It’s hard to believe that the year has passed, and that even with the COVID pandemic, R”L, time has not slowed down. Once again, Elul is here. 5780 is on its way out, and we will soon usher in 5781… Elul is a sobering time...
This week’s parsha, Parshas Re’eh, opens with: רְאֵה, אָנֹכִי נֹתֵן לִפְנֵיכֶם--הַיּוֹם: בְּרָכָה, וּקְלָלָה - See, I (Moshe) present before you today a blessing and a curse; אֶת-הַבְּרָכָה--אֲשֶׁר תִּשְׁמְעוּ, אֶל-מִצְות ה’ אלקיכֶם, אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶּה אֶתְכֶם, הַיּוֹם, The blessing that you listen to the commandments of Hashem,...
In this week’s parsha, Parshas Eikev, the Torah warns us regarding the sin of avodah zarah (worshipping gods of others). The pasukim say: פְּסִילֵי אֱלֹהֵיהֶם, תִּשְׂרְפוּן בָּאֵשׁ; לֹא-תַחְמֹד כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב עֲלֵיהֶם, וְלָקַחְתָּ לָךְ--פֶּן תִּוָּקֵשׁ בּוֹ, כִּי תוֹעֲבַת ה’ אלקיךָ הוּא - The carved images of...
As Parshas Devarim is always read the Shabbos before Tisha B’Av, Parshas V’Eschanan is always read the Shabbos after Tisha B’Av. This Shabbos is also known as “Shabbos Nachamu”, the Sabbath of Consolation or Comfort, after the opening words of the Haftorah, נַחֲמוּ נַחֲמוּ, עַמִּי,...
Dear Friends, Please mark your calendars and join me for these upcoming, ALL new, shiurim: *My weekly Sunday shiur, with the Virtual Beis Medrash, meets Sunday July 26 at 10am. To join shiur, use this direct link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/98032436809?pwd=UHY0R3pMdG42R1ZaQ0ZZNS9yek1uQT09 Zoom login information: Meeting ID: 980 3243 6809 - ...
Sefer Devarim, Parshas Devarim, Mishneh Torah. With this week’s keriyas ha’Torah, we open up the fifth book of Chumash, as we journey - along with the Bnei Yisrael - through the final days of Moshe Rabbeinu’s life. The book of Devarim is moving, poetic, heartfelt,...
We are now in the second Shabbos of the mournful Three Weeks, and this Shabbos we conclude the book of Bamidbar, with the reading of the double parshios of Matos-Masei. In Parshas Masei we are commanded: וְהוֹרַשְׁתֶּ֥ם אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ וִֽישַׁבְתֶּם־בָּ֑הּ כִּ֥י לָכֶ֛ם נָתַ֥תִּי אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ לָרֶ֥שֶׁת אֹתָֽהּ,...
In this week’s parsha, Parshas Pinchas, we learn of the Bnos Tzelafchad, מַחְלָה נֹעָה, חָגְלָה מִלְכָּה וְתִרְצָה, from the tribe of Menashe ben Yosef, whose father died without leaving sons. As the Bnei Yisrael prepare to enter the Holy Land under the leadership of Yehoshua...
In the second of this week’s double parshios, Parshas Balak, we learn of King Balak who hired Bilaam, whose last name is rasha (wicked), to curse the Bnei Yisrael. The Israelites are in year forty of their desert wanderings, the first generation (who sinned in the...
In this week’s parsha, Parshas Korach, Korach - a first cousin to Moshe and Aharon - begins an uprising against the leadership of his illustrious cousins, Moshe Rabbeinu and Aharon ha’Kohen. Not satisfied with being “only” a Levi, and wanting more kavod (honor) and gedula...