Consistent Focus
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier בלעם, Bilaam, we are taught was gifted by Hashem with the extraordinary perception of the makeup of the spiritual world, of the upper spheres, a prophet on the same level as משה רבינו, Moshe, our leader. The פסוק says that no prophet will arise akin to Moshe Rabeinu amongst […]
Parshas Chukas-Balak
Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum ויאמר ה’ אל משה אל תירא אותו (פרק כא פסוק לד) As the Jewish nation prepares for battle with Og and his nation, Bashan, Hashem encourages Moshe and tells him not to be afraid of them. Rashi explains (as expounded on by R’ Bachya) that Moshe certainly had no […]
Parshas Korach
Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum כי כל העדה כלם קדושים (פרק טז פסוק ג) Our Parsha begins with the legendary argument between Moshe and Korach. Korach claims that Moshe took too much honor for himself and that he isn’t driven by truth but rather by selfishness. Specifically, Korach argues that all Jews are holy […]
A Delicate Balance
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier In פרקי אבות, Ethics of our Fathers 5:17, it states: “What is an example of an argument that is for the ‘sake of Heaven’, for selfless spiritual advancements, the halachic disputes between Bais Hillel and Bais Shammai.” The case of a dispute that represents self-interests is this week’s portion, […]
Gaining Consistency
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier Why does the Torah juxtapose the story of the מקושש, the person (צלפחד) who violated the Shabbos with the mitzvah of wearing ציצית; the requirement to place “strings” on any four cornered garment? The answer is, “that at that juncture of time, Moshe Rabeinu said to Hashem, ‘It states […]
Parshas Shelach
Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum שלח לך אנשים ויתרו את ארץ כנען (פרק יג פסוק ב) Our Parsha begins with the מרגלים (spies) scouting out ארץ ישראל (Israel) before the Jews entered to conquer it. They came back with a terrible report about the land which resulted in the Jews’ losing faith that Hashem […]
Parshas Behaaloscha
Print PDF By Rabbi Shloime Lindenbaum למה נגרע לבלתי הקריב את קרבן ה’ במועדו (פרק ט פסוק ז) When the Jewish nation was preparing to bring the קרבן פסח in the desert, a group approached Moshe and explained that because they were טמא (impure) they weren’t allowed to participate. They felt this was unfair and […]
Does Action Create Will or Does Will Create Action?
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier HaRav Menachem Recanati (1223-1290) who wrote mainly kabbalah, explained that before the “sin” of אדם הראשון, Adam, one’s inner essence and focus was completely positive, though the outside environment contained negative influences. Subsequently after the “sin” the external influences became his essence and the internal self became ideas and […]
Parshas Naso
Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum ועשה הכהן אחד לחטאת…מאשר חטא על הנפש (פרק ו פסוק יא) When a person decides to be a נזיר they are not allowed to drink wine, cut their hair, or become impureby coming into contact with a dead person. If there is an uncontrollable situation in which they becomeimpure […]
The Nazir and “The Street”
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier Chazal explain the juxtaposition of the laws of the סוטה, Sotah – a woman who has not acted in a moral manner – to the laws of the נזיר, Nazarite in the following manner:A married woman who had been forewarned not to seclude herself with another man and did […]