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, […]
Parshas Pinchas
Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum 6 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 […]
True Dedication
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier In במדבר כז:טז we find a unique פסוק, verse; in fact only once in the whole Torah is it mentioned “וידבר משה אל ה’ לאמר” And Moshe spoke with sharpness, demand to Hashem, asking for a reply. The word וידבר is used to connote demand, authority, position of power […]
Parshas Balak
Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum קח את כל ראשי העם והוקע אותם לה’ נגד השמש וישב חרון אף ה’ (פרק כה פסוק ד) After the Jews sinned with the Moabite women and the idol Peor, Hashem told Moshe that he should gather all the leaders to judge the sinners and have them hanged. The […]
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 […]