Rabbi's Weekly Message
Shabuot 5778
Friday, May 18, 2018The Torah makes an unusual observation about Am Yisrael upon Hashem's giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai: "And all the people saw the thunder and the flames, the sound of the shofar and the smoking mountain" (Exodus 20:15). Rabbi Akiva explains that they saw what was audible and heard what was visual. [from Mechilta d'Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai]. ...
Read more...Perashot Behar-Behukotay 5778
Friday, May 11, 2018Perashat Behar begins by speaking about the laws of Shemittah, the Sabbatical Year in which we allow the land to rest. The commentaries point out that the Torah gives unique importance to this missvah by stressing that this was commanded "on Mount Sinai", something that is not mentioned for any other missvah, and also by comparing Shemittah to Shabbat in several different Pesukim, such as "Shabbat onto G-d" (Vayikra 25:2). Why is such importance given to this agricultural law? ...
Read more...Perashat Emor 5778
Friday, May 04, 2018This week's perasha introduces the missvah of counting the fifty days of the Omer: "And you shall count for yourselves from the morrow of the Shabbat...seven weeks." (Vayikra 23:15) Our Sages determine that we start counting on the day after the first day of Pesah, the fifteenth of Nissan. According to the Oral Torah, the Hebrew word for Shabbat, the "day of rest", refers to the Holy Day of Passover which is also a day of physical rest. The Sadducees...
Read more...Perashot Ahare Mot-Kedoshim 5778
Friday, April 27, 2018This coming Sunday we observe the holiday of Pesah Sheni, occurring exactly one month after Pesah. This day seems to have very little practical significance nowadays, with the exception that we do not say Tahanun. What is this day all about, and what is its meaning to us today? ...
Read more...Perashot Tazria-Messora 5778
Friday, April 20, 2018The perashot Tazria and Messora speak about the purification process of sara'at, the discoloration that in ancient times would mysteriously appear on a person's skin, clothing or on the walls of their home. ...
Read more...Perashat Shemini 5778
Friday, April 13, 2018At the end of this week's perasha, right after describing the Laws of Kashrut, the Torah reminds us that Hashem took us out of Egypt: "For I am the Lord Who has brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your G-d. Thus, you shall be holy, because I am holy" [Leviticus 11:45]. Rashi explains that there is a fundamental lesson being taught here. The purpose of Yesiat Missrayim, leaving Egypt, was so the Jewish people would accept upon themselves the missvot of the Torah. Keeping kashrut is so crucial that, in and of itself, it was a sufficient reason to leave Missrayim. ...
Read more...Perashat Sav 5778
Friday, March 23, 2018In the beginning of this week's perasha the Torah repeats no less than three times that the Kohanim must ensure that an Esh Tamid, continuous flame, burn on the Mizbeah. The priests were instructed to arrange wood on the fire every morning so that the fire would burn throughout the day and night. ...
Read more...Pershat Vayikra 5778
Friday, March 16, 2018The early chapters of the Book of Vayikra delineate the various sacrificial offerings that were brought to the Mishkan and later to the Temple. The concept of sacrifice is something that is foreign to our generation, and something to which we have difficulty relating. Yet it is one of the three pillars on which the world stands, as is mentioned in Pirke Abot: "upon Torah, upon divine service and upon acts of kindness" [Pirke Abot 1:2]. Divine service refers to sacrificial duties. ...
Read more...Perashot Vayakhel-Pekudei 5778
Friday, March 09, 2018In this week's perasha, the details of the construction of the Mishkan are finalized. Ramban, one of the classic commentators, asked what skills the Israelites had to complete this task? The building of the Mishkan required individuals who were great craftsmen and were capable of fashioning intricate designs into metalwork and woodwork with precision. Less than a year prior, these people were still slaves. How were such untrained laymen capable of constructing the wondrous Mishkan? What did they know of transforming silver, gold or precious stones into holy objects? ...
Read more...Perashat Ki Tissa 5778
Friday, March 02, 2018The subject of the building of the Tabernacle is concentrated in the last five perashot of Sefer Shemot and is divided into two parts. The first part discusses the commandment to build the Mishkan. The second part, which starts from this week's perasha, Ki Tissa, describes the implementation and actual building of the Tabernacle. ...
Read more...Dec 21 2024
Kislev 20 5785