Monthly Archives: October 2020

Bo 5781

Bo

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LESS MAKES MORE

In this week’s Parsha, Bo, we became a people. Not a regular people, but specifically the people of HaShem. This happened through the command HaShem gave us and our fulfilling that command. There were two mitzvos in that command. The first mitzvah was to prepare and offer the Pesach offering to be eaten on the night of the 15th of Nissan. The second mitzvah was to circumcise every male in our nation. If, for whatever reason, they were not circumcised they were not able to participate in the first mitzvah. In fact, if one’s child or slave was not circumcised the father/owner could not participate in the Pesach offering either.

What is the significance of the Bris-Milah that it forms the cornerstone of our becoming the People of HaShem?

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Va’era 5781

Vaeira

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HUMILITY WELCOMES HUMILITY

Before bringing the seventh plague of Borod, hailstones, on the Egyptians, in which HaShem sent down from heaven fire within hailstones, Moshe warned Pharaoh, “This time I will send all My plagues upon your heart and on your servants and on your people so that you will know that there is none like Me on the entire earth.” Why does Moshe refer to this single plague as “all My plagues” it was only one of ten?

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Shemos 5781

Shmos

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WOOD OR ELEPHANT?

As we begin the Book of Shemos in which our people are born, I would like to share an insight presented by the Maharal through which we can appreciate who we, as a people, and how we ought to perceive ourselves. The importance of our self perception goes beyond feeling proud of who we are. It impacts how we feel towards our fellow Jew and the responsibility it places on us.

Everything in this world can be defined in two ways; by its chomer or by its tzura. Chomer is the physical material from which it is made. Tzura is the form which it holds. Let us give two illustrations, the first a concrete the second abstract.

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Vayechi 5781

Vayechi

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HEAVY PACK, NO SLEEP, GESHMAK!

Before our father Yaakov passes, he blesses his 12 sons, each one with their unique blessing that fits their destiny. To Yissocher he says “Yissocher is a large bone donkey (able to carry heavy loads) and rests between the boundaries (along the road with the loads on his back). And he sees that tranquility is good and lowers his shoulder to take on more burden.”

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Vayigash 5781

Vayigosh

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THE SAFETY LINE

This week’s Parsha, Vayigash, opens at the climax of the drama playing out between Yosef and Yehudah. In last week’s Parsha Benyomin was implicated in stealing Yosef’s goblet for which Yosef committed Benyomin to be his slave. The Parsha ended in the middle of a dialogue between Yehudah and Yosef in which Yehudah offered to serve as a slave instead of Benyomin and to allow Benyomin to go home to his father. Yosef, however, would not budge. He insisted that Benyomin serve as his slave and Yehudah return home. Our Parsha begins with the continuation of that dialogue as Yehudah tries to shake Yosef’s decision. The Torah’s opening verse states “And Yehudah approached him…” We must ask, Yehudah was already standing before Yosef and was already engaged in speaking with him, what is the intent of this additional “approach”?

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