PERASHA CHUKAT
07/08/2022 11:28:10 AM
The merit of one who performs kindness
"... fear him not for I have delivered him into your hand.... and you shall do unto him as you did unto Sichon king of the Amorites..." (21,34)
The Parsha of Chukat ends with a description of the victories of the Children of Israel over the two kings in the Eastern side of the Jordan River – Sichon the King of the Amorites and Og the King of Bashan.
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PERASHA KORACH
06/30/2022 05:05:40 PM
And Korach presumed, the son of Yitzhar the son of Kehat the son of Levi…." (16,1)
Family Lineage
One of the grandsons of the Grand Rabbi Yechezkel of Kozhmir left the straight path of his ancestors and rabbis to the point that his wife could not live with him and demanded a divorce.
After several days the wife appeared with her husband by Rabbi Eliyahu Kletzkin the Rabbi of Lublin and...Read more...
SHLACH
06/23/2022 04:18:51 PM
"And they came to the Valley of the Cluster of Grapes and they cut down from there a vine with one cluster of grapes and they bore it upon a carrying-pole between two…" (13, 23)
Specifically two
On the words "and they bore it upon a carrying-pole between two" our Sages ob'm ask: Why did the Torah write "between two"? If it says "they bore it...Read more...
PERASHA BIHAALOTCHA
06/17/2022 11:47:32 AM
"And Moshe cried unto G-d… O G-d heal her, I beseech You." (12,13)
Praying for patients
In the time of Rabbi Yonatan Eibshitz a terrible plague of cholera erupted. The doctors could not find any remedy for the terrible disease that did not skip over homes of the Jews.
The community leaders approached the Rabbi...Read more...
PERASHA NASO
06/10/2022 03:02:15 PM
And they shall lay My Name on the children of Israel… I shall bless them." (6, 27)
The blessing of the Kohanim in love
The numerology of the initials of the words "ושמו את שמי על בני ישראל" add up to 389 which is the numerology of אהבה שלום – love, peace.
The Chatam Sofer says that sometimes a person is blessed by righteous people of his generation but nevertheless...Read more...
PERASHA BAMIDBAR
06/03/2022 11:52:06 AM
"And the Levites… were not allowed to number themselves amongst them – בתוכם" )
"Any Torah scholar whose inner self is not like his outside shall not enter the Study Hall."
Concerning that said in the Masechet Avot, "One should raise many disciples" Rabeinu Ovadia of Bartenura explained, "Raise many disciples" – This is compared to Raban Gamliel who...Read more...
PERASHA BECHUKOTAI
05/27/2022 02:04:38 PM
"… and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword." (26,8)
To silence the prosecutors
Rabbi Moshe Arye Leib Litch Rosenbaum, author of Matta Diyerushalaim, said: The first letters of these words "ונפלו אויביכם לפניכם לחרב" spell out ELUL אלול.
The Torah alludes to us that when the Jews repent in the month of Elul, they silence thereby all the...Read more...
PERASHA BEHAR
05/20/2022 11:55:33 AM
Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai
Reviving the Dead
The Tzemach Tzedek of Lubavitch zy'o used to say: The day of Lag Ba'omer is a day that is auspicious for medical recoveries and salvation! The initials of the words "a king Who is a loyal and merciful Doctor" - "מלך רופא נאמן ורחמן" spell out "מרון" and in the merit of the righteous Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai who is buried in Meron G-d sends...Read more...
EMOR
05/13/2022 01:00:14 PM
Tremendous power
"Hillel said, do not detach yourself from the public…" (Pirkei Avot, Ch. 2)
The holy book Noam Elimelech (Dvarim) explains that the source of Jewish souls in Heaven is called "All of Israel" and it says "the reason that before we perform a mitzvah or pray we say "Lishem yichud Kudsha… bishem kol Yisrael…." Is because there...Read more...
PERASHA KEDOSHIM - MI SHEBERACH
05/06/2022 11:24:21 AM
"... and love your neighbor's well-being as your own..." (19,18)
The Aruch Hashulchan wrote that when a person hears that they are announcing a "Mi Sheberach for someone else he should answer Amen and thereby he fulfills the mitzvah of "love your neighbor's well -being as your own."
