(Torah Portion Metzorah) The Children! The Torah is very demanding on us to be extra vigilant to refrain from speaking ill of others. Two Portions of the Torah are dedicated to describing Tzoraas maladies that come upon a person, his clothing, or his house as a result of his loose chatter regarding the negative qualities …
Category: 5776
Sep 27
Freedom to Serve
(Dvar Torah on Pesach 5776) Freedom to Serve! Since I have been asked a few times recently, “What is the purpose of the discussion of the exodus at the Seder?” I feel it important to focus on. Our Exodus from Egypt was a monumental event. Never in history has there been a nation enslaved in …
Sep 27
time to sing
(Dvar Torah on Last Days of Pesach 5776) Time to Sing! When reading the Hagadah we come upon a fascinating, yet often overlooked, paragraph, which discusses the magnitude of the miracles G-d performed at the splitting of the Red Sea. One opinion states that there were 250 plagues wrought against the pursuing Egyptians at the …
Sep 27
counting up
(Torah Portion Acharai Mos) Counting Up! We are currently in the Omer period. The Omer derives its name from a special sacrificial offering of barley flour that was offered in the Temple on the second day of Pesach. This offering of barley flour is known as the Omer offering because it was the volume of …
Sep 27
Listen to Who!
(Torah Portion Kedoshim) Listen to Who! There is a verse in our portion that states: “Each person must revere their mother and father, and My Shabbos you should observe, I am Hashem your G-d.” The glaring question is what is the connection between having reverence for parents and the Mitzvah of observing the Shabbos? Rashi …
Sep 27
Second Chances!
(Torah Portion Emor) Second Chances! In the beginning of the Torah when G-d’s name is first mentioned He is referred to as Elokim, which connotes strict Judgment. Later on, the Torah refers to Him as Hashem, which connotes mercy, along with the Name Elokim which connotes judgment. Our Sages teach us that at first G-d …
Sep 27
Rebbe Akiva!
(Torah Portion Behar) Rebbe Akiva! Our Sages tell us that 24,000 students of the famous Rabbi Akiva died in the days between the holidays of Pesach and Shavuos. The Talmud tells us that all of the students died from the same ailment and that they died because they did not give the proper respect to …
Sep 26
Just Raising a Hand!
(Torah Portion Shemos) Just Raising a Hand! The Torah relates that Moshe, who would eventually lead the Jewish people, was raised in the palace of Pharoh. When Moshe was three months old and in danger of being killed by the Egyptians his mother placed him in a basket in the Nile and he was found …
Sep 26
Gratitude!
(Torah Portion Vaeirah) Gratitude! We know that the Jews were bitterly enslaved by the Pharoh. But what were they forced to do? The Torah tells us that the Jews built the areas of Pisom and Ramses, which contained large warehouses used to store the immense wealth that Egypt had accumulated, (primarily through Yosef’s efforts.) Our …
Sep 26
Stubborn to a Fault!
(Torah Portion Bo) Stubborn to a Fault! The description of all the ten plagues G-d brought upon the Egyptians is contained in last week’s and this week’s portions of the Torah. The Medrash tells us that the plagues took the course of a full year. Rabainu Bachaya explains that the year began when G-d dispatched …