Crust And Crumb – Parshat Eikev
When we go shopping, we stock our pantries for a week or more and go to bed in the secure knowledge that at least when we wake up the following morning, there will be food to eat.
Happiness And Simcha – Ki Tavo
Actually, happiness is not necessarily the correct English translation for the word simcha.
Essence Of Chametz
On a chemical level, chametz is a conundrum. The existence of fermentation is not sufficient to define chametz.
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.
The Origin Of The Bagel
Why the different types of matzah and their symbolism? Each had to be offered for a different reason.
Body And Soul
Steering clear of hazardous objects and environments are obligations no less than the above in preserving our bodies and souls.
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.
How Tardiness Destroyed The Mikdash
Chava’s sin, born of frustration at her husband’s lack of diligence, was thinking she could create life without involving Adam or even Hashem.
Purim Bread?
One might say that the menorah and the ketoret were temidin, while the lechem hapanim was only switched once a week, on Shabbat. However, although it was only switched once a week, the lechem hapanim was on the shulchan every day, a korban in itself, a repeating miracle that occurred each day anew.
Anatomy Of Exile
When Yosef entered, Pharaoh tested him – he said hello to him in Dutch, Greek, and Danish and each time Yosef conversed with him fluently in each language and ascended another step until finally he was on the top 70th step together with Pharaoh.
The Rosh Hashana Accounting Miracle
Hashem performs a miracle of accounting because if He did not, none of us would survive the coming year.
Proof Of Ownership
The field of Efron had a bad reputation; it was said to be haunted. Anyone happening to wander into the field reported encountering a demon wielding a sword. As viable real estate it was worthless.
Were There Three Matan Torahs?
Matan Torah on Har Sinai was the second time the Torah was given. It was the first time for Am Yisrael, but preceding this, Hashem gave the Torah to Adam HaRishon in Gan Eden – the Tree of Life, Eitz HaChayim.
A Tale of Two Donkeys
With this in mind, let us contrast two iconic figures in the Torah, both with donkey-related incidents.
Be Straight – Parshat Re’eh
This is the way Hashem wants us to serve Him, not just according to the letter of the law, but beyond that, out of love, and not only because we are obligated and commanded to.
Bread And Slander
As a result of eating from this tree of disparate parts, Adam and Chava themselves became split into disparate parts, the physical and the spiritual, and were no longer the integral unit that Hashem had intended.
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.
A Peace Offering – Parshat Re’ei
Unlike all the other types of Korbanot that are offered to atone for a sin, the Shelamim is offered purely out of love for Hashem.
Red Lights And The Four Stages Of Exile
When Moshe saw two Jews (Datan and Aviram) fighting and tried to stop them, they went and informed to Pharaoh that he had killed an Egyptian guard. Moshe then said, Now I realize why Am Yisrael are in exile in Egypt – it is because they speak lashon hara.
A Floating Mikdash
How could it be that the animals did not attack Noach and his family, or kill each other? They comprised all different rungs in the food chain.
Building The Mishkan: Plan A And Plan B – Parshat Vayakhel
The sefer Ohel Yehoshua explains that in fact Hashem had two distinct plans for building the Mishkan. The original plan preceded the sin of the Golden Calf, after which a Plan B went into effect as a result of the Am Yisrael’s sin.
Two By Two – Kedoshim
If someone can overcome and surpass their natural inclinations in their interactions with their fellow man, they will have less trouble observing the mitzvot בין אדם למקום.
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.
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.
Fat And Kicking
Hashem wants us to visit Him every day, to have a loving daily connection with Him and to ask Him for what we need. A relationship that even when we have what we need, we continue to visit the palace.
Purim And The Mishkan
Assimilation was quite prevalent at the time with many prosperous exiled Jews preferring a liberal, cosmo-political approach as opposed to a conservative, separatist approach. Very few remained true to the old teachings and values, like Mordechai, the former head of the Sanhedrin.
The Two Faces Of G-d
We should try, to the best of our human ability, to grasp the essence of Hashem and emulate it.
Rumblings Of War
Why is Lot so important that Avraham took him along and risked his life to save him?
Sacrifices and Banquets – Vayikra
If the sin originated with food, then its remedy and atonement must involve food. This is why Purim is so food oriented...
Blindsided
If you think Lavan was an arch-villain swindler, he had nothing on the serpent. The serpent was the inventor of swindling, using wiles and deception to trick Chava into eating from the Tree of Knowledge.
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