In this week’s parsha, Parshas Vayeira, Avraham Avinu is tested with his tenth, and most difficult, test: Akeidas Yitzchak, the Binding of Isaac. “Take your son, your only one, the one that you love, Yitzchak, and go for yourself to the land of Moriah, and...
At the end of this week’s parsha, Parshas Noach, we meet Avraham Avinu, the father of the Umah Yisraelis, the Jewish nation. Avraham Avinu, who was tested with ten tests and passed them all. From the flames of Nimrod’s fiery furnace to the Binding of...
Sefer Bereishis, Parshas Bereishis, In the Beginning Hashem Created… When we closed the book of Devarim on Simchas Torah, we left Moshe atop Mt. Nevo, we left the Israelite nation poised to cross the Jordan River under the tutelage of Yehoshua, and we left forty years...
Moshe then calls to Yehoshua - who will lead the nation after Moshe’s demise - and encourages him as well: חֲזַק וֶאֱמָץ--כִּי אַתָּה תָּבוֹא אֶת-הָעָם הַזֶּה, אֶל-הָאָרֶץ - Be strong and courageous, for you shall come with this people to the Land…(see Devarim 31:1-7). Moshe speaks...
We are now hours away from the Yom Ha’Din, the awesome Day of Judgement, Rosh HaShana 5776. It is interesting to consider the different names for our New Year: ראש השנה - The New Year; literally The Head of the Year. I heard a beautiful insight last...
In this week’s parsha, Parshas Ki Savo, the Torah tells us that when we will be blessed, Hashem will put us לְרֹאשׁ, וְלֹא לְזָנָב, וְהָיִיתָ רַק לְמַעְלָה, וְלֹא תִהְיֶה לְמָטָּה - for the head and not for the tail, we shall be only above and...
This week’s Dvar Torah is dedicated to my dear son, Yitzchak Yonatan, who came up with the title for the post: “The Weapon of Friendship.” At the end of this week’s Parsha, Parshas Ki Seitzei, the Torah records that Amalek attacked us when we were leaving...
R’ Simcha Bumin of Peshischa explains that with the double lashon, the Torah is teaching us that we must pursue righteousness by means of righteousness, by ways of tzidkus and yashrus, just and straight paths. For one who wants to cling to holiness must do...
In this week’s Parsha, Parshas Eikev, Moshe recounts that after he broke the first set of luchos - in the aftermath of the sin of the golden calf (Deut.9:15-17) — he carved a second set of luchos. Moshe now had a broken set of Stone...
In this week’s Parsha, Parshas V’Eschanan, we have the all encompassing, all powerful verses which make up the prayer known as the “Shema Yisrael” (Deut.6:4-9). The verse states: וּקְשַׁרְתָּם לְאוֹת, עַל-יָדֶךָ; וְהָיוּ לְטֹטָפֹת, בֵּין עֵינֶיךָ - You shall bind them as a sign on your hand,...