Parshas Vayeitzei
Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum ויצא יעקב מבאר שבע וילך חרנה (פרק כח פסוק י) Our Parsha continues the story that began last week by telling us that Yaakov left באר שבע and went to חרן. The בית הלוי asks, why must we say where he left from? Usually when describing a person […]
נורה: Awesome in His Mercy and Judgement
Print PDF By Rabbi Nafoly Bier In our daily תפילות, prayers, we entreat Hashem, “ויחד לבבינו לאהבה וליראה את שמך”, “and unify our hearts to love and fear Your Name.” (דוד המלך entreats the same in singular Psalms 86:11). Aren’t these two, to love and fear, diametrically opposite emotions? Many explain the attribute that […]
Parshas Toldos
Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum ויתרצצו הבנים בקרבה (פרק כה פסוק כב) When Rivkah was expecting Yaakov and Eisav the Torah tells us that there was a lot of movement inside of her. Rashi, in one explanation, says that every time she passed by a בית מדרש Yaakov ran towards it and whenever […]
Trait of גבורה- “Strength”
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier The Torah, chapter 27:15-20, relates the happenings concerning wells which Avrohom Avinu dug that were subsequently filled with earth by the Philistines and then redug by Yitzchok Avinu. “As a simple story,” the Ramban states, “it has no meaningful lesson and honor to Yitzchok and therefore must contain […]
Parshas Chayei Sara
Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum ואחרי כן קבר אברהם את שרה אשתו (פרק כג פסוק יט) The Torah describes in detail Avraham’s acquisition of a burial plot for Sarah. He approaches the people of Ches, who show him tremendous respect and insist that it would be an honor for Sarah to be buried […]
Prayer: Defining the Cycles of Life
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier In this week’s Parsha (פרק כ”ד:ס”ג) it states: “ויצא יצחק לשוח בשדה” “And our patriarch Isaac went…”. There are two explanations given. Rabbeinu Bachye teaches that the ‘simple’ meaning is that Yitzchok went to the field to enjoy the beauty of nature, “שיח בשדה”, the trees, flowers, etc. […]
Parshas Vayeira
Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum ויאמר כי את שבע כבשות תקח מידי בעבור תהיה לי לעדה כי חפרתי את הבאר הזאת (פרק כא פסוק ל) Our Parsha records a discussion between Avraham and Avimelech regarding the well of water that Avraham had dug which was subsequently seized by Avimelech’s servants. After they arrive […]
Chesed: Its Definition
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier In 18:23 בראשית, after being informed by G-d that the depraved, wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be destroyed, Avrohom Avinu intercedes and prays to Hashem. It seems at first glance that his argument is; Should the righteous suffer? Then abruptly his argument is that all of […]
Parshas Lech Lecha
Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum בט נא השמימה וספר הכוכבים אם תוכל לספור…כה יהיה זרעך (פרק טו פסוק ה) Hashem tells Avraham to look up at the stars and attempt to count them. He then tells him, just as you cannot count the stars, so will be your children, unable to be counted. R’ […]
Covenants
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier In this week’s פרשה, we learn of two monumental, eternal בריתות, covenants that are formalized between Hashem and Avraham Avinu, our patriarch Avrohom. The first time we are introduced to the idea of a ברית, covenant, is in פ‘ נח , Genesis 9:11-12, where the Almighty declares that […]
