Rabbi's Weekly Message
Perashat Re'eh 5776
Friday, September 02, 2016Among the many ritual and ethical laws found in Perashat Re'eh, is that of Shemittah, the Sabbatical year. This law requires the People of Israel to leave their land, in the Land of Israel, fallow - unworked - every seventh year; neither sowing nor pruning nor reaping nor harvesting. The land is allowed to "rest" and fruits and vegetables are "free" for the taking. The Torah tells us that the land in the Land of Israel may never be sold or owned forever, for the land itself belongs to G-d; we are merely residents and occupants of the land....
Read more...Perashat Ekeb 5776
Friday, August 26, 2016All too often the obvious is overlooked. For example, we may be looking for something which has been right in front of us all along, though we cannot see it. Then there are times when we are taking a multiple-choice exam and the answer is staring us in the face, but we ignore it. Other times, we are looking for a solution to a problem - and are provided with a solution - but we dismiss it, thinking that it is too simplistic. In essence, what is in front of us we can’t see, and what is too simple, we ignore. ...
Read more...Perashat Vaethanan 5776
Friday, August 19, 2016During this election year cycle, we have been hearing a lot about the U.S. Constitution. Each side accuses the other of ignoring it and wanting to violate it. Some insist that the violation will take place in a subtle way, via appointing Justices to the Supreme Court who will interpret the Constitution based on their political leaning and in favor of various interest groups. Others say, the violation will take place by Executive Orders of a President that will flaunt his/her violations of the Constitution. ...
Read more...Perashat Debarim 5776
Friday, August 12, 2016A story is told about Napoleon Bonaparte, whose empire reached as far as the shores of the Land of Israel, and was believed to have even docked at Jaffa and spent a few days there. As he was visiting the Jewish community, it happened to be the night of Tish’a Be’Ab. He saw how the entire congregation was sitting on the floor, crying and weeping with barely a candle lit. He asked his assistant as to why the Jews were crying. He told him because their Temple was burnt and destroyed. Thinking that it was destroyed a week or so beforehand, he was shocked to hear that it happened over 1700 years before. When he was told that it was the Great Temple in Jerusalem, he couldn’t believe that a tragic event that occurred so many centuries earlier can evoke such sadness and a sense of loss. He commented that a people that can mourn such a tragedy that occurred so many years ago, and have not forgotten it, will be worthy of seeing it rebuilt. He committed himself to rebuild the Temple for them. We do not know exactly why he did not rebuild it as he promised. One opinion was that the Pope at that time objected to it, and prevented him from doing so. ...
Read more...Perashat Matot-Masei 5776
Friday, August 05, 2016Perashat Matot opens with the laws of vows, from whence we learn the power and significance of one’s speech. The Torah states concerning one who makes a vow, that, “he shall not break his word.” [Bamdibar 30:3] Thus, a person who obligates himself by making an oral declaration, and does not keep his word, violates a prohibition from the Torah. We might ask, what’s the big deal? After all, it’s just a few words! To compound matters, our sages [Baba Messia 48a] teach us that the court places a curse on the person who does not keep his word, consider him to be on par with one of the generation of the Flood, or a citizen of Sodom and ‘Amorah! ...
Read more...Perashat Pinhas 5776
Friday, July 29, 2016This year, the United States is involved in a presidential election. As the world’s leading democracy, America has always taken pride in the seamless and peaceful transition of power between the outgoing and incoming executive administrations. In this week’s perasha, Pinhas, we read about the transition of power from Moshe Rabbenu to Yehoshua. Though not chosen by the people, a new leader is appointed by G-d himself to replace Moshe and lead the people into the land of Cana’an. G-d commands that this transition take place specifically in the public arena as follows ...
Read more...Perashat Balak 5776
Friday, July 22, 2016In this week’s perasha, Balak, we read about the curses of the heathen prophet, Bil’am, that Hashem turned into blessings for B’nei Yisrael. After some back and forth between G-d and Bil’am as to whether he was permitted to go and curse B’nei Yisrael, the Torah states that Bil’am went with the leaders of Moab as Hashem had commanded him, with the understanding that he was to utter, “only that word which I [Hashem] shall say to you.” [Bamidbar 22:20] Immediately thereafter, we read that, “G-d’s anger burned because he [Bil’am] went.” [Ibid. 22] These verses are difficult to understand; if Bil’am was following Hashem’s instructions, then why was He angry with him for going with the officers of Moab? ...
Read more...Perashat Hukkat 5776
Friday, July 15, 2016In this week's perasha, Hukkat, we read about the crisis caused by the lack of water during the 40th year of Bnei Yisrael's sojourn in the desert. The Torah relates: "Then the Children of Israel, the entire congregation came into the desert of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh, and Miriam died there and was buried there. And there was no water for the congregation, and they gathered in opposition to Moshe and Aharon." [Bamidbar 20: 1-2] While it is possible that this lack of water was due to the fact that water is naturally scarce in the desert, the rabbis suggest that it was directly related to the death of Miriam. The Talmud in Ta'anit 9a states that it was due to the merit of Miriam that the Israelites had a well of water that miraculously accompanied them in the desert. When Miriam died, this well ceased, bringing about the circumstance wherein Hashem commands Moshe to speak to the rock in order to miraculously extract water from it: "And Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying, take your staff, and gather the assembly together, you and Aharon your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes and it shall give forth water." [Bamidbar 20:7] ...
Read more...Perashat Korah 5776
Friday, July 08, 2016Perashat Korah opens with the episode of the rebellion of Korah and his co-conspirators, in their attempt to overthrow Moshe and Aharon, G-d’s designated leader of the people and their High Priest. The Torah characterized Korah’s action as, “Vayikah Korah” - “And Korah took...” (Bamidbar 16:1) What exactly did he take? ...
Read more...Perashat Shelah 5776
Friday, July 01, 2016This week's perasha, Shelah, is bookended by the story of the "Sin of the Spies" at the beginning, and the missva of sissit, the command to tie special tassels to a four-cornered garment, at the end of the perasha. Rabbi Amnon Bazak of Yeshivat Har Etzion, explains that the missva of sissit is directly connected to the episode of the spies, who returned with a negative report on the Land of Canaan. Furthermore, he asserts, that the missva of sissit is prescribed as a way of repairing the damage caused by their sin. How is the subject of sissit related to the story of the spies? ...
Read more...Dec 21 2024
Kislev 20 5785