Home » Bo

Tag: Bo

Jan 29

Shine!

While studying Daf Yomi – a page a day of Talmud study – this past Shabbos, the Talmud discussed various questions Jewish heretics asked the Sages and what their responses were. One of the questions posed to Rabban Gamliel was, “I know that when ten men gather together to pray and form a Minyan, the …

Continue reading

Jan 18

Bubbles Over!

Last week’s Parsha concludes with the seventh plague of hail mixed with fire, during which Pharoh finally gave in to G-d’s power and proclaimed, “This time I have sinned: Hashem is the Righteous One, and I and my people are the wicked ones.” The Torah tells us that after Moshe prayed and the plague abruptly …

Continue reading

Jan 26

Pause!

The fourth of the Ten Commandments is that we must remember and observe the holy day of Shabbos. The institution of Shabbos is so that we remember that G-d ceased from creative activities on the seventh day of creation. In addition, the Torah states that it is a remembrance of our servitude in Egypt. The …

Continue reading

Jan 06

Opportunity is Calling!

At the conclusion of Shabbos, we recite the blessing of Havdalla, which means separation. Within the blessing we mention various separations that G-d created; between holy and secular, between light and darkness, between Israel and the nations; between the seventh day and the six days of labor. Rabbi Zalman Sorotzkin o.b.m. points out something attention-grabbing. …

Continue reading

Jan 21

Perception!

This Torah portion speaks of the final three plagues that G-d brought upon the Egyptians which finally freed the Jews from Egypt. A common thread in these three plagues is that they all had an element of darkness in them. The Torah tells us that the dense swarm of locust darkened the land of Egypt. …

Continue reading

Jan 30

Wealth!

G-d created within us a Yetzer Harah – our evil inclination – that works tirelessly to stir up our inner passion and wild side. It encourages us to have a rebellious and anti-establishment attitude, to become naysayers and doubters, and for us to loathe religion and break rules. G-d placed the evil inclination within us …

Continue reading

Jan 10

Take Notice!

  Darkness, the ninth plague that G-d sent upon the Egyptians was different from all the other plagues insofar as there was nothing that was created differently or altered – darkness just descended. The Medrash gives us two reasons why G-d brought the plague of darkness upon the Egyptians. 1) There were Jews in Egypt …

Continue reading

Sep 26

Answers to Some Whys

(Torah Portion Bo) Answers to Some Whys Has it ever bothered you, why the Jews deserved to suffer so many years of slavery in Egypt? The Torah relates that when G-d told our forefather Avraham that his children would inherit the Land of Israel, he asked G-d for a sign of confirmation. Immediately G-d informed …

Continue reading

Sep 26

Compensation for All the Hard Work

(Torah Portion Bo) Compensation for All the Hard Work There are two sections in this week’s parsha that contain the commandment to write and wear Tefilin – Phylacteries. These sections are two of the four sections that make up our Tefilin. I recall reading a story of a Jewish teenager living in Communist Russia who …

Continue reading

Sep 26

Body and Soul

(Torah Portion Bo) Body and Soul Because the Jewish first-born males were spared during the final plague against the Egyptians, G-d commanded that the first issue of a woman’s womb if it is a male is to be sanctified to G-d. The father of this first born male must redeem his son from a Kohain …

Continue reading