All posts by rabbidiskind

Vayigash 5777

Vayigosh

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THE CLOUD

In this week’s Parsha, Vayigash, Yaakov and his family make their fateful move to Egypt to be with Yosef because of the famine that ravaged the land of Israel. It was fateful on account that this would be the beginning of a 210 year exile which would include over 80 years of bitter enslavement and would conclude with the Exodus. Before the making this move Yaakov sent his son, Yehudah, to establish an academy of Torah study so that when the family would arrive the Yeshiva would already be set up.

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Chanukah 5783

Chanukah

Click for Shlomo Horowitz’s presentation of the Israeli Raid on Iraq’s Nuclear Reactor

When one stands on the same location where a miracle happened to him or his parents there is a special bracha to recite. The same is true on Chanukah when lighting the menorah we recite a bracha commemorating the miracle HaShem performed for our ancestors.

Remembering the miracles HaShem performs for us draws us closer to Him and that closeness opens up yet more channels of salvation.

Reb Shlomo’s presentation is a most magnificent pirsumi nesa. Enjoy and become inspired!

Paysach Diskind

Vayeishev 5783

Vayeishev

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THEY JUST DON’T MIX

Our Sages teach us that the rise of Antiochus and his evil decrees occurred because there was an overwhelming hisrashlus (lack of passion and alacrity) in our performance of mitzvos. It is noteworthy that Chazal do not say that there was diminished observance, only a diminished passion. As long as the mitzvos are being performed why is passion so critical? Also, how did it diminish?

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Vayeishev 5782

Vayeishev

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ASTRONOMICAL PROPORTIONS

This week’s Parsha Vayeishev begins the drama of Yosef and the brothers that will continue through the next several Parshios. The drama is extreme and there is cause for great concern that the reader will project his own set of life experiences on the players of this drama. For example, when reading that the brothers were jealous when Yaakov gave Yosef the special jacket we tend to project our own sense of petty jealousy. We extend that sense of jealousy to the point that they actually wanted to kill Yosef.

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Vayeishev 5780

Vayeishev

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IT HAS NEVER BEEN MORE EXCITING

I am often asked how we can trust HaShem will support us if we may not de-serve His support? Can we anticipate His support if we do not deserve it? I think the answer lies in the first statement a Jew makes upon waking up every morning.

In this week’s Parsha, Vayeishev, Yehuda admits to being the one who was with Tamar, his daughter in-law. Our Sages point out that Yehuda was the first to admit in public, in spite of the embarrassment it brought. It is noteworthy that his name derives from the word “l’hodos’ to admit.

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Vayeishev 5779

Vayeishev

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EVERY SPOKE IS NEEDED

This week’s Parsha, Vayeishev, presents us with the tragic story of Yosef and the brothers. When Yaakov ‘realizes’ that Yosef was killed by a wild animal he refuses to accept consolation. He continues to mourn with no end. The question is; the To-rah sets a limit how much mourning one may do. Excessive mourning is actually prohibited. Why, then, does Yaakov refuse to accept consolation over Yosef death?

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Mikeitz 5782

Mikeitz

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OUT FROM OPEN JAWS

As a child growing up in the 1960’s every Shabbos I thought of the Jews of the Soviet Union. Our family always sang the Shabbos zemer of Ko Ribon Olam. The third stanza forms a prayer to HaShem in which we plead with Him to please save the sheep from the mouth of the lion, and take out Your nation from their exile.

What a picture! The lion’s jaws are already open and the sheep is in his mouth. Once the lion closes his mouth there will be no more sheep. That is the illustration of HaShem’s people in this exile. This picture was certainly not an accurate description of the exile I was experiencing in Baltimore. It was, however, a perfect illustration of the plight of the Jews of the Soviet Union.

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Mikeitz 5781

Mikeitz

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UNDERSTANDING YOUR BALANCE SHEET

This week’s Parsha, Mikeitz, begins with the Torah informing us that Yosef’s freedom from prison was delayed two years. Our Sages explain that this was the con-sequence of Yosef’s lack of bitachon (trust) in HaShem. In last week’s Parsha, after Yosef deciphered the butler’s dream he asked the butler to please remember him to Pharaoh and to get him out of prison. This slight reliance on the butler’s assistance demonstrated an ever so slight shortcoming in Yosef’s bitachon. He should have said nothing to the butler and allow HaShem to bring about his freedom with no assistance at all.

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Mikeitz 5780

Mikeitz

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THE BLIND HAVE DEEPER INSIGHT

Adapted from Rabbi Aaron Lopiansky’s talk

I am so grateful to the readership of TableTalk as you provide me the opportunity of ‘pirsumei nisa’ on this beautiful holiday of Chanuka. In light of the holiday I wish to dedicate this thought to Chanukah rather than to this week’s Parsha, Mikeitz.

Chanukah celebrates our survival and ultimate triumph over the threat of assimilation into the Greek culture. Although we achieved both military and political victories against the Greeks, it is the religious victory that we celebrate. The reason for this is because the criteria of being worthy of establishing a holiday on our calendar is that the event must be an historically alter-ing event. For example, the Exodus transformed us into a people. The receiving of the Torah gave definition to our mission as a people and so on.

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