Rabbi's Weekly Message
Perashat Vaethanan 5778
Friday, July 27, 2018The Shabbat after Tish'a BeAb is called Shabbat Nahamu, the Shabbat of Consolation, named after the opening words of this week's Haftarah, "Nahamu, nahamu ami", "Console, console My people". This reading is the first in a series read in the seven weeks between Tish'a BeAb and Rosh HaShanah, known as The Seven of Consolation. After commemorating the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash, the biggest catastrophe to happen to the Jewish people, whose consequences still reverberate today, it is understandable that our mourning nation would endeavor to find comfort by reading these passages. ...
Read more...Perashat Debarim 5778
Friday, July 20, 2018On Tish'a BeAb we commemorate the destruction of our Holy Temple through fasting and prayers. According to the midrash in Eikha Rabah 24, Yirmiyahu implored the Holy Patriarchs in their resting place to intervene on behalf of the Jewish people. He called upon Abraham, Yisshak, Ya'akob and Moshe Rabenu, to plead mightily with Hashem and evoke their personal heroism for the sake of Am Yisrael. ...
Read more...Perashot Matot-Masei 5778
Friday, July 13, 2018One of the greatest faculties G-d gave mankind is the power of speech. G-d created man in his image, and thus, man possesses tremendous capabilities to affect change in the world. Because speech stems from the spiritual realm of a person, by emulating the way of Hashem through the gift of language, it is possible for man to create a new reality of kedusha, holiness, or issur, prohibition. ...
Read more...Perashat Pinhas 5778
Friday, July 06, 2018The last two chapters of Perashat Pinhas describe the mussafim, additional sacrifices that are brought on specific days such as Shabbat, Rosh Hodesh and festivals. Before describing these offerings, the Torah details the korban tamid, the daily continual offerings. Regarding the korban tamid the pasuk says: "The one lamb you shall make in the morning and the second lamb shall you make in the afternoon" (Bamidbar 28:4). We are commanded to offer these sacrifices daily even on Shabbat and festivals, before the mussafim. ...
Read more...Perashat Balak 5778
Friday, June 29, 2018This week's Perasha revolves around the story of Bil'am, a gentile prophet known as a wicked sorcerer, who was hired by King Balak of Moab to curse the nation of Israel. As Bil'am's story continues through the perasha, we see that instead of cursing the nation of Israel, he blessed them. What caused Bil'am to risk his life, betray the king and bless Am Yisrael? ...
Read more...Perashat Hukkat 5778
Friday, June 22, 2018This week's perasha deals with the quintessential Hok, a law of the Torah that is beyond human understanding, of Parah Adumah. There is an age-old discussion among Torah scholars regarding the search for the rationale behind G-d's commandments. One school of thought advocates that we are obligated to understand the reasoning behind the missvot, while another school holds that there is not always a logical explanation for each missva and that it is more incumbent on us to focus on keeping the missvot through faith alone. ...
Read more...Perashat Korah 5778
Friday, June 15, 2018In this week's perasha, we read the story of the rebellion of Korah. Along with two hundred and fifty men of the Israelite assembly, Korah challenged the leadership of Moshe and Aharon. In Pirke Abot, the Mishna states that the only disputes that will result in long-lasting value are those intended for the sake of heaven, leshem shamayim. The examples given as evidence are those between Hillel and Shammai, whose different interpretations of the Torah often lead to zealous disagreements, and are now a constructive source of learning. To the contrary, the incident of Korah and his company is the paradigm of negativity. ...
Read more...Perashat Shelah 5778
Friday, June 08, 2018In this week's perasha we read about the episode of the Meraglim, the spies. Before the nation entered the Land of Canaan, Moshe sent one leader from each of the twelve tribes to survey the land and report back. Of the twelve spies, ten returned with mixed and disheartening news. In their report they described the Holy Land as such, "Indeed it flows with milk and honey, but the people who inhabit the land are mighty, and the cities are extremely huge and fortified, and there we saw even the offspring of the giants." They were later punished and condemned for their Lashon Hara, slander, about the land. ...
Read more...Perashat Beha'alotekha 5778
Friday, June 01, 2018Perashat Beha'alotekha describes one of the most challenging periods in Am Yisrael's history. After departing the spiritually elevating atmosphere of Mount Sinai, the people wandered the vast desolate desert, sporadically stopping and going forth on their way to the Promised Land. The only direction they had was G-d's sign of the position of the Clouds of Glory over their encampment. ...
Read more...Perashat Nasso 5778
Friday, May 25, 2018In Sefer HaMissvot the Rambam writes that the source for Vidui, confessing one's sins before God, is derived from this week's perasha: "And they shall confess the sin that they committed" (Bamidbar 5:7). A critical component of the process of Teshuba is to first verbally acknowledge one's sin in detail and then ask forgiveness for it. This is an important part in most of our daily prayers. ...
Read more...Apr 27 2024
Nisan 19 5784