึดื, ืึดืึผืึนื, ืึผึฐืฉืึทืจ ืขึธืจึฐืึธืชืึน (ืืืงืจื ื"ื ื') ืืืืจืฉ ืืฆืืื ืฉืืืืืื "ืืืื ืืฉืืื ื" ืืชืืืืก ืืคืกืืง ืื ืืืจืืช ืืืื. ืืืจืืช ืืืช, ืืืขื ืืืชื ืืืืื ื ืืฆื ืืคืจืฉืช ืืืืจ (ื"ื:ื"ื) ืืืืก ืืืืื ืืืืืช ืืืชืจืืช ืืืืื ืืงืจืื "ืืืืื ืืฉืืื ื..." ืืฉืืืื ืืืจืช ืืื ืื ื ืืื ืืืืืืช ื ืืฆืืช ืืกืคืจ ืงืืืช (ื':ื"ื) "ืึดึผื ืึดืงึฐืจึถื ืึฐื ึตื-ืึธืึธืึธื ืึผืึดืงึฐืจึถื ืึทืึฐึผืึตืึธื, [...]
Commandments Are Bonding
And Nadav and Avihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his fire-pan, and put fire in them, and placed incense upon it, and brought before Hashem alien fire, which He had not commanded them. (Vayikra 10:1) The Torah tells us that Aharonโs sons brought anย offeringย without the command of Hashem. The [...]
ืืืื ืืืฆืืื ืืขืืฉื
ืึทืึผึดืงึฐืืึผ ืึฐื ึตื-ืึทืึฒืจึนื ื ึธืึธื ืึทืึฒืึดืืืึผื ืึดืืฉื ืึทืึฐืชึผึธืชืึน, ืึทืึผึดืชึผึฐื ืึผ ืึธืึตื ืึตืฉื, ืึทืึผึธืฉืึดืืืึผ ืขึธืึถืืึธ, ืงึฐืึนืจึถืช; ืึทืึผึทืงึฐืจึดืืืึผ ืึดืคึฐื ึตื ืืณ, ืึตืฉื ืึธืจึธื--ืึฒืฉืึถืจ ืึนื ืฆึดืึผึธื, ืึนืชึธื. (ืืืงืจื ื' ื') ืฉืืื ื"ืฉื ืืฉืืืื": ืืืืขย ืืืืื ืื ื ืืืจืื ืงืจืื ืฉืื ืฆืื ืืืชื ื'? ืืื ืขืื ื ืขื ืืฉืืื, ืืื ื ืจืืฆื ืืืจืืื ืืชย ืืชืฉืืื ืฉืื. ืืชืืจื ืืฉืชืืฉืช ืืืืื "ืฆืื" ย ืืฉืืื [...]
Doing Your Seder Properly
ืึถืึธื ืึฐึผืฉึธืืขึธื ืฉึถืืึตึผืฉื ืึทืฆึธึผื ืึผืึธืจืึนืจ ืึปื ึธึผืึดืื ืึฐืคึธื ึถืื When we say in the Hagadah โBecause of thisโฆโย (ืึทึผืขึฒืืึผืจ ืึถื) we are referring to theย matzaย and theย maror,ย as it saysย ืึฐึผืฉึธืืขึธื ืฉึถืืึตึผืฉื ืึทืฆึธึผื ืึผืึธืจืึนืจ ืึปื ึธึผืึดืื ืึฐืคึธื ึถืืึธโreferring to a time when these โpropsโ are placed before you. The Sefas Emes points out that we have a mitzvah [...]
ืืขืืฉืืช ืกืืจ ืฉืื ืืจืืื
"ืึถืึธื ืึฐึผืฉึธืืขึธื ืฉึถืืึตึผืฉื ืึทืฆึธึผื ืึผืึธืจืึนืจ ืึปื ึธึผืึดืื ืึฐืคึธื ึถืืึธ..." ืืฉืงืืจืืื ืืืืื "ืืขืืืจ ืื...", ืืชืืืกืื ืืืืฆื ืืืจืืจ, ืืื ืฉืืืืจืื "ืึฐึผืฉึธืืขึธื ืฉึถืืึตึผืฉื ืึทืฆึธึผื ืึผืึธืจืึนืจ ืึปื ึธึผืึดืื ืึฐืคึธื ึถืืึธ". ืืฉืคืช ืืืช ืืฆืืื ืฉืืืจืืช ืฉืืฉ ืื ื ืืฆืืื ืืืืืจ ืืฆืืืช ืืฆืจืื ืื ืืืืช ืืฉื ื, ืืฉ ืืืื ืืืืื ืฉืื ืื ื ืจืง ืืืืืื ืืืฆืข ืืืื ืคืกื ืืืื ืฉืืฉ ืืืฆื ืืืจืืจ ืืื ืืื ืืคื ืื ื. [...]
