B’shalach 5779

Beshalach

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THE ROAD CONTINUES

In this week’s Parsha, B’shalach, we finally exit Egypt and our journey to become HaShem’s people begins. To go from a nation of slaves to HaShem’s chosen people who will carry His Name throughout history throughout the world in every region through every ism we must be prepared and strengthened. Among the greatest restrictions that bind man from doing what he wants, are the confines that he makes up in his mind. Take for example, the boss who expects his employee to snitch on a co-worker. The employee does not want to snitch but they feel bound to do so; how then stand up to their boss?

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Va’era 5783

Vaeira

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BASE TEN

HaShem brought His world into existence through the utterance of ten statements. These include “Let there be light’, ‘Let there be rakia’ and so on. The purpose of the creation of this world was to give Man the opportunity to serve HaShem by keeping and protecting the observance of His Torah.

If the purpose of creation was the keeping and protecting of the Torah, once Yaakov and his family became a nation why didn’t HaShem give us the Torah. Why did we have to go through the Egyptian exile and the subsequent exodus?

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Va’era 5780

Vaeira

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BECAUSE MAN IS MADE IN THE IMAGE OF HASHEM

In this week’s Parsha, Vaeira, just before Moshe and Aaron successfully take their people from Egypt, the Torah gives us their genealogical back-ground. It actually gives a very comprehensive family tree which includes the first two tribes of Reuven and Shimon as well as Moshe’s cousins and second cousins. What is the purpose of this tree? If it is important to know Moshe’s background should we not have been told in last week’s Parsha when Moshe and Aaron first appear on the pages of Torah?

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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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Vayechi 5783

Vayechi

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THIRST MAKES THE WATER SWEET

In this week’s Parsha, as Yaakov draws close to parting from this world, he calls his 12 sons to gather around him as he wishes to in-form them of the date when his people will achieve their ultimate mission. Before Yaakov has the chance to reveal when that point in time will come, he loses his ruach haKodesh and never tells them. For some reason HaShem wanted that this date should remain a secret.

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Vayechi 5780

Vayechi

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SILENT PURITY CAN BE HEARD FROM AFAR

Excerpted from a talk from Rabbi Aharon Lopiansky

In this week’s Parsha, Vayechi, Yaakov gathers his 12 sons around him as he gives them their respective blessings. Each blessing reflects their unique qualities and responsibilities. In last week’s Parsha the Midrash identifies Yehudah and Yosef as the two kings of our people. Naturally, their qualities of kingship are reflected in the blessings that Yaakov bestowed upon them. Let us take note of the remarkable distinction between the blessings they received. Regarding Yehudah, Yaakov says that “Your brothers shall submit to you… your father’s sons shall bow to you.” This certainly draws a picture of a sovereign that is accepted by his people. Regarding Yosef however, Yaakov says “A charming son is Yosef, the girls climbed heights to gaze. His brother embittered him and became antagonists…From there he shepherded the stone of Israel.”

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Vayechi 5779

Vayechi

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THE ANATOMY OF TRUST

In this week’s Parsha, Vayechi, our father Yaakov lies on his deathbed giving blessings to each of his sons. To Dan he references the great leader, Shimshon, who singlehandedly brought down the Plishtim when they rose up against our people. Immediately after referencing Shimshon, Yaakov adds a prayer that he trusts in Ha-Shem for His salvation. One of the commentaries points out that Yaakov is clarifying to his children that although there will be an extremely powerful leader who will be able to bring down the enemy, nevertheless, the one in whom they must place their trust is HaShem and in nobody else.

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Vayechi 5778

Vayechi

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A PEOPLE, ETERNAL

This week’s Parsha, Vayechi, concludes the first Book of Torah, the Book of Breishis. Breishis is also referred to as the Book of the Straight, which is a reference to our fathers who set the straight path upon which we walk.

I would like share a perspective on our relationship to our fathers using an insight that someone gave me many years ago.

People ask how do we know that we are the chosen people, after all, there are many cultures and societies who believe in a god and each of them claim that they are the chosen people of that god. To answer this question I ask them for their reaction to the following two people.

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Vayigash 5783

Vayigosh

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SHEMA; IT’S ALL HIS WILL

Gleaned from the thoughts of Rabbi Aaron Lopiansky

Our Sages tell us that when Yaakov met his beloved son Yosef, the one on whom rested the destiny of his people, the one whom he thought had perished years earlier, he recited the Shema. Yosef, on the other hand, did not recite the Shema. If their first encounter generates inspiration for Shema, why does Yosef not recite the Shema?

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