Hagaaon Rabbi David Moskowitz, Av Beit Din of Banihad related: Once the well known Gaon...Read more...
ACHAREI MOT - SHABBAT MEVARCHIM
04/29/2022 02:01:49 PM
Clinging to G-d
"And G-d spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aharon; it was in their coming near before G-d…"
In one verse the Torah mentions "after the death of the two sons of Aharon" and immediately thereafter goes into the details of Laws pertaining to the Service of the Cohen Gadol on Yom Kippur.
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PESSAH
04/21/2022 03:12:22 PM
את משפטי תעשו ואת חקתי תשמרו ללכת בהם אני ה' אלקיכם
“My ordinances you shall do, and My statutes you shall observe, to walk with them, I am the L-rd, your G-d.” (18:4) The Ksav Sofer commented on the words, “to walk with them”, that a person needs to walk from one level to the next level. That is, a person should constantly...Read more...
PESSAH
04/14/2022 03:41:19 PM
Why is This Night Different?
מה נשתנה הלילה הזה
In many homes with young children, parents and siblings may feel a little overwhelmed when a kid comes back from school with a small tome of Torah ideas to say at the table. As the child lays out pages and pages of ideas from their teacher, parents silently sigh to themselves, “Do...Read more...
PERASHA METZORAH: SHABBAT HAGADOL
04/08/2022 05:20:13 PM
"And on the eighth day… his foreskin shall be circumcised." (12,3)
His kikar in his hand
Our Rabbis ob'm said: Rabbi Yitzchak said, Rabbi Ami said: When a male comes to the world, his kikar is in his hand. The word male- "זכר" alludes to "זה כר"- i.e. every boy is born with his kar – his loaf of...Read more...
PERASHA TAZRIA
04/01/2022 11:02:28 AM
"This is the teaching of the leper מצרע on the day of his becoming pure…." (14,2)
Where's his Torah?
On the words "This is the teaching of the leper מצרע on the day of his becoming pure" the Chovat Halivavot says that when a person talks slander about another person his mitzvahs...Read more...
PURIM: TZAV
03/18/2022 02:17:40 PM
"The paupers' eyes are lifted up to the Megillah reading"
The time of Megilah reading is auspicious to livelihood and blessings
In the sefer Ateret Yehoshua of the holy Rabbi of Jikov it is brought down that the Megillah reading is auspicious to a good livelihood The Rabbi explains this according to what our Sages said "The paupers' eyes are lifted up to the Megillah reading".
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PERASHA ZACHOR FROM VAYIKRA
03/11/2022 01:27:42 PM
"… if a man of you would bring an offering near unto G-d…" (1,2)
Not from theft
It says, "Your sacrifice should be similar to the offering of Adam Harishon. Just as Adam Harishon who owned everything did not bring an offering from theft or from robbery, so you too…. do not bring an offering from theft or from robbery....Read more...
PERASHA PIKUDEI
03/04/2022 12:36:44 PM
"These are the schedules of the Tabernacle המשכן the Tabernacle of the Testimony משכן העדות which were listed according to the command of Moshe…" (38, 21)
Why hasn't He returned it?
Rashi asks – Why does it say משכן twice? And he answers – This is an allusion to the Temple that was pawned...Read more...
VAYAKHEL-SHKALIM
02/25/2022 12:03:13 PM
"….then shall they give a ransom each one for his person… half a shekel in the weights of the Sanctuary…" (30,12-13)
All Jews need one another
We must know that the fact that Moshe was commanded to collect half a shekel from the Children of Israel and not a whole shekel contains therein great intentions. The Torah thereby came to tell every...Read more...
KI TISA
02/18/2022 09:26:53 AM
"…Only keep my Sabbaths for that is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations… (31, 13)
All of the Children of Israel are responsible for one another
When Rabbi Shmuel, the fourth Grand Rabbi of Chabad was a child he had a fund for marrying off brides and grooms. Once one of the Chassidim wanted to urgently speak privately with his father (the Tzemach...Read more...
