A BUILDING OF JOY
What a remarkable Parsha the Torah presents us as we draw closer to Rosh Hashana! This week’s Parsha, Ki Seitzei, is packed with mitzvos. There are 74 mitzvos which is 12% of all 613 mitzvos.
Continue reading Ki Seitzei 5777All posts by rabbidiskind
Ki Seitzei 5778
TESHUVAH; THE HOLISITC APPROACH
This week’s Parsha, Ki Seitzei, opens with the event when we shall go to war against our enemy. The commentaries explain that this verse alludes to the battle in which we struggle against our yetzer hara. As we approach Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur we engage in the teshuvah process, the process of returning to HaShem.
Continue reading Ki Seitzei 5778Ki Seitzei 5779
DURABILITY
Excerpted from Rabbi Aaron Lopiansky’s talk.
As we have begun blowing the shofar every morning to prepare us for the great meeting with HaShem to take place on Rosh Hashanah, we would expect to find tips and direction in the Parsha on how to properly prepare ourselves. Naturally, our focus needs to be on bettering ourselves in matters that relate to our relationship with HaShem and with people.
Continue reading Ki Seitzei 5779EIKEV 5782
‘48, ‘56, SIX DAYS, YOM KIPPUR; NEVER WE COULD HAVE DONE IT!
How did the meraglim (the messengers that Moshe sent into the Land) fail to trust in HaShem’s ability to take us into the Land? The commentaries explain that they knew that Eretz Yisroel would have to be conquered by natural means, not by miraculous means. In fact, with the only exception of the downfall of Yericho, which was an out-right miracle, all the wars they fought were won through natural means.
Continue reading EIKEV 5782EIKEV 5781
WHO IS BLESSING WHO?
In this week’s Parsha, after rebuking his people for the Golden Calf, Moshe tells them “Right now, all HaShem wants from you is to fear Him.” Our Sages teach us that this is an allusion to the mitzvah of reciting 100 brachos a day.
Continue reading EIKEV 5781EIKEV 5780
DON’T FORGET THE BABY
The period of the calendar in which we currently find ourselves is called the Seven Weeks of Consolation. For the seven weeks following Tisha b’Av the Haftorahs we read are from Yeshayahu (Isaiah) in which HaShem consoles His people over the destruction of the Bais Hamikdosh and the subsequent exile.
Continue reading EIKEV 5780
EIKEV 5779
THERE IS MORE NUTRITION THAN MEETS THE EYE
In this week’s Parsha, Eikev, we are instructed to bless HaShem after our meal. The daily life of a Jew is filled with opportunities to make brachos. From brachos on mitzvos to brachos of gratitude for who we are and the senses with which we were endowed.
Continue reading EIKEV 5779
EIKEV 5778
IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS
This week’s Parsha, Eikev, opens with Moshe telling his nation that they should be careful with the mitzvos that people step on. If we shall observe those mitzvos then HaShem will preserve for us the covenant He made with our forefathers.
Continue reading EIKEV 5778
Eikev 5777
HEADS IN THE SAND
Moshe Holczler was a Jewish activist in his younger years in Hungary in the late 1930’s. In his biography, Late Memories, he relates one story where he happened to share a sleeping car on the way to Budapest with two German spies. Thinking that he was sleeping, they took the liberty to discuss their plans for taking over Hungary and liquidating the Hungarian Jewish population.
Continue reading Eikev 5777SHOFTIM 5782
PARTNERS IN CREATING THE TORAH
When HaShem created His universe He created it with two distinct sets of laws. The laws governing all physical matter we call nature with its many various branches of physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, mathematics, etc. The laws governing Man and his behavior we call Torah. Both nature and her respective laws and Torah are the expression of HaShem’s Will.
Continue reading SHOFTIM 5782