But What About The Current Situation?
After the presentation, I heard the latest news from Israel. But it seemed that in Italy tonight, we had somehow covered the current situation.
After Noah: The Mystery Of The Flood
Why does the Torah use the Name that connotes Divine mercy rather than Divine judgement when telling of the Creator's decision to destroy humankind? Could there be more to this story?
Revitalizing Our Prayers – Part Sixteen
The Malbim defines Judges as those who govern the laws of jurisprudence between man and his fellow, while the Advisors are those who give us counsel to succeed in our relationship with Hashem.
The Morality Of Love
Something implicit in the Torah from the very beginning becomes explicit in the book of Devarim. God is the God of love. More than we love Him, He loves us. Here, for instance, is the beginning of this week’s parshah:
“If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the Lord your God will keep his covenant of love [et ha-brit ve-et ha-chessed] with you, as he swore to your ancestors. He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers” (Deuteronomy 7:12-13).
Beshalah: Between Freedom & Liberation
Between the smashing of Egypt's military at the Sea of Reeds and the war against Amalek at Rephidim, the Hebrews had to develop a national perception of Emuna in preparation for receiving the Torah.
What The Mann Was All About
While the mann was an enormous chesed that Hashem did for Bnei Yisrael in the midbar, its main purpose was to be a lesson in faith.
Raising The Mishkan Before The Wooden Frame
There is a widespread custom to begin reading Shir HaShirim on the first of Nissan, in part because “the first shoots are seen in the land, the time of pruning has arrived, and the voice of the turtle dove can be heard in our land” (Shir HaShirim 2:12).
Learning To Enjoy This World
Hashem created those sacs so that there would be another dimension to our enjoyment. The sensation of eating an orange would be different without this feature.
Aleph Beta: Shelach: Relating To A Vengeful God
What was so bad about the spies sin and how can we connect to such an angry, vengeful God?
Good Questions And Bad Questions
Perhaps on a deeper level, the mitzvah of parah adumah at this junction was not just to purify the body, but the spirit as well.
Unconditional Chesed
Only a woman whose being was suffused with the characteristic of chesed would be a suitable wife for Yitzchak, and that was not a quality that could be discerned with a miracle.
A Compassionate Heart
In order to perform acts of kindness with each other, they would each have to overlook the deficits and defects of the other.
The Big And The Small Ladders
Hashem’s bounty descends from the sources of His will, and the deeds of the tzaddik ascend from the dust of the earth from which we are all made.
Parshat Shelach
A truly great leader is someone who not only leads and influences his immediate circle, but the broader world as well.
A Ray Of Light
It appears that we have circumstances where the day became dark, even though it was still daytime and, in contrast scenarios where there was light in the darkness. Both portend good for the Jewish nation.
Receiving The Shabbos And Connecting To Hashem
Additionally, the day of Shabbos intrinsically carries with it a potential for spirituality and connection to Hashem that no other day has.
Should Children Come To Shul On Shavuos?
Jewish children, particularly before the age of bar mitzvah, are effected for life when they immerse themselves in Torah study.
Geneivah And Gezeilah
At the conclusion of this week’s parshah, the Torah discusses the halachos of one who stole from another. The pasuk says, “veheishiv es hagezeilah asher gazal – and he shall return the stolen object that he stole.” We derive from this that there is a mitzvas assei to return a stolen object.
I Spy
I can empathize with the Children of Israel wanting to send spies to see the land they were to conquer. Once they could see with x-ray vision, "The entire people saw the thunder...the sound of the shofar" but now, no longer
Anomaly In The Classroom
The Rambam writes in the laws of teshuva that it is customary for the Jewish people to give extra tzedakah during these days. The Mishnah Berurah writes that doing as many mitzvot as we can will tip the scales in our favor on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.
Act Poor
Rabbi Salanter said we must all act like poor men when it comes to matters of ruchniyus.
Seeking Forgiveness
A person who tells disparaging stories of others that are untrue in order to find favor by others is punished from Heaven. He is afflicted with leprosy, he becomes impure, he has to be isolated and distanced from the rest of the Jewish people. In this way the person learns not to speak lashon hara anymore.
Envy Will Bury You Alive
Parshat Korach reminds us that seeing the good we have, and not coveting the good others have, is more urgent than almost anything else.
PARSHAS KI SEITZEI
When a person sins, he is not planning ahead for his ultimate future. This is behaving like an animal. As such, a sinner is demoted from "Adam" to "Biheimah." But, when a person decides to do Teshuvah (repent), he is thinking ahead. Once again, he regains his title of "Adam."
Natural Miracles
The Jews were doing well in Persia. Achashverosh afforded them equal rights and even invited them to his banquet. They did not need the Torah any longer to survive, and were doing just fine without it.
TORAH SHORTS: Parshat Naso: Influence and Charity
In helping others, we shall help ourselves, for whatever good we give out completes the circle and comes back to us. -Flora Edwards
Finding Just the Right Gift… for God
Rather than keeping it only to herself, Chava showed her love for her husband by sacrificing her own consumption of the fruit, allowing him to eat part of it instead.
Seeing The Judgment
There is a period of fact finding, a period of deliberation, and then the decision is read for all to hear. At that point, the judge, the jury, the defendant, and all in attendance know the ruling.
Bread And Torah – Or Torah And Bread?
Instinctively, one would think the Torah is more important because it is the reason for the existence of the entire world.
Say Thank You Before Please
The purpose of performing even the most basic mitzvot is in order that they should not be forgotten when we return to Eretz Yisrael.