Dovid Saks
Author's posts
Jan 18
Acceleration!
The Torah tells us that the Jews were in Egypt for 430 years. However, if one makes a simple calculation one can see that from the time our forefather Yaacov descended with his family to Egypt until they left was only 210 years. How do we reconcile this discrepancy? G-d in His compassion for His …
Jan 11
All About Me!
The Pharohs of Egypt were around for a long time, and already starting with our forefather Avraham and his wife Sarah, they interacted with us. The Torah relates that when Avraham traveled to Egypt because of a famine in Israel, Sarah, because of her extreme beauty was taken to the Pharoh. The Torah relates that …
Jan 04
Feeling Pain!
Over the past few weeks the Jewish people have suffered three tragedies. Two families died in a plane crash, and a house fire took the lives of a mother and her three children, leaving a heroic husband and two children in critical condition. Bottom line, the Jewish people are one family. A tragedy affecting one …
Dec 28
A Quick Fast!
Today is the public fast of Asarah B’Teves – the Tenth day of the Hebrew month of Teves. Our prophets established it as a day of fasting to commemorate a tragic event that took place in our history on this day. The Temple Mount in Jerusalem, the most holy place on earth, is where our …
Dec 21
Between Walls!
When our forefather Yaacov was given the astonishing and wonderful news that his son Yosef was indeed alive after having he had assumed him dead for the past twenty-two years, Yaacov decided to travel from the Land of Israel to join Yosef in Egypt. The Torah relates that G-d appeared to Yaacov before he traveled …
Dec 14
Maccabees!
During the Holiday of Chanukah we add a paragraph of gratitude called Al Hanissim – on the miracles – to our Amidah prayers and to the Birchat Hamazon. This prayer describes the rough situation the Jews were in during the Greek regime over the Land of Israel when the Greeks viciously implemented anti-religious edicts against …
Dec 07
Friction!
The Torah relates that there was much tension between Yosef and his brothers, which was exacerbated when Yosef related to them his dreams that portrayed him as a ruler over them. Their father, Yaacov, gave Yosef special treatment which didn’t help matters. Surprisingly, although Yaacov knew all this, he instructed Yosef to check up on …
Nov 30
Heart to Heart!
When one looks at a Torah Scroll, he will see the beautiful and carefully scribed block letters of the Ashuris font, but he will immediately notice that the Nekudos – the vowels which are the key to vocalizing the correct pronunciation of the word – are absent. There are certain words in Hebrew that are …
Nov 22
Pricey Painting!
Just the other week, Christies Auction House placed a Da Vinci painting on the auction block, and after twenty minutes of bidding, it went for a whopping Four Hundred and Fifty Million dollars! That’s almost a half Billion dollars! What I found more intriguing than finding out the identity of the anonymous purchaser, was that …
Nov 16
Cover-up!
The Torah in this week’s Parsha deals with the twin brothers, Yaacov and Aisav. Even in utero the different personalities of the twins were discernible. When their mother would pass a house of Torah study she felt Yaacov’s fetus kicking to get out and when she passed a place of idol worship she felt Aisav’s …