Category Archives: Shemos

Mishpatim 5781

Mishpatim

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THERE ARE COINS AND THERE ARE COINS

In this week’s Parsha, Mishpatim, the Torah states “Do not hurt the feelings of the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” The ‘stranger’ referred to in this verse is the convert. The person who was born to Italian parents who chose to become Jewish.

Why does the Torah not give a sharper reason “for you must be kind to strangers”. The implication is that one might feel justified for not being sensitive to the feelings of the stranger. What justification could there be?

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B’shalach 5781

Beshalach

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MEASURE YOUR FRIEND TO MEASURE YOURSELF

As we read the Parshios of the Torah we discover so many times that our people failed to live up to HaShem’s expectations. It is noteworthy how true the Torah is to the real facts and does not sugarcoat our past. It is nevertheless disappointing to see so many failures. Furthermore, it is difficult to understand how could our people who experienced the Ten Plagues and the Splitting of the Red Sea and received the Torah at Sinai demonstrate such a lack of faith in HaShem?

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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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