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 […]
The Essence of Torah: Chessed
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier The Medrash Rus, רות רבה ב:טו, says, “אמר רב זעירא, (this מגילה scroll has no mention of what is prohibited, what is permitted…) it is written to teach us the ‘great reward for those who are involved in kindness.’”Another Medrash, ילקוט רות תקצ”ד, teaches: we read מגילת רות on […]
Parshas Bamidbar
Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum וידבר ה’ אל משה…באחד לחדש השני בשנה השנית…שאו את ראש וכו’ (פרק א פסוק א-ב) Sefer Bamidbar opens in the second year of Bnai Yisroel’s journey in the desert with a command from Hashem to count the Jewish nation. In the continuing פסוקים it becomes clear that the purpose […]
The Vital Importance of Structure
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier The רמב”ם, Maimonides, in הלכות כלי מקדש, Laws of the Vessels of the Sanctuary, states the following: “The Levites’ service was to guard the Temple. Among the Levites, there were gate-keepers who would open the gates of the Temple and close its doors. And there were singers who would […]
Parshas Behar-Bechukosai
Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum כי לי בני ישראל עבדים עבדי הם אשר הוצאתי אותם מארץ מצרים (פרק כה פסוק נה At the end of the laws describing the freedom of a Jewish slave, the Torah makes the point that the Jewsare Hashem’s servants that he redeemed from Egypt. The Torah seems to be […]
The Significance of Human Dignity
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier The Torah, Leviticus 26:14, states, “ואם לא תשמעו לי ולא תעשו כל המצוות האלו ״, “If you will not listen to Me and will not perform all the Commandments.” Rashi quotes the תורת כהנים that asks what is the significance of the word, “Me”; it’s understood that Hashem is […]
Parshas Emor
Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum כי תבאו אל הארץ…וקצרתם את קצירה…ובקצרכם את קציר ארצכם (פרק כג פסוק י-כג)In the Torah’s description of the ימים טובים we find the מצוה that takes place on the second day of פסח. Being the beginning of the harvest season, the Torah commands that the first barley harvest should […]
The Gravity of Self-Worth
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier In ויקרא פרק כ”ה, Leviticus 25:35,39, the Torah begins וכי ימוך אחיך, “If your brother becomes impoverished… you shall strengthen him (35)… you shall not treat him as a slave but as a resident… (39)”. The Medrash Rabba 34:10 comments, More than what the בעל הבית, the “philanthropist” does […]
Parshas Acharei Mos- Kedoshim
Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum דבר אל אהרן אחיך ואל יבא בכל עת אל הקדש…בזאת יבא אהרן אל הקדש (פרק טז פסוק ב-ג) As an introduction to the Yom Kippur service in the משכן, Hashem says that Aharon cannot frequent theקדש הקדשים (Holy of Holies), and only with the described service can he enter. […]