Parshas Vayigash
Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum והגדתם לאבי…כל אשר ראיתם (פרק מה פסוק יג) After Yosef reveals himself to his brothers, he sends them back to Yaakov with instructions to relay to him Yosef’s prestige and all that they have seen in Egypt. What was Yosef referring to when he told them to repeat everything […]
Parshas Vayigash: Respect for Another
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier As we learn the story of יוסף הצדיק, we are taught to the extent it’s possible and the grave importance for one to value the dignity of another. In בראשית יב:טו, chapter 39:12-15, the Torah tells us that “…she caught hold of him by his garment (יוסף, Joseph)… But […]
Parshas Mikeitz | Chanukah
Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum ויאמר פרעה אל יוסף אחרי הודיע אלקים אותך את כל זאת…אתה תהיה על ביתי (פרק מא פסוק לט-מ) After Yosef satisfactorily explains Pharoah’s dreams, Pharoah exclaims that it is evident that Yosef should be appointed as viceroy over Mitzrayim. What about Yosef’s ability to interpret dreams translates into him […]
Chanukah: To Thank and Praise
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier Both in the added prayer in שמונה עשרה, the Amidah and ברכת המזון, Grace after Meals, of על הנסים, where we recount the miracles of the Chanukah story; we articulate our obligation להודות ולהלל, to thank and to praise. We also mention this phrase in על הנסים, when we […]
Parshas Vayeishev
Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum אלה תולדות יעקב יוסף (פרק לז פסוק ב) The Parsha introduces the story of Yosef and his brothers by stating “these are the chronicles (or offspring, see Rashi) of Yaakov, Yosef etc.” Simply, the Pasuk is saying that Yaakov’s life story was shaped through the following story regarding Yosef. […]
Parshas Vayeishev: Royalty and Dignity
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier In תהלים קי”ד, Psalms chapter 114:2 it states, “היתה יהודה לקדשו ישראל ממשלותיו, Yehuda became His (Hashem’s) sanctuary (the family of royalty) Yisroel (the Jewish people) His dominions.” The גמרא סוטה לז, Talmud Sotah 37a, explains that when the Jewish people were trapped between the ים סוף, the Reed […]
Parshas Vayishlach
Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum ויירא יעקב מאד ויצר לו (פרק לב פסוק ח) Our Parsha begins with Yaakov preparing to greet his brother Eisav who is approaching with plans of killing him. The פסוק describes Yaakov as being afraid of Eisav but this doesn’t seem compatible with what we know about Yaakov Avinu. […]
Parshas Vayishlach: The Power of Truth
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier After having taken his family across the “ford of Yabbok,” Yaakov Avinu “was left alone and he struggled with a being (the angel of Esau).” (Genesis 32:25) Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch explains in the following manner: “As he had already passed all his people and all his possessions to […]
Parshas Vayeitzei
Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum ויפגע במקום וילן שם (פרק כח פסוק יא) Our Parsha begins with the story of Yaakov leaving his home to go live with Lavan and along the way encountering a place to sleep. An interesting expression of “ויפגע” is used to describe how he arrived there. חז”ל, as brought […]
Parshas Vayeitzei: Lofty Behavior
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier ספר בראשית, the book of Genesis is described as ספר הישר, the manual of the ultimate behavior befitting and gifted to all by Hashem. When we study the happenings of our אבות ואמהות, our Patriarchs and Matriarchs, there are many “small” details that teach us profoundly important life lessons. […]