PERASHA TITZAVEH
02/11/2022 12:54:03 PM
" ..that they take for you pure olive oil pressed כתית for lighting למאור to make a light shine out continuously."(27,20)
Pressed brings to light
Concerning this verse the Grand Rabbi Rabbi Moshe Leib of Sassov said: "pressed for lighting"- After a person presses down (breaks) his Evil Inclination he becomes capable of "lighting" – to absorb the splendorous light of...Read more...
PERASHA TERUMAH
02/04/2022 01:04:06 PM
Speak unto the Children of Israel that they receive for Me a voluntary gift….."(25, 2)
Take measures like merchants
The Midrash on this verse says: This is what is referred to in, "For a good lesson I have given you…. My Torah you shall not forsake" – do not forsake the lesson that I have given you.
The...Read more...
MISHPATIM
01/28/2022 11:35:13 AM
"… only he must pay the loss entailed by absence from work (שבתו ) and cause him to be thoroughly healed (ורפא ירפא)." (21, 19)
Shabbat brings healing
On this verse the Gemara says: "Rabbi Yishmael taught - ורפא ירפא –we learn from here that permission has been given to the doctor (rofeh) to heal.
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PERASHA YITRO
01/21/2022 09:37:40 AM
"And they journeyed from Refidim and came to the desert of Sinai…" (19,2)
The key to understanding Torah
"Comparing their journey from Refidim to their coming to the desert of Sinai – Just as their coming to the desert of Sinai was amidst repentance, so their journey from Refidim was amidst repentance." (Rashi)
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PERASHA BISHALLACH
01/14/2022 12:40:12 PM
The Man is the source of our livelihood
"And the Children of Israel saw it and said to one another – it is Man (an allotted gift)…."
The Dvar Yisrael says that even after the Man has stopped coming down from Heaven, G-d continues to bring livelihood to each Jew according to his level of faith in Him.
He wrote: "The Man is the source of our livelihood for...Read more...
PARASHA BO
01/07/2022 02:32:04 PM
Come or go?
"And G-d said to Moshe come to Pharaoh…" (7,26)
Several Torah giants wondered about the words written here. Why does it say Come to Pharaoh and not Go to Pharaoh?
Regarding this Rabbi Chanoch Tzvi of Bendin wrote in his sefer Yichahen Pe'er: My wife the Rabanit Feiga says like this: Why does G-d...Read more...
PARASHA VAERA
12/31/2021 02:13:26 PM
"…see the Children of Israel have not hearkened unto me, how then shall Pharaoh hear me who am of uncontrolled lips." (6,12)
Afraid his words would be accepted
On this verse "Rashi writes:"This is one of the ten fortiori in the Torah" (where one learns from the lighter case about a more serious case).
We know that the interpreters...Read more...
PARASHA VAYEHI
12/17/2021 10:39:47 AM
"Even if you meant to do evil to me, G-d meant it unto good…" (50,20)
Gratefulness for shame
I found a story that was from the Grand Rabbi of Slonim, author of Birkat Avraham:
There was once a righteous man name Rabbi Mendle of Prishmalan, who is buried in Tiveria. He once came to the synagogue and invited his...Read more...
PARASHA VAYIGASH
12/10/2021 12:51:48 PM
"And he sent Yehudah before him to Yosef….." (46,28)
The past and the future
On the words "And he sent Yehudah before him to Yosef so that he should direct him…" Rashi explains that Yakov sent Yehudah before him to prepare a House of Study from which Torah directives would be given to the Jews.
We must understand, from all the Tribes, why did Yakov specifically send Yehuda to...Read more...
MIKETZ - CHANUKAH
12/03/2021 01:58:34 PM
To light the Chanukah candle - להדליק נר חנוכה
להדליק נר חנוכה – and we have to understand what this means. What did the Holy ARI mean by Nachal?
Rabenu the Ariz'l says that when a person lights the Chanukah candles he should have intentions for the name Nachal "נחל" – the first letters of the words להדליק...Read more...