If G-d hardened Pharaoh’s heart, effectively removing any chance he had to regret and abandon his past decisions, then why was Pharaoh punished? He was not given a chance to mend his ways! Rav Shimon ben Lakish answers this question in the Midrash (Shemos Rabbah 13:3). He explains that Pharaoh was “struck” by G-d with remorselessness only because he […]

“….And I appeared to Avraham, to Yitzchok and to Yaakov….” – Shemot 6:3 ״…וארא אל אברהם, אל יצחק ואל יעקב….״ – שמות ו, ג In this verse and the verses that follow, G-d tells Moshe that He will now fulfill the promise He made when He appeared to Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, namely, to redeem their children from Egypt. In […]

Why did G-od use ten plagues to take Bnei Israel out of Mitzraim (Egypt)? More than that, what is the significance of each plague? Duration of class: 1:05:42              

From the teachings of the Noam Elimelech (Elimelech of Lizhensk) Duration of class: 44:28              

“….And the king of Egypt said to them, “Why, Moshe and Aharon, do you disturb the people from their work? Go to your own labors.” – Shemot 5:4 וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם לָמָּה משֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן תַּפְרִיעוּ אֶת הָעָם מִמַּעֲשָׂיו לְכוּ לְסִבְלֹתֵיכֶם  – שמות ה, ד The commentaries note that Pharaoh instructed Moshe and Aharon to return to their own labors, […]

From the teachings of the Noam Elimelech (Elimelech of Lizhensk) Duration of class: 38:39              

From the teachings of the Noam Elimelech (Elimelech of Lizhensk) Duration of class: 35:43              

  Duration of class: 1:04:24              

From the teachings of the Noam Elimelech (Elimelech of Lizhensk) Duration of class: 54:33              

“….He went out on the second day, and behold, two hebrew men were quarreling. he said to the wicked one, “why will you strike your friend?…” – Shemot 2:13 ״….ויצא ביוםהשני והנה שני אנשים עברים נצים ויאמר לרשע למה תכה רעך….״ – ב,יג Moshe reprimanded the quarrelers even before their fight came to actual blows, as indicated by the future […]

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, […]