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 Chanuka - Teach Your Children Well .: Viewed: 1975 times :.
Crosby Stills and Nash had a number one hit song called “Teach Your Children Well.” Were they singing about the Festival of Chanuka? Because the Talmud Shabbat 23 states, “One who is careful about Chanuka lights will have children who are Torah scholars.” Rashi explains this enigmatic passage referring to the verse in Mishlei 6 which states, “A candle is a Mitzva...
Published: December 9, 2019 |
The Ishmaelite Caravan-Perfume? .: Viewed: 1973 times :.
"Yosef's brothers raised their eyes and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilad, and their camels were carrying sweet spices, and perfume." (Bereshit 37)
Rashi asks why does the Torah gives us this seemingly needless information. Why do we need to know what the Ismaelites were carrying?
Rashi explains that usually, Arab caravans transported petroleum and other foul-smelling...
Published: December 21, 2016 |
The Chillul Hashem of False Piety .: Viewed: 1969 times :.
Earlier this month, a group of IDF soldiers were cursed and assaulted by "Chareidim" in Mea Shearim. The police had to escort the Soldiers out of the Shul in which they were praying.
The appropriate response would have been to let the soldiers pray and instead arrest the violent individuals. Physical and verbal assaults and the incitement of violence are criminal acts.
The fact...
Published: November 10, 2016 |
Sefer Bereshit - G-d’s Love Letter to Us .: Viewed: 1967 times :.
The entire Sefer Bereshit contains only three mitzvoth out of the 613. So why do we need to know all the episodes and stories taking place in Sefer Bereshit? Kabbalah compares the Torah, but especially Sefer Bereshit, to a mirror and teaches us that each and every person is reflected in it and can see himself in the Torah. According to Kabbalah, the soul of each and every Jewish person ever...
Published: November 8, 2017 |
Jerusalem – The Original D.C. .: Viewed: 1964 times :.
Where does the name Yerushalayim come from? The answer is given by Tosfot in Tractate Taanit, 16 who state that the name Yerushalayim is a combination of two words, one uttered by Avraham at the Akeda (Bereshis 22), "Har Hashem Yeiraeh", which means "The mountain where G-d will be seen", and the city was already called Shalem, (peace), by Malkitzedek (Bereshis 14). Thus, the city of...
Published: May 12, 2014 |
Rabbi Akiva’s Seder - Coping With Corona .: Viewed: 1962 times :.
Can Rabbi Akiva’s Seder of almost 2,000 years ago help us to cope with Coronavirus in the year 2020?
The Pesach Haggada states, that five Sages, Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues, were telling of the Exodus from Egypt all night at the Seder, until their disciples came and said to them, "Our Rabbis, the time for the recital of the morning Shema has arrived."
The Seder is all about both...
Published: March 29, 2020 |
Yom Kippur - The YICHUD of God and Israel .: Viewed: 1958 times :.
“For on this day, He shall grant Atonement for you, to purify you, from all of your sins shall you be pure before G‑d.” (Vayikra 16:30)
Jay and the Americans had a hit song in the 60’s called “Let’s Lock the Door.” Jay attended Yeshiva Torat Emet in Boro Park. Was he singing about the NEILA (lock the gate) Prayer on Yom Kippur?
The Hebrew word for the...
Published: April 21, 2020 |
Yosef's Brothers See the Light .: Viewed: 1956 times :.
“Yosef’s brothers then said one to another, but we are guilty concerning our brother as we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us and we paid no attention, that is why this anguish has come upon us.” (Bereshis 42:21)
This verse describes how Yosef’s brothers became introspective on experiencing the strange and cruel behavior of the Egyptian Viceroy...
Published: December 16, 2019 |
Time - Life’s Most Precious Gift .: Viewed: 1952 times :.
“This month shall be for you the beginning of all the months.” (Shemot 12:2) This verse contains the very first Mitzva that Klal Yisrael received as we were about to become a free and independent nation, right before the Exodus from Egypt.
Seforno explains that this Mitzva of Rosh Chodesh was presented first because its essence – that we Jews are masters over our time...
Published: January 3, 2019 |
How G-d’s Children Should React to Grief .: Viewed: 1951 times :.
“You are Children to your G-d, thus you shall not cut yourselves as a sign of mourning for the dead.” (Devarim: 14:1). Being G-d's Chosen People, His unique treasure in this world, carries with it awesome responsibilities. Since G-d calls us His Children, we are commanded to exercise constraint when mourning for the passing of a loved one. The pagans mutilated their bodies as an...
Published: August 6, 2017 |
Avraham’s Addition .: Viewed: 1945 times :.
“And Avraham ADDED, and took a wife whose name was Ketura”. (Bereshit 25:1) The word VAYOSEF – ADDED in this verse seems to be extra. To what did Avraham ADD by marrying Ketura?
To answer this question, Rav Feinstein asks another question. When Avraham married Ketura he was already 140 years old. The Talmud in Basa Basra 17 states that Avraham experienced the pleasures of...
Published: October 30, 2018 |
Yaakov’s 70 Nation Builders .: Viewed: 1942 times :.
“The total number of souls of Yaakov’s household who came to Egypt was 70 persons.” (Bereshis 46:27) The Prophet Isaiah states that the mission of the Jewish People is to be a light to the 70 nations of the world. By descending into the Egyptian exile, the nucleus of the Jewish People (Yaakov and his family) began the process of elevating and transforming the 70 nations of...
Published: December 26, 2019 |
Matan Torah - Unity, NOT Uniformity! .: Viewed: 1939 times :.
When G d gave us the Torah on Shavuot, "the Jewish People all responded with a single voice’, We will keep every word that G d has spoken'" (Shemot 24:3). Was this one-time phenomenon, in which every Jew was identical to every other in his conduct and thought, an ideal situation? Alternatively, might it not be that beyond every Jew's obligation to fulfill the 613 Mitzvot and to believe...
Published: May 5, 2020 |
A Diary of Life .: Viewed: 1936 times :.
“These are the journeys of the Children of Israel. Moshe wrote their goings forth according to their journeys at the command of Hashem, and these were their journeys according to their goings forth.” (Bamidbar 33:1-2)
Parshat Masai begins with a review of the 42 encampments that Israel made in their 40 year journey through the Wilderness. Rashi notes that this is an illustration...
Published: July 5, 2021 |
Yom Kippur - G-d’s Debate with Israel .: Viewed: 1934 times :.
The Mishna in Yoma 8 states, "Sins that are between a person and his fellow Jew are NOT atoned for on Yom Kippur." One cannot offend and harm another person and ask for forgiveness from G-d. Forgiveness must be asked and can only come from the person that we hurt, and only he can pardon us.
Thus, on the morning of Yom Kippur we read the amazing words of the prophet, Yeshayahu, (Ch.58) where...
Published: August 31, 2018 |