Viewing The World Through A Divine Lens
By expressing, in terms they could comprehend, the Torah’s profound mystical secrets, he provided his disciples a window into his own overarching perspective and exalted vision.
Parshat Hukkat: Moshe and Aharon’s Lack of Emunah
With Moshe at the rock, I wonder whether the Gemara implies Moshe had trouble believing words alone could do the trick.
Idleness Is Deadly
The nation had nothing to do. There was no mission to accomplish, no sense of urgency, and about this our sages wrote: "Idleness leads to boredeom and boredom leads to sin."
The Day The Rebbe Arrived In New York
Today, the challenge is to bring the Torah’s teachings, including its deepest mystical concepts, to Jews far from Torah as a means of drawing them back to Yiddishkeit.
Don’t Worry
Because the Jewish people lacked emunah, they became troubled and confused.
Redeeming Relevance: Parshat Korach: What to do When Our Decisions Bring Casualties
Many of the commentators find a disturbingly strong rationale in the Jews’ complaint mentioned above. The complainers were essentially blaming Moshe for setting up a murderous trap for the two hundred and fifty men that contested the choice of Aharon and his sons as priests.
Passionate Yearning
When R’ Menachem regained consciousness, he…cried bitterly because he had not worn tefillin that day.
Chabad’s 70 Years In Morocco
Despite decades of intense communist persecution, they had steadfastly remained faithful to the Torah.
What Makes Moshe’s Prophecy Unique?
In a world devoid of prophecy, it becomes exceedingly difficult to understand or even relate to the propehcy
Just Follow Hashem’s Lead
Sometimes we set up camp for a short period of time and other times for a much longer period.
A Cascade, Not a Single Bad Choice: Parshat Shelah
R. Lichtenstein saw how the spies could have turned the event around for the better, and I find his logic shows us many other candidates as well.
Praying For A Hero
Until he got sick, Yudi, of course, had never missed a day of wearing tefillin since his bar mitzvah.
The Day After
The Torah offers us something new: learning for the sake of learning. In the world of competition this is something exceptional.
Keeping The Peace
Discord and divide in government has trickled down to the everyday man.
Redeeming Relevance: Parshat Behaalotecha: Just Trying to Improve Things
In this week's parsha, there is an unusually insightful process of how a little complaint can undermine a gigantic and noble enterprise:
An Exodus Of Souls
By observing a mitzvah, we rise and become united with, and absorbed in, Hashem’s holiness and infinitude.
From The Virus To Mount Sinai
We did not huddle together because of Pharaoh or the Egyptians or the Nazis or any other threat.
Why Was Moshe Scared?
It is man’s triumph over his yetzer hara that brings true honor to Hashem.
Torah Study Recreates the Sinai Experience
Chag Sameach!
There’s Reason To Protest
“Mi laHashem eilei!” is a charge to every person in every generation to step up to the plate.
When It All Depends On You
Each individual felt less responsibility for completing the minyan, felt someone else would take his place, and simply excused himself from showing up.
Rabbi Aharon Yaakov Schwei: A Chassidic Rav Exemplar
The family fled on the last train out, embarking on a long trip to Central Asia. German airplanes strafed the train, and they survived only by miracles, said Rabbi Schwei in recalling the fright all his life.
Why Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai?
Most of us don’t understand the Torah of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai at all, but we understand that there is something there, that there is a greater unseen depth to life.
Rabbi Leibel Groner, A True Chassid
He never sat in the Rebbe’s presence – he always stood – almost without movement, listening intently to the Rebbe’s every word and watching him for the slightest indication that he might need something.
Don’t Be Anxious
Hishtadlus is proper; worry and concern are not.
Consistency as a Way to Avoid Tokhakha
Rashi had thought the blessings the parasha details before the tokhaha also started with consistent Torah study. We can initiate a virtuous cycle, consistent Torah study aimed at discovering the best ways to act on Gd’s word, and reap remarkable blessings.
Torah Shorts: Emor: To Challenge our Nature
All things are artificial, for nature is the art of God. -Sir Thomas Browne
Jewish Leadership: When Leaders Are Human: Parshas Emor
We don't seek leaders who transcend human struggle and temptation, sit on mountaintops meditating on their naval. Our leaders are individuals who embrace the physical, uplift it, and connect it to the infinite.
This Too Shall Pass
People who are challenged in extraordinary times are often able, not only to survive, but to flourish.
Remedying The World: Learning From Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai
None of us, of course, can be so presumptuous as to compare ourselves with Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.