PARSHAS VAYECHI

Parshas Pinchas

Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum הנני נותן לו את בריתי שלום (פרק כה פסוק יב) Hashem promises His covenant of peace as renumeration for Pinchas’s zealousness in avenging His honor. The מדרש comments that it was proper and befitting for Pinchas to receive a reward for his good deed. Why did this action specifically […]

Leadership

Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier In שמות ו: כ”ה it states:”…ואלעזר בן אהרן לקח לו מבנות פוטיאל לו לאשה ותלד לו את פינחס” “And Ahron’s son Elazar took as his wife one of Putiel’s daughters, and she bore him Pinchos…” The רמב”ן, Nachmanides questions, why does the Torah mention Putiel- we don’t know who […]

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 […]

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 Korach

Print PDF By Rabbi Shloime 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 Superficially it seems that Korach was a terrible person, a distinguished individual who envied Moshe Rabbeinu’s exalted status. How is it possible that someone who witnessed the miracles that Moshe Rabbeinu brought, experienced his selfless dedication and above all knew that the Almighty had chosen him to be His […]

Parshas Shelach

Print PDF By Rabbi Shoime 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 […]

Gaining Constancy

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 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 […]

The Path to Achievement

Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier Prior to the giving of the Torah to Klal Yisroel at Mt. Sinai, all those that had an infirmity, i.e. lame, deaf, blind, were miraculously healed by the Creator. There is a discussion at what point was the gift taken away; was it at the incident of the Golden […]