Parshas Behaalosecha
Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum אל נא תעזב אתנו…והיית לנו לעינים (פרק י פסוק לא) The Torah describes how Yisro, Moshe’s father-in-law, wanted to leave the Jews in the desert and return to his homeland, and Moshe tried, unsuccessfully, to get him to stay. Moshe asked him, “please do not leave us… as you […]
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 Lessons 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 […]
The Essence of Torah: Chesed | Shavuos
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 […]
Parshas Bamidbar
Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum אך את מטה לוי לא תפקד וגו’ בתוך בני ישראל (פרק א פסוק מט) Hashem commands Moshe to count the entire Jewish nation but specifies that Levi should have their own separate counting. This is reiterated two more times, emphasizing that the Levites should not be included in the […]
Orderliness
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier The Torah in this week’s portion details at great length the census of the Jewish people; how many were in each tribe. In the second chapter, the Torah commands how the Jewish people encamped around the משכן, Tabernacle. There were four divisions in each direction, comprising of three tribes. […]
Parshas Bechukosai
Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum ונתתי גשמיכם בעתם (פרק כו פסוק ד) The פרשה begins by telling us that if we follow Hashem’s מצוות then He will bestow all physical blessings upon us. The פסוק first begins, “I will give your rain in their proper times”. The מדרש comments that there is an emphasis […]
The Significance of Human Dignity
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier We are startled by today’s world order. We are shocked what Hamas has done, their complete lack of dignity, their hatred of Klal Yisrael and their disdain for any meaning. We are appalled and stupefied by the countless people worldwide who with detestation of civility have bonded together to […]
Parshas Behar | Lag Baomer
Print PDF By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum כי לי בני ישראל עבדים עבדי הם אשר הוצאתי אותם מארץ מצרים (פרק כה פסוק נה) At the end of the laws describing the freedom of a Jewish slave, the Torah makes the point that the Jews are Hashem’s servants that he redeemed from Egypt. The Torah seems […]
Transcending our Immoral Society
Print PDF By Rabbi Naftoly Bier In פ‘ בהר , Leviticus 25:47-55, the Torah teaches us the case where a Jew contracts himself to be an indentured servant for a non-Jew. It is the manifestation of a Jew who has slowly lost their sensitivity to the uniqueness of being gifted with a way of life […]