Bamidbar תשפ"ג This coming Shabbat we begin reading the Torah’s fourth book, Bamidbar - “Numbers,” so -called because in this book the Jewish people are counted twice. The first counting took place on the first day of Iyar, more than…
This Shabbat, we will read two portions, Behar and Bechukotai. In Parshat Bechukotai (Leviticus 26:3-13), Hashem promises the Jewish people that if they keep His commandments, they will receive many blessings and experience no hardships. The rains will fall in…
Emor תשפ"ג This week’s portion contains the mitzvah to “count the omer,” one we are in the midst of fulfilling. Starting from the second day of Passover, we make a blessing every night thanking Hashem for sanctifying us with His…
Acharei Mot - Kedoshim תשפ"ג The famous, oft-quoted, verse, “Love thy neighbor as thyself,” is found in this week’s portion (Leviticus 19:18). יח) לֹא תִקֹּם וְלֹא תִטֹּר אֶת בְּנֵי עַמֶּךָ וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ אֲנִי יְדֹוָד 18) You shall not…
Pesach תשפ"ג The Jews are finally out of Egypt. Hashem has delivered the knockout punch to Pharaoh by killing every first born, and Pharaoh threw the Jews out of Egypt. This chapter in Jewish history, viz, the slavery and the process of…
Parshat Vayikra תשפ"ג This week we begin the third book of the Torah, ויקרא (Leviticus). Another name for this book is תורת כהנים, (the Laws for the Kohanim), because most of it deals with the laws of the service in the Tabernacle, the domain…
שבת החודש - Shabbat HaChodesh On the last day of the month of Adar, as the first sliver of the new moon signaling the beginning of the new month Nissan appeared, Hashem taught Moshe and Aharon the mitzvah of sanctifying the new…
Purim תשפ״ג Our Sages have revealed a deep and profound insight into human nature: אדם נפעל כפי פעולותיו “A person’s character is shaped by his actions.,” that is, person’s deeds will have a profound affect on his character. The 13th century Sefer Hachinuch,…
Teruma תשפג The following ideas were taken from The ,שפתי חיים Rabbi Chaim Friedlander זצ"ל. Before creating Adam, Hashem consulted with the angels. Since man is the purpose of creation, and the angels were created to serve him, Hashem included them in the decision. …
Parshat Mishpatim תשפג And, Parshat Mishpatim starts off in a peculiar way (Exodus 21:1). The Hebrew text begins with a “ו“, which translates as “And,” a word usually used to connect two ideas or concepts. But this is the beginning of a new…