As we open the fourth book of Torah this Shabbos, Sefer Bamidbar and Parshas Bamidbar, we recall the vast and barren desert wilderness, Bamidbar - in the desert, wherein our forefathers and mothers roamed for forty years. In the desert we wandered; in the desert we...
In the first of this week’s double parshios, Parshas Behar, we learn of the mitzvah ha’telu’yah ba’Aretz (a mitzvah kept only in the land of Israel): Shemittah, the seventh Sabbatical year. The Torah tells us that when we come to the Land, for six years we...
In this week’s parsha, Parshas Emor, the Torah takes us on a journey through the Jewish calendar year. דַּבֵּר אֶל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם, מוֹעֲדֵי ה’, אֲשֶׁר-תִּקְרְאוּ אֹתָם מִקְרָאֵי קֹדֶשׁ--אֵלֶּה הֵם, מוֹעֲדָי - And Hashem spoke to Moshe saying: Speak to the Children of Israel and...
In this week’s parsha, Parshas Kedoshim, we are commanded regarding many mitzvos bein adam l’chavairo (commandments that govern interaction between man and fellow man). Amongst the myriad of mitzvos delineated in this week’s parsha, the Torah commands us to revere our father and mother; leave a...
Dear Friends, I hope that you are all well. For your information, below is the link to access three new shiurim on YUTorah: 1. Sefiras Ha'Omer, Rabbi Akiva & The Search for G-d in All Times - Presented last week at the YI Holliswood; 2. Eretz Yirsael, Our...
זְכֹר יְמוֹת עוֹלָם, בִּינוּ שְׁנוֹת דֹּר-וָדֹר - Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations; שְׁאַל אָבִיךָ וְיַגֵּדְךָ, זְקֵנֶיךָ וְיֹאמְרוּ לָךְ - Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders and they will say to you (Devarim 32:7). Yom Ha’Shoah -...
In this week’s parsha, Parshas Shemini, we read of kosher and not kosher animals, birds and fish. Amongst birds that are forbidden to us is the חֲסִידָה (Vayikra 11:19). We would expect that a bird whose name is derived from the root word .ח.ס.ד - kindness...
Please note: For your convenience, a printer friendly version of the weekly post is always available by accessing the dvar Torah on my site: https://michalhorowitz.com/whats-new/ A PDF of the dvar Torah, which can easily be printed, is also available weekly on www.ParshaSheets.com under “A Short...
Once again, Chodesh Nissan is upon us. Nissan is the month of Nissim (miracles), the month of Redemption, the month of Yetzias Mitzrayim (the Exodus from Egypt), the month in which we celebrate and commemorate Chag ha’Pesach, the festival of freedom. It is an auspicious month...
In this week’s parshios, Vayakhel and Pekudei, we once again close the book of Shemos, also known as Sefer ha’Geula (the Book of Redemption). The Redemption - our journey to freedom and nationhood, began with the Exodus from Egypt, peaked at the Revelation at Sinai...