PURITY IS FOREVER
Excerpted from a talk by Rav Aaron Schechter
In this week’s Parsha, Breishis, the Torah relates the story of HaShem’s creation of His world. As one might expect, there are remarkable secrets that we might glean from this Parsha. One such secret lies tucked away in the story of Lemech and his two wives.
MUSICAL SCHOOL
We have been using the model of the orchestra as the vehicle by which to appreciate Man’s relationship to HaShem and his role in the world. HaShem is our Conductor, we are the musicians and the world is our audience.
Continue reading Breishis 5780THE MAP
We have now arrived at the other end of the Elul – Rosh Hashanah – Yom Kippur – Succos – Simchas Torah period. We recited Psalm 27 twice a day, we blew the shofar daily, every day we woke up earlier than usual, we recited hundreds of selichos and walked round the Torah scrolls. With all that behind us we will now begin reading the Torah from it’s very beginning.
Continue reading Breishis 5779BITTERSWEET; THE HEAVENLY TASTE
In this week’s Parsha, the Torah tells the story of Noach sending the dove out of the Teiva (Ark) to see if the waters of the Great Flood receded. The dove returned with an olive leaf in her beak. The Torah underscores that this olive leaf was in her beak for eating purposes. We know that the olive leaf is very bitter and Noach had prepared nutritious food for all the animals. Why did the dove pass up on the tasty food for bitter food? Our Sages teach us that “it is better to take bitter food from the hands of HaKadosh baruch Hu than take the tasty food from the hands of Man.” In other words; it is better to take a hand-out from HaShem than taking a hand-out from Man.
Continue reading Noach 5778