Parshas Re’eh
Print PDF By Rabbi Shimmy Sternfield (שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תָּחֹג לַד’ אֱלֹקֶיךָ בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר ד’” (פרק ט”ז, פסוק ט”ו” “A seven-day period shall you celebrate to Hashem, your G-d, in the place that He will choose.”When the Torah discusses the יָמִים טוֹבִים of פֶּסַח and שָׁבוּעוֹת, the Torah describes the בֵּית הַמִקְדָשׁ as, “The place […]
Hashem’s Beloved Family
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier In דברים, י”ד:א, Deuteronomy 14:1, it states, “You are children of Hashem, your G-d, you shall not cut yourselves, nor make a bald patch between your eyes for the dead.” The Torah prohibits one to make a permanent scar on oneself due to one’s feeling of loneliness and even […]
Parshas Eikev
Print PDF By Rabbi Shimmy Sternfield “וְהָיָה עֵקֶב תִּשְׁמְעוּן אֵת הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים הָאֵלֶּה וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם” (פרק ז’, פסוק י”ב) “It shall be, in exchange for that which you will listen to these laws, and you will guard and keep them…” This week’s פָּרָשָׁה begins with a long list of blessings that Hashem promises us, “In […]
Fear of Hashem
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier In פרשת עקב, Deuteronomy 10:12, it states, “And now, Israel, what does G-d, your G-d, require from you? Only, to fear G-d (to stand in awe and trepidation of Him) your G-d, to walk in all His ways to love Him, and to serve Him, and to serve G-d, […]
Parshas Ve’eschanan
Print PDF By Rabbi Shimmy Sternfield וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת ד’ אֱלֹקֶיךָ בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ וּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ” (פרק ו’, פסוק ה’)” “You shall love Hashem, your G-d, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your resources.”The גְמָרָא relates, that, when the Romans brought רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא out to be killed, it was time […]
The Mutual Love Between Hashem and Klal Yisrael
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier In this week’s portion, פרשת ואתחנן, we are introduced to the מצוה of “ואהבת את ה’ אלקיך”, “and you should love Hashem your G-d” – your G-d written in the singular! In chapter 7:8, the Torah states, “Rather, because of Hashem’s love for you…”. What is meant by Hashem’s […]
Parshas Devarim
Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum אלה הדברים אשר דבר משה..וחצרות ודי זהב (פרק א פסוק א) The Parsha begins with a lengthy description of the context in which Moshe is telling over the Torah to the Jewish People. Rashi tells us that the extensive wording is really filled with hints to all the various […]
The Ultimate Cause of Exile
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier The תלמוד ירושלמי , the Jerusalem Talmud, מסכת יומא , asks, “In the time of the second בית המקדש, Holy Temple, the populace were diligent in Torah study, they had wonderful character traits, they were careful to observe all the מצוות, commandments, and to meticulously tithe properly, so why […]
Parshas Matos-Masei
Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum ואת בלעם בן בעור הרגו בחרב(פרק לא פסוק ח) Hashem commands the Jews to wage war against the מדינים as revenge for them intentionally causing the Jews to sin. The Jews killed all the males of מדין, and the פסוק adds that they killed בלעם by the sword. Rashi […]
Sensitivity
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier In Chapter 37:12, במדבר לא:ב, Hashem instructs Moshe Rabbeinu, “נקום נקמת בני ישראל מאת המדינים, take vengeance for the Children of Israel against the Midianites…”The Ramban explains that though Moshe Rabbeinu had appointed his disciple, Yehoshua, but until the Jewish people had actually crossed the Jordan River, he, Moshe, […]