Pesach II 5784
Pesach II תשפד The Pesach holiday which commemorates the release of the Jewish nation from 210 years of slavery in Egypt is celebrated in the month of Nissan. Nevertheless, we are commanded to remember the Exodus from Egypt twice…
Pesach 5784
This year, especially, as we approach the holiday of Pesach, we may feel like the Jews in Egypt did before Hashem redeemed them. It seems as if the world is caving in around us. Antisemitism is rapidly accelerating as…
Parshas Shemini 5784
Parshat Shemini תשפד I was once asked, “Rabbi, you say that Judaism is the only true religion; the Christians say that Christianity is, and the Moslems say that Islam is! How do you know you are right?” I would like…
Parshas Tzav 5784
Parshat Tzav תשפ"ד This week’s portion, Tzav, details the different types of animal or grain sacrifices that one may need to bring. A sacrifice is called a קרבן (korban), the root of which isקרב - which means to bring close.…
Purim 5784
Purim תשפ"ד מגילת אסתר (Megilat Esther), The Book of Esther, chronicles the series of events leading up to Haman’s death decree for every Jewish man, woman, and child, and the dramatic, unprecedented turn of events, which brought about their salvation…
Parshas Pekudei 5784
Parshat Pekudei תשפ"ד This week’s portion begins by telling us (Exodus 38:21) that Moshe gave a reckoning of all the gold, silver, and brass that was used in the Mishkan’s (Tabernacle) construction. (כא) אֵלֶּה פְקוּדֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן מִשְׁכַּן הָעֵדֻת אֲשֶׁר…
Parshas Vayakhel 5784
Parshat Vayakhel תשפ"ד Parshat ויקהל - Vayakhel describes in detail how the artisan Betzalel and his helpers executed each of the instructions of how to build the Mishkan (the Tabernacle) and its components. Divinely conceived, it is reasonable to assume…
Parshas Ki Tisa 5784
Parshat Ki Tisa תשפד This year, in shuls around the world, Parashat Ki Tisa will be read on Shabbat two weeks in a row! This coming Shabbat, it will be read for the first time as the portion of the…
Parshat Tezaveh 5784
Parshat Tezaveh תשפד Parshat Tezaveh is the second of the Torah’s four portions that deal with the construction of the portable tabernacle in the desert – the Mishkan. Parshat Terumah, which we read last week, contains the instructions for the…
Parshas Teruma 5784
Teruma תשפד Moshe descended Mount Sinai with the second set of tablets engraved with the Ten Commandments on the first Yom Kippur after the Jews came out of Egypt. The next day, Moshe commanded the people to bring their…