Parshas Parah: The Eternal Lesson of the “Red Heifer”
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier Rav Shlomo Breuer זצ”ל, the son-in-law of Rav Shamshon Raphael Hirsch and disciple of the Ktav Sofer, offers a beautiful, profound and illuminating discourse on the profound lesson of the mitzvah of the פרה אדומה, the Red heifer. The mitzvah is perplexing in the manner it affects those who […]
Parshas Ki Sisa
Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum ויעשהו עגל מסכה ויאמרו אלה אלקיך ישראל (פרק לב פסוק ד) Just a short while after בני ישראל witnessed the wondrous miracles of יציאת מצרים (leaving Egypt), קריעת ים סוף (the splitting of the sea), and מתן תורה (the giving of the Torah), they fell terribly in creating a […]
Parshas Tetzaveh
Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum מחוץ לפרוכת אשר על העדת יערך אותו (פרק כז פסוק כא) The Torah commands בני ישראל to donate olive oil for use in the משכן and explains that its purpose will be for the מנורה which is to be placed outside the curtain that is near the “testimony” (referring […]
Purim: Its Impact on Jewish Life
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier Dovid Hamelech in Psalms Ch. 22:1 states, “למנצח על אילת השחר”. The Talmud in מס‘ יומא כט , Tractate Yoma 29a, quotes רב אסי , Rav Assi who explains that this refers to the period of אסתר המלכה , Queen Esther. Why is the metaphor “שחר”, “early morning” used? […]
Parshas Terumah
Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum דבר אל בני ישראל ויקחו לי תרומה (פרק כה פסוק ב) Hashem commands Moshe to instruct the Jewish nation to donate money and materials for the purpose of building His משכן. The Beis Halevi explains that this mitzvah comes specifically after פרשת משפטים because that deals with dealings between […]
The Purpose of the Mishkan
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier HaRav Yerucham Levovitz זצ”ל taught that in this week’s portion we are inculcated with one of the major lessons of spiritual life! The Torah delineates the exact measurements of the Mishkan (Tabernacle), the מנורה (candelabrum), the שולחן (table for the showbreads), the ארון (ark)… If one would change the […]
Parshas Mishpatim
Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum ורפא ירפא (פרק כא פסוק יט) In listing off the laws of various liabilities the Torah tells us that if two people are fighting and onedamages the other in a way that puts him out of commission, the attacker must pay various payments tothe damaged party. The Torah ends […]
Freedom or Slavery
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier Immediately after the giving of the עשרת הדברות at Har Sinai, the Torah introduces us to the mitzvah of the עבד עברי; a Jewish male who had stolen money and can’t pay back. He is “contracted” as an indentured servant for a period of up to six years. During […]
Parshas Yisro
Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum ואתה תחזה מכל העם אנשי חיל וכו’ (פרק יח פסוק כא) Yisro advises Moshe that instead of him judging the entire Jewish people by himself, he should establish smaller courts to deal with the simpler cases. Only the most difficult cases will be brought to Moshe, after passing through […]
Deliberation
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier The Torah says (18:13), “…And Moshe sat to judge, adjudicate cases for people, and they – the people – stood by him from the morning till the evening.” Rashi asks, “Was it possible? We are seeing that any judge that renders judgment that is rightful as truth demands it […]