Reading Between The Lines
And Moses did as the LORD commanded him; and the congregation was assembled at the door of the tent of meeting. (Vayikra 8:4) The Netziv asks: Why was it necessary for all of Klal Yisrael to be present for this particular event? While Klal Yisrael was required to be present [...]
ืื ืื ืืฉืจืื ืชืืจื
ย ืึทืึผึทืขึทืฉื ืึนืฉืึถื, ืึผึทืึฒืฉืึถืจ ืฆึดืึผึธื ืืณ ืึนืชืึน; ืึทืชึผึดืงึผึธืึตื, ืึธืขึตืึธื, ืึถื-ืคึผึถืชึทื, ืึนืึถื ืืึนืขึตื. (ืืืงืจื ื:ื)ย ืืืฉืจ ืืฉื ืจืืื ื ืืฉื ืืช ืืืจื ืืืช ืื ืื ืืืืืืฉ ืืืชื ืืช ืืืื ืืืืื ื, ืืื ืืฆืืืื ืืืงืืื ืืช ืื ืื ื ืืฉืจืื ืืื ืฉืืฆืคื ืืืืืจืข. ืฉืืื ืื ืฆื"ื- ืืืืข ืืื ืฆืืจื ืืืกืืฃ ืืช ืื ืื ื ืืฉืจืื ืืืืจืืข ืฉื ืืฉืืืช ืืืื ืื? [...]
Cleaning, For A Change
Theย pasuk says (Vayikra 5:15 & 21) โIf a person will commit a misuse (ืึทืขึทื) and sins (ืึธืึฐืึธื) unintentionally against Hashem. In pasuk 21 it says โIf a person will sin (ืชึถืึฑืึธื) ย and create a trespassing (ืึทืขึทื) against Hashemโ The Chida notes that in the first pasuk ืึทืขึทื (misuse) is followed [...]
ื ืืงืื, ืืฉื ืฉืื ืื
ื ึถืคึถืฉื, ืึผึดื-ืชึดืึฐืขึนื ืึทืขึทื, ืึฐืึธืึฐืึธื ืึผึดืฉืึฐืึธืึธื, ืึดืงึผึธืึฐืฉืึตื ื':ย ืึฐืึตืึดืื ืึถืช-ืึฒืฉืึธืืึน ืึทื' ืึทืึดื ืชึผึธืึดืื ืึดื-ืึทืฆึผึนืื, ืึผึฐืขึถืจึฐืึผึฐืึธ ืึผึถืกึถืฃ-ืฉืึฐืงึธืึดืื ืึผึฐืฉืึถืงึถื-ืึทืงึผึนืึถืฉื--ืึฐืึธืฉืึธื (ืืืงืจื ื' ื"ื) ื ึถืคึถืฉื ืึผึดื ืชึถืึฑืึธื, ืึผืึธืขึฒืึธื ืึทืขึทื ืึผึทื'; ืึฐืึดืึตืฉื ืึผึทืขึฒืึดืืชืึน ืึผึฐืคึดืงึผึธืืึนื, ืืึน-ืึดืชึฐืฉืืึผืึถืช ืึธื ืืึน ืึฐืึธืึตื, ืืึน, ืขึธืฉืึทืง ืึถืช-ืขึฒืึดืืชืึน (ืืืงืจื ื' ื"ื) ืืืื"ื ืืขืืจ ืฉืืฃ ืื ืฉืืคืกืืง ื"ื ืืชืืื ืืืขืืื "ืื ืชืืขืื ืืขื" ืืืืจืื [...]
Pashut: PUSH IT!
Theย Medrashย tells us that Betzalel merited to have an unbelievable amount of profound knowledge to the point that he was able to understand the inner workings of the Creation of the World. This was given to him because of theย mesiras nefeshย of his ancestors Chur and Miriam. It seems to me that [...]
ืืืชืืื ืืืื ื ืขืืืงื
"ืจึฐืึืึผ ืงึธืจึธึฅื ื' ืึฐึผืฉึตืึื ืึฐึผืฆึทืึฐืึตึื ืึถึผืึพืืึผืจึดึฅื ืึถืึพืึืึผืจ" (ืฉืืืช ื"ื ื') ืืจืฉ"ื ืฉื "ืืืจ - ืื ื ืฉื ืืจืื ืืื" ืืชืื ืืืืจืฉ ืฉืืฆืืื ืืื ืืืื ื ืืชืืจื, ืืืคืืื ืืืื ืช ืกืืืืช ืืขืฉื ืืจืืฉืืช, ืืืืืช ืฉืกืื, ืืืจ, ืืกืจ ืืช ื ืคืฉื ืืืขืฉื ืืขืื, ืืืืืืช ืืกืืจืืช ื ืคืฉื ืฉื ืืจืื, ืืกืืชื ืจืืชื ืฉืื ืืืฆืจืื, ืืืื ืืืจืช ืคืจืขื "ืื [...]