Avraham’s Intercession with G-d Regarding Sodom
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier In פרק יח:יז, Chapter 18:17, the Torah states “וה’ אמר המכסה אני מאברהם אשר אני עושה” “And Hashem said ‘Shall I conceal from Avraham what I intend to do?’” Rashi explains, is it possible that I will destroy Sodom without his knowledge? I (Hashem) gave him this land, and […]
Parshas Vayeira
Print PDF By: Rabbi Ozer Pinchas Zeffren The בית הלוי, Rav Yitzchok Dov Halevi Soleveitchik, was the Rav of Brisk. When he used to travel, he wouldremove his rabbinic garb and put on regular clothing so he shouldn’t be recognized. (He didn’t want to receivehonor.)One freezing night, the Bais Halevi departed from Brisk to go […]
Parshas Lech- Lecha
Print PDF By Rabbi Ozer Pinchas Zeffren In this week’s Parsha (12:8), the Passuk Says: ויעתק משם ההרה מקדם לבית אל ויט אהלה בית אל מים והעי מקדם And he relocated to the mountain east of Bais El and pitched his tent, with Bais El to the west and Ai on the east… The Chofetz […]
The Potency of a Bracha
By Rabbi Naftoly Bier Print PDF On ליל שבת, Friday evening parents and grandparents bless their dear children and grandchildren. For a male the prefix used is ישמך אלוקים כאפרים וכמנשה. May Hashem make you like Ephraim and Menashe, whereas for a female the prefix used is the ד’ אמהות, may Hashem make you like […]
Parshas Noach
Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum נח איש צדיק תמים היה בדורותיו (פרק ו פסוק ט) The Torah introduces us to Noach by saying that he was a righteous man and perfect in his generation. Rashi says that the פסוק stresses that he was righteous in his generation either to praise Noach or to point […]
A War Against G-D
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier From the onset of the creation of אדם וחוה, Adam and Eve, the human race was prohibited from eating an animal (שטת רש”י ורמב”ן) (or killing an animal שטתת תוס’ סנהדרין נו). Immediately after the מבול, ‘Noah’s Flood’, all the animals were permitted to be eaten. The רמב”ן, Nachmanides, […]
Parshas Bereishis
Print PDF By Rabbi Shimmy Sternfield בראשית ברא אלוקים את השמים ואת הארץ (פרק א’, פסוק א)In the beginning of Hashem’s creating the heavens and the earth…The מִשנְׁהָ in פ רְִּקיֵ אָבוֹת states, “The world was created by ten utterances of Hashem. What does that teachus? Could it not have been created with one utterance? […]
Resilience
Print PD By Rabbi Naftoly Bier The Yom Tov of Sukkos affords us an opportunity for seven days to be enveloped in Hashem’s world, completely transcending the mundane existence. Despite the fact, “ארבעים שנה אקוט בדור, For forty years Hashem was angry with us in the time we traveled in the מדבר, wilderness” (Psalms 95), […]
Parshas Nitzavim Vayalech
Print PDF By: Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum למען ספות הרוה את הצמאה (פרק כט פסוק יח) The Torah condemns a person who feels confident ignoring Hashem’s directives and following their own desires and whims. The פסוק ends off with an interesting phrase which the Ramban explains to mean, literally, “this will add the satisfied one with […]
The Gift of Rosh Hashana
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier At first it seems puzzling and incongruous as to why Rosh Hashana, the Day of Judgment precedes Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Wouldn’t it be more logical to first articulate our past mistakes, sincerely regret them and proclaim to Hashem, “I will improve my ways” and then ask […]