Category Archives: Shemos

Va’era 5779

Vaeira

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THE TWO ENGINEERS

This week’s Parsha, Vaeira, opens with HaShem expressing His disappointment to Moshe; ‘the Avos, Avraham, Yitzchok and Yaakov had a much lower level of prophecy and their trust in Me was complete, and you whose level of prophecy is much higher, your trust in Me is incomplete.’ Although this statement sheds a positive light on the Patriarchs as their level of trust was complete and unquestioning, nevertheless, it is disturbing that their level of prophecy was of a lower level than Moshe’s.

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Shemos 5780

Shmos

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BOOT CAMP

With this week’s Parsha, Shemos, the Egyptian exile begins and will last 210 years. In the final 86 years of this period, the slavery intensifies. This horrid experience was the prelude to our becoming HaShem’s chosen people. How do we understand this? Should HaShem’s chosen people not have great beginnings instead of horrid degrading slavery? What was the purpose of slavery and how did it prepare us for our destiny?

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Vayakheil 5782

Vayakheil

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MASTER SPINNERS

The Parsha tells us how “all the women whose hearts inspired them with wisdom spun the goat hairs.” The Torah associates the spinning of the goat’s hair into yarn with the women whose hearts were inspired with wisdom. It would seem that there is some unique connection between women and their wisdom to the art of spinning the hair into yarn. Why should this art be unique to women?

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Ki Sisa 5782

Ki Sisa

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SMALL BUT PURE WINS THE RACE

Excerpted from the writings of my dear brother in-law, Rav Michoel Bodenheimer zt’l

There is a famous story which was told by Rav Shimon Schwab zt’l about his encounter with the great Chofetz Chaim. The Chofetz Chaim, who was a Kohein, asked Rav Schwab if he was a Kohein or Levi, to which Rav Schwab answered that he was neither. The Chofetz Chaim proceeded to tell him why he and his ancestors were Koheinim and were chosen to serve in the Beis HaMikdosh and why Rav Schwab and his ancestors were not chosen. ”Moshe solicited the nation calling ‘All who are for HaShem come to me’ it was my grandfather who responded and not yours. The response to Moshe Rabbeinu’s call for action separated those who were to serve in the Beis HaMikdosh and those who would not serve.”

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Tetzave 5782

Tetzave

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CHANNELS OF LIFE

In this week’s Parsha there is an important principle found in Ohr Hachaim Haka-dosh’s commentary. HaShem instructs Moshe “And you, you shall bring close to you, your brother Aharon and his sons to serve Me as Kohanim…” How are we to understand the redundancy of the word ‘you’. Furthermore, it would have been more simply stated if it would say “And you shall bring your brother Aharon and his sons closer to the Kehuna…” What is the implication of “bring close to you”?

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