Many times we find in the Torah that a donkey was used.. why? what’s so special about a donkey? and what can I learn from that? Duration of class: 56:34              

“….You shall cast every boy who is born into the nile, but every daughter you shall keep alive…” – Shemot 1:22 ״….כל הבן הילוד היאורה תשליכוהו וכל הבת תחיון…״ – א, כב At first glance, Pharaoh’s decree seems to have targeted only the Jewish baby boys and spared the girls. The conclusion of the directive, however, which states the obvious […]

“….And yosef died at the age of one hundred and ten years, and he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt….” – Bereishit 47:26 ״….וימת יוסף בן מאה ועשר שנים ויחנטו אותו ויישם בארון במצרים…״ – בראשית מז, כו Upon concluding the reading of any of the five books of the Torah, the entire community customarily calls out, […]

“….And his sons carried him….” – Bereishit 50:13 ״….וישאו אותו בניו…״ – בראשית נ,יג Rashi notes that Yaakov’s coffin was carried by all but two of his sons, Levi and Yosef, who were replaced by Menasheh and Ephraim instead. “Levi shall not carry it because he (i.e., his tribe) is destined to carry the Aron. Yosef shall not carry it […]

The Midrash explains that the “man” that Shimon and Levi are said to have killed in their wrath is actually a reference to quite a few men: the entire adult male population of Shechem. Yaakov calls all of them “a man,” because they were like no more than one man before Shimon and Levi. What place does this tribute to […]

From the teachings of the Noam Elimelech (Elimelech of Lizhensk) Duration of class: 32:04              

“…And Yaakov called for his sons and said, “gather and i will tell you what will happen to you at the end of days.” – Bereishis 49:1 וַיִּקְרָא יַעֲקֹב אֶל בָּנָיו וַיֹּאמֶר הֵאָסְפוּ וְאַגִּידָה לָכֶם אֵת אֲשֶׁר יִקְרָא אֶתְכֶם בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים – בראשית מט, א The Talmud (Pesachim 56a) explains that Yaakov sought to reveal to his sons the end of […]

“…..I buried her there along the road to Efras, which is Bies-Lechem…..” – Bereishit 48:7 ״…..ואקברה שם בדרך אפרת היא בית לחם…״ – בראשית מח,ז Rachel’s burial place would naturally have been in Me’aras Hamachpela, alongside her husband. Instead, Rachel was buried on the roadside in order to hasten her children’s eventual return from exile, as explained in the Midrash.“When […]

We all born with some character traits that we need to work on, but can we recognise what they ate and what is the way to refine them Duration of class: 57:25              

“…Now, your two sons who were born to you in Egypt before I came to you, to the land of Egypt, shall be considered mine; Ephraim and Menasheh shall be to me like Reuven and Shimon…..” – Bereishit 48:5 ״…ועתה שני בניך הנולדים לך בארץ מצרים עד בואי אליך מצרימה לי הם אפרים ומנשה כראובן ושמעון יהיו לי….״ – בראשית מח, […]

“…Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, “so said your son, Yosef: G-d has made me master over all of Egypt. Come down to me, do not tarry….” – Bereishit 45:9 ״….מהרו ועלו אל אבי ואמרתם אליו כה אמר בנך יוסף שמני אלוקים לאדון לכל מצרים רדה אלי אל תעמוד…״ – בראשית מה, ט Twenty-two years […]

Duration of class:59:35              

We all want to grow spiritually and refine ourselves, but what exactly does one need to do to achieve it? Duration of class: 47:39              

“…Do not be afraid of going down to Egypt, for there i will make of you a great nation. – Bereishis 46:3 אַל תִּירָא מֵרְדָה מִצְרַיְמָה כִּי לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל אֲשִׂימְךָ שָׁם – בראשית מו, ג As Yaakov and his family made their journey to Egypt, G-d appeared to Yaakov and told him: “Do not be afraid of going down to Egypt; […]

“…And he saw the wagons that yosef had sent to carry him, and the spirit of Yaakov their father revived. and Yisrael said: “it is much; yosef my son is still alive; i will go and see him before i die.” – Bereishis 45:26-27 וַיַּרְא אֶת הָעֲגָלוֹת אֲשֶׁר שָׁלַח יוֹסֵף לָשֵׂאת אֹתוֹ וַתְּחִי רוּחַ יַעֲקֹב אֲבִיהֶם: וַיֹּאמֶר יִשְׂרָאֵל רַב עוֹד […]

Duration of class: 1:23:27              

“…He sent Yehuda ahead of him to yosef, to prepare goshen in advance…” – Bereishit 46:27 ואת יהודה שלח לפניו אל יוסף להורת לפניו גשנה ויבאו ארצה גשן – בראשית מו, כח Yaakov sent Yehuda to Egypt to establish a place of Torah study and education in Goshen before the rest of the family arrived. Why was it necessary for […]

“….And he fell on his brother Binyamin’s neck and wept, and Binyamin wept on his neck….” – Bereishit 45:14 ״….ויפל על צוארי בנימין אחיו ויבך ובנימין בכה על צואריו…״ – בראשית מה, יד When Yosef and Binyomin were finally reunited, they fell on each other’s necks in embrace and wept. Rashi explains that Yosef and Binyomin cried because they prophetically […]

Duration of class: 1:23:27              

“….And he had him ride in his chariot of second rank, and they called out before him, ‘Avrech – The king’s patron’ – Appointing him over the entire land of Egypt….” – Bereishit 41:43 ״….וירכב אתו במרכבת המשנה אשר לו ויקראו לפניו אברך ונתון אתו על כל ארץ מצרים….״ – בראשית מא, מג Rashi cites an alternative interpretation for the […]