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)
Read more...
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?
Read more...
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...
PARASHA: Re Ah
08/06/2021 09:26:31 AM
The importance of charity
"You shall fear G-d…" (10,20)
Rabbi Shimon the son of Chalafta once attended a feast after a circumcision. At the end of the meal on his way out, he met the Angel of Death laughing. Rabbi Shimon said to him, "Why are you laughing?" The Angel of Death answered him, "Because at the meal the father of the baby announced...Read more...
EKEV
07/30/2021 12:09:59 PM
Basic and essential
"You shall fear G-d…" (10,20)
Hagaon Rabbi Elchanan Wasserman, the Rosh Yeshiva of Branowich used to say: "It is a mistake to think that Fear of G-d is one attribute amongst many that a person should have and that someone without it is a person missing one quality only.
Actually, a person without Fear of G-d is not worthy of being called a Man...Read more...
Vaethanan - Shabbat Nachamu
07/23/2021 09:25:44 AM
"For I die in this land, I do not cross over the Jordan…"(4, 22)
His place in Gan Eden
The Migaleh Amukot wrote that before the passing of Moshe Rabeinu, G-d showed him his place in Gan Eden and the verse alluded to that in the words "עלה ראש הפסגה ושא עיניך ימה, וצפנה ותימנה ומזרחה." –...Read more...
DVARIM - SHABBAT CHAZON
07/16/2021 11:04:53 AM
"Thus says G-d – what iniquity have your fathers found… that they have gone far from me and have walked after vanity and are becoming themselves worthless" (Yirmiyahu 2,5)
Distancing
On the verse in the Haftara on Shabbat - "Thus says G-d – what iniquity have your fathers found in Me that they have gone far from me" - our Sages ob'm have explained how serious it is distancing from...Read more...
MATOT MASEI
07/16/2021 11:03:03 AM
The Three Weeks
"And all of your children/builders shall be taught of G-d…" (Yeshaya 54)
During these days "Between the straits" we mourn the destruction of the two Temples; but we also yearn and hope with all our hearts and souls that we merit very soon to the building of the third Temple in its total glory and majesty.
Read more...
PINCHAS
07/02/2021 12:12:12 PM
Pinchas son of Elazar the son of Aharon th Priest has turned My wrath... by jealously making My rights valid amongst them..." (25,11)
The portions beginning and ending with Ashrei entail the initials for "Those who love G-d detest evil" and by detesting evil a person merits to be saved from terrible damage that can come about from the...Read more...
BALAK
06/25/2021 02:42:30 PM
The power of Amen
" … G-d his G-d is with him and the homage to a king מלך is in him."
It says in the Sefer Hagan: …and when he makes a blessing he must bless out loud so that his friend will answer Amen and if he does so, and if G-d forbid a curse had been decreed against him, then the curse turns into a blessing.
We find an allusion to...Read more...
CHUKAT
06/18/2021 01:55:05 PM
What merit?
"… 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 the description of the victory of the Children of Israel over two kings east of the Jordan River, Sichon the King of Amora and Og the King of Bashan. It is surprising that after the decisive victory over Sichon Moshe Rabeinu was...Read more...
KORACH
06/10/2021 05:23:43 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...Read more...
SCHLACH
06/04/2021 01:24:47 PM
How is it permissible?
"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)
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...
BIHAALTOCHA
05/28/2021 10:40:44 AM
"And this is the workmanship of the Candelabrum…." (8,4)
The difficulty
Rabbi Shaul Yedidya, the Grand Rabbi of Modzhitz says: Our Sages tell us that when G-d commanded Moshe to make the Menorah it was hard for Moshe Rabenu and even though G-d showed him with His Finger how the candelabrum should be made, as it says, "this is the...Read more...
PARASHAT NASSO
05/20/2021 05:29:38 PM
"G-d make His face shine upon you…." (6,25)
“There is nothing else except Him”.
A wonderful story of the extent of confidence a person must have that "there is nothing else except Him" (that appears in the sefer Tuvcha Yabiu):
"A man went with his wife to give birth. Since all the births until...Read more...
BAMIDBAR-SHAVUOT
05/13/2021 04:07:33 PM
"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...Read more...