Rabbi's Weekly Message
Perashat Mikess 5778
Friday, December 15, 2017An interesting dispute between Bet Shammai and Bet Hillel about the order of lighting Hanukkah lights each night is cited in the Gemarah Shabbat. Bet Hillel is of the opinion that we light one candle the first night, and then we increase the number of candles nightly. Bet Shammai takes the opposing position that on the first night we light eight candles, and each night we decrease them one by one. What is the basis of their disagreement? To get to the heart of these views it is essential to understand the significance of...
Read more...Perashat Vayesheb 5778
Friday, December 08, 2017If we do not closely examine this week's Perasha, we could miss a very valuable lesson. The Torah tells us about Yehudah, who leaves his brothers, settles near an Adullamite and marries a local woman. This woman bears him three sons, Er, Onan and Shelah. Yehudah finds a wife for Er named Tamar. Er dies because of his sins, leaving Tamar a childless widow. He instructs his second son, Onan, to raise children in Er's name with Tamar, but he too dies because of his sins. Then Yehudah instructs Tamar to remain as a widow in her father's house until his third son Shelah is old enough to marry her and fulfill the levirate obligation. ...
Read more...Perashat Vayishlah 5778
Friday, December 01, 2017This week's perasha opens with the preparations of Ya'akob prior to meeting his brother and rival Esav. The Torah contrasts Esav, who advances with an army of 400 men, with Ya'akob, who prepared himself in three ways. As explained by Rashi, he sent big gifts to Esav through messengers along with pleasant words of reconciliation. Then he prayed from the depths of his heart, and lastly, readied himself for war. Ya'akob succeeds at defusing the tension...
Read more...Perashat Vayesse 5778
Friday, November 24, 2017In this week's perasha, Ya'akob travels to a place that, according to tradition, is Mount Moriah. While sleeping, he has a prophetic dream. The Pasuk Beresheet 28:12 describes the dream as follows. "And he dreamed, and behold! a ladder was set earthward and its top reached heavenward and behold, angels of God were ascending and descending it." What's the meaning of the angels climbing up and down, ...
Read more...Perashat Toledot 5778
Friday, November 17, 2017One of the great mysteries of Sefer Beresheet is how Esav, a son who was raised by Saddikim, Yisshak and Ribka, grows up to become so wicked? Contrast this to his twin brother, Yaakob, who epitomizes the holiness of Am Yisrael. Esav had great potential...
Read more...Perashat Haye Sarah 5778
Friday, November 10, 2017There are two incentives that bring about a decision to get married. There are those who get married because they wish to give, and there are those who get married because they wish to take. Whatever the reason, it will almost undoubtedly determine if the marriage will succeed. ...
Read more...Perashat Vayera 5778
Friday, November 03, 2017We tend to measure a missva according to how grand a deed it is. If it is an act such as performing hessed with thousands of people including residents of an entire city, we feel like we did a great deed. But when we do a small act, such as holding a door for someone, we give it little importance. From the actions of our forefathers, we see the opposite, that even very small actions are valued. ...
Read more...Perashat Lekh Lekha 5778
Friday, October 27, 2017Our Perasha this week is Lekh Lekha, which means, "Go forth". In choosing to reveal Himself to Abraham Abinu at this juncture, Hashem is telling him, "do not accept the state that you are in as good enough. Rather, you are destined to become something greater and must leave behind what you know to do so." ...
Read more...Perashat Noah 5778
Friday, October 20, 2017Our perasha this week begins the account of the Tower of Babel with the pasuk, "Now the entire earth was of one language and uniform words". A few pesukim later the Torah stresses that this was the underlying reason for the sin of the people of Babel. "And Hashem said, 'Lo! [they are] one people, and they all have one language, and this is what they have commenced to do'". ...
Read more...Perashot Nissabim-Vayelekh 5777
Friday, September 15, 2017Perashot Nissabim and Vayelekh are really one perasha, although sometimes they are separated so that Perashat Nissabim is read specifically before Rosh HaShanah. This is because Perashat Nissabim has a very important message intended to prepare us for Rosh HaShanah. ...
Read more...Dec 21 2024
Kislev 20 5785