Birkat Kohanim And The Code Of Five – Parshat Naso
According to our Sages there are seven layers in Heaven (this is where the expression seventh heaven comes from). The fifth layer is called Ma'on, and it is from this layer that simcha originates.
Secret Bread Societies – Parshat Bamidbar
The Sages mistakenly interpreted this refusal as an egotistically motivated desire to maintain a monopoly, and they summarily fired the entire Garmu family.
Bagels and the Staff of Life – Behar – Bechukotai
The origin of the bagel is older than you think...
Watch Your Mouth
If you want to understand the origin of something, search for the first time it is mentioned in the Torah.
Jewish Thanksgiving
Every year, Jews in America join the rest of the nation in celebrating national Thanksgiving, on the last Thursday in November. However, we Jews...
A Handful Of Flour
During the seven years of plenty in Egypt and before the seven years of famine, the pasuk says that Yosef divided the land up into Kematzim, which Rashi explains as – stockpiling grains Kometz on Kometz, handful on handful.
Unity vs. Disunity In The Mishkan
Hashem resorted to Plan B, which began by restoring unity within Am Yisrael, and only when that was in place directing the focus to where it was originally intended.
Who Is Worthy To Build The Mishkan?
It is possible to teach a child a Divine crash course in metalwork or stone masonry overnight, but you cannot give a crash course in childlike innocence.
Of Tables, Isaac Newton, And The Holy Temple
The Shulchan symbolizes material wealth, and everything connected with it relates to the morality of wealth and livelihood.
Was There Food On Har Sinai? – Parshat Mishpatim
The Torah here does not say anything about what Moshe ate or drank during those forty days and nights.
Harp Strings Of The Soul – Yitro
The commentaries teach us that the Torah is not a book of stories. It only details things that have a profound lesson to teach us.
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.
Essence Of Chametz
On a chemical level, chametz is a conundrum. The existence of fermentation is not sufficient to define chametz.
Frog’s Bread
Our Sages say that the reason we whisper the above blessing in Hebrew is that we do not want to openly flaunt a blessing we “stole” from the angels.
Did The Ancient Israelites Build The Pyramids? – Parshat Shemot
This fact seems to indicate that we did not build the pyramids, as it is unlikely the Egyptians would have fed enormous amounts of meat to their slaves.
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.
The Song Of The Land
It is clear that Yaakov knew that Yosef was alive and in Egypt. The only question that remains is – did he know that the brothers had sold Yosef into slavery?
Royal Bread And Wine – Vayeishev
Meir Panim notes the principle that the sin of Adam and Chava was comprised of multiple stages, corresponding to the three opinions in the Gemara.
A Lot vs. Everything – Parshat Vayishlach
Our Sages say that if you want to understand the heart of a matter, you read the bottom line.
The First Pesach Seder – Toldot
This is not the first Pesach Seder mentioned in the Torah; that was when the three angels visited Avraham and he instructed Sarah to make matzos.
A Mother’s Blessing – Chayei Sarah
Instead of Avraham donning his “superman cape” and praying to Hashem for help, he defers all responsibility to his wife, Sarah. Avraham seems powerless and totally dependent on Sarah for their salvation.
A Lavish Lunch – Vayeira
After preparing the delicacies, Avraham then waited on the guests, serving milk, butter and the three tongues in mustard sauce. The Malbim says that first Yishmael served the milk and butter and after that, Avraham served the meat, to separate milk and meat according to halacha.
Wine To Gladden The Heart – Parshat Noach
Noach was a tzaddik; his generation had sinned, had not repented, and had been wiped out. This caused Noach extreme grief, not because he now had to contend with a post-apocalyptic world but because he felt that perhaps he did not do enough to prevent it.
Rejoicing the Rain – Shabbat Chol HaMoed Sukkot
Unlike a regular celebration where one hires professional performers, the entertainment in Simchat Beit haShoeva was provided by the Gedolei Hador – the tzaddikim and wise men of the generation.
Why Is Sukkot ‘The Festival of Our Joy’?
The first place that Am Yisrael traveled to after leaving Raamses in Egypt was Sukkot. If we go with this method, that Sukkot was a place, then what was so special about the place Sukkot that warrants us remembering it and celebrating an entire festival around it (according to R’ Akiva)?
Feasting And Fasting – Parshat Vayeilech
Everything we do on Yom Kippur is for the purpose of elevating us to the status of angels.
A Swell, Sweet Year – Nitzavim
We have minhagim to eat various different symbolic foods on the night of Rosh Hashana, somewhat resembling a Pesach Seder. There is one minhag, however, that is universal throughout Am Yisrael and that is eating apple dipped in honey. What is the origin of this minhag?
Fruit And Shopping Lists – Parshat Ki Tavo
Everyone willingly and eagerly went to the Beit HaMikdash, even for two olives and two figs, because when they brought the bikkurim, they could ask Hashem for whatever they wanted, and it would be granted.
Lechem Hapanim And Amalek
Bilam’s advice was that Amalek stood no chance against the spiritually strong in Am Yisrael, but they did have a faint possibility to inflict damage on those in Am Yisrael who were spiritually weak.
Of Trees And Men – Parshat Shoftim
Since the Tree of Knowledge had sinned and not obeyed Hashem’s directive, by all rights it should have been uprooted and destroyed, but that is not what happened.
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