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 impure by coming into contact with a dead person. If there is an uncontrollable situation in which they […]
Life Lesson from the Nazir
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier In this week’s portion, we are introduced to the נזיר, Nazirite, a person who dedicates themselves to elevating their spiritual sensitivity and steadfastness. Chazal teach us that the Torah equates this period of one’s life to the lofty status of the כהן גדול, the High Priest! The גמרא נדרים […]
Shavuos
Print PDF By Rabbi Shloime Lindenbaum ותאמר רות אל תפגעי בי לעזבך…כי אל אשר תלכי אלך ובאשר תליני אלין עמך עמי ואלקיך אלקי (רות א,טז) Rus and her mother-in-law, Naami, traveled away from בית לחם after losing their husbands and Naami insisted that Rus should go her own way, as she had nothing more to […]
The Essence of Torah: Chesed
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 […]
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 Shloime Lindenbaum אם בחקתי תלכו… (פרק כו פסוק ג) The Torah promises that if a person follows the חק, decree, of Hashem, then they will merit a life of blessing. Rashi explains that the חק referred to is toiling in Torah. The Chasam Sofer explains where Rashi saw this in the […]
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 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 […]
Yomim Tovim: Reinforcing Appreciation
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier When one focuses on the dynamic of the שלש רגלים, it is natural for one to view פסח, Passover as the festival in which we celebrate the birth of the Jewish nation, שבועות, Shavuos as the time we received the Torah and סוכות, Sukkos as the commemoration of Hashem’s […]
