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.
** Read more...
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...
PERASHA TOLDOT
11/05/2021 11:45:07 AM
Allusions to the Month of Kislev
· The letters of Kislev סכ לו allude to the fact that on Chanukah we light a total of 36 ל''ו candles (without the shamesh) and ס"כ in numerology is 80 – שמונים which alludes to the oils שמנים with which we light the 36 candles.
· Likewise in the verse "And...Read more...
PARASHA CHAYEI SARA
10/29/2021 09:52:21 AM
"… and G-d had blessed Avraham in everything." (24,1)
A person's sustenance is set for him from Rosh Hashanah to Rosh Hashanah
The extent to which our Rabbis believed that everything is from Him forever and ever – we cannot describe and imagine.
Once there was only one print shop in Bnei Brak, owned by a Jew called Rav Shlomo Cohen. One day a competing printer opened up across the street from him. Rav Shlomo Cohen...Read more...
PARASHA VAYERA
10/21/2021 07:56:10 PM
"And he planted a tree אשל in Be'er Sheva…" (21,33)
Hospitality
A villager once came to the Magid Rabbi Yisrael of Kozhnitz and told him of his troubles.
"Holy Rabbi" –he cried with teary eyes – "I tried to fulfill the mitzvah of hospitality properly and every guest who happened to come to my...Read more...
PARASHA LECH LECHA
10/15/2021 11:36:13 AM
"And G-d said to Avraham isolate yourself from your country and from your birthplace…and I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you and I will make your name great…" (12, 1-2)
Three Segulahs
On that said in our Parsha Rashi explains that traveling on the road causes a reduction in three things – having children, money and a...Read more...
PARASHA BRESHIT
10/01/2021 01:34:24 PM
The Essence of Man
"… all herbage of the field was still before it sprouted for G-d had not caused it to rain upon earth and Man was not there to work the soil." (2,5)
On the words "all herbage of the field was still before it sprouted Rashi explains: When the Creation of the world was finished on the sixth day before Man was created...Read more...
FROM THE BOOKS OF RABBI "MZRAH SHEMESH"
09/24/2021 01:56:45 PM
If one built a Succah in a public domain, may he sit in it and fulfill thereby his commitment on Succot? If one built a succah either unintentionally or intentionally, on land belonging to his friend, must he destroy the building and return the land or may he just pay his friend for its worth?
And what is the Halacha when the land belongs to a Gentile?
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VAYELECH - YOM KIPPUR
09/10/2021 12:51:56 PM
Turn white like snow
"Go please and argue, G-d will say, if your sins will be scarlet they shall turn white like snow. If they will be red… they will be like wool. (Yeshaya 1, 18)
On this verse in Yeshaya the holy Mekubal Rabbi M.A. of Pano ob'm said: This verse is surprising. When a person has a claim against his friend, it is clear that he...Read more...
Nitzavim
09/03/2021 02:29:09 PM
To save from prosecution
Concerning shofar blowing the Kisei Rachamim asks – Why do we blow Tkia- Shvarim- Trua- Tkia - תשר''ת – Because it comes from the word תשורה - -gift – that one...Read more...
Parasha Ki Tavo
08/27/2021 02:00:26 PM
Brothers should not hit each other
"Cursed be he that smites his friend in secret…" (27, 24)
One day someone asked Iron - why does your voice sound so loud when you are beaten, while when Gold is beaten its voice is not heard so loudly?
Iron replied - the reason is simple: In order to create a piece of jewelry...Read more...
PERASHA "SHOFTIM"
08/13/2021 02:51:49 PM
''Judges and policeman you shall appoint in all your gates.....'' (16,18)
Judges and policemen
The commentators such as the ''Shlah Hakadosh'', Rabbi Haim Vital and others note that the Mitzvah of appointing judges is presented to the singular person and is directed to ''You" as an individual and they therefore expand the scope of this requirement beyond the range of the basic requirements upon the communities to appoint...Read more...