Sacred Time

Sacred Time

“….This month shall be for you the head of the months…” – Shemot 12:2 הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם רֹאשׁ חֳדָשִׁים – שמות יב, ב The first mitzvah given to the Jews (as a nation) was to determine and sanctify the day that will be Rosh Chodesh, the first of every month, in effect creating the Jewish calendar (see Rashi on Beraishis […]

January 7, 2019 at 1:49 AM 0 comments

The Deprogramming – Parashat Bo

The Deprogramming – Parashat Bo

“….And you shall keep it for inspection until the fourteenth day of this month…” – Shemot 12:6 וְהָיָה לָכֶם לְמִשְׁמֶרֶת עַד אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר יוֹם לַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה – שמות יב, ו Bnei Yisrael were commanded to designate a lamb on the 10th of Nissan to be slaughtered as the Pesach offering four days later. Rashi comments (on Shemos 12:6) that these […]

January 6, 2019 at 1:47 AM 0 comments

Egypt Syndrome – Parashat Bo

Egypt Syndrome – Parashat Bo

“….And the blood will be for you for a sign upon the houses where you will be, and I will see the blood and spare you, and there will be no destructive plague in you when I smite the land of Egypt….” – Shemot 12:13 וְהָיָה הַדָּם לָכֶם לְאֹת עַל הַבָּתִּים אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם שָׁם וְרָאִיתִי אֶת הַדָּם וּפָסַחְתִּי עֲלֵכֶם וְלֹא […]

January 5, 2019 at 2:00 AM 0 comments

Fire and Ice – Parasha Va’eira

Fire and Ice – Parasha Va’eira

“….And there was hail, and fire flaming within the hail….” – Shemot 9:24 וַיְהִי בָרָד וְאֵשׁ מִתְלַקַּחַת בְּתוֹךְ הַבָּרָד – שמות ט, כד In the seventh of the Ten Plagues that G-d brought upon the Egyptians, a devastating hail rained down upon Egypt, striking all people and livestock that were not indoors and crushing all of Egypt’s remaining crops and […]

December 31, 2018 at 1:11 PM 0 comments

Blood before Frogs

Blood before Frogs

“…..And the river will swarm with frogs, and they will emerge and come inside your home and your bedroom and upon your bed, and inside the homes of your servants and among your people, and into your ovens and your kneading troughs….” – Shemot 7:28 וְשָׁרַץ הַיְאֹר צְפַרְדְּעִים וְעָלוּ וּבָאוּ בְּבֵיתֶךָ וּבַחֲדַר מִשְׁכָּבְךָ וְעַל מִטָּתֶךָ וּבְבֵית עֲבָדֶיךָ וּבְעַמֶּךָ וּבְתַנּוּרֶיךָ וּבְמִשְׁאֲרוֹתֶיךָ […]

December 31, 2018 at 2:58 AM 0 comments

Escaping the Cold

Escaping the Cold

“….And all the water that was in the Nile turned to blood…” – Shemot 7:20 וַיֵּהָפְכוּ כָּל הַמַּיִם אֲשֶׁר בַּיְאֹר לְדָם – שמות ז, כ  The Jewish people were so oppressed in Egypt that even Moshe struggled to understand how this could be part of G-d’s plan. Their misery was so profound that they refused to accept Moshe’s message from […]

December 30, 2018 at 2:02 AM 0 comments

When the Bare Minimum is Optimal

When the Bare Minimum is Optimal

“…And Aharon stretched forth his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frog came up and covered the land of Egypt…..” – Shemot 8:2 וַיֵּט אַהֲרֹן אֶת יָדוֹ עַל מֵימֵי מִצְרָיִם וַתַּעַל הַצּפַרְדֵּעַ וַתְּכַס אֶת אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם – שמות ח, ב Our Sages place great emphasis on the importance of executing a mitzvah project from start to finish and […]

December 29, 2018 at 2:39 AM 0 comments

Discovering the Real Motive

Discovering the Real Motive

“….But i will harden pharaoh’s heart, and i will increase my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt….” – Shemot 7:3 ״….ואני אקשה את לב פרעה והרבתי את אותותי ואת מופתי בארץ מצרים….״ – שמות ז, ג G-d struck the Egyptians with the Ten Plagues as punishment for their cruel enslavement of Bnei Yisrael. These supernatural Plagues also […]

December 27, 2018 at 3:22 AM 0 comments

The Scary Truth about Lashon Hara

The Scary Truth about Lashon Hara

“….Moshe became frightened and said, “Indeed, the matter has become known!….” – Shemot 2:14 ״….ויירא משה ויאמר אכן נודע הדבר…״ – שמות ב, יד   The redemption from Egypt marked the birth of the Jewish people, when the Bnei Yisrael were chosen by G-d to be His nation. This elite status was not something we earned through our merits. In […]

December 25, 2018 at 2:24 AM 0 comments

A Donkey with a History

A Donkey with a History

“…..Moshe took his wife and sons and mounted them on the donkey….” – Shemot 4:20 ״….ויקח משה את אישתו ואת בניו וירכבם על החמור….״ – שמות ד, כ The Torah specifies the means of transportation that Moshe provided for his family because the donkey they rode wasn’t quite your average donkey. Rather, when he set out on his journey to […]

December 24, 2018 at 12:03 AM 0 comments

The Power of Positive Thinking

The Power of Positive Thinking

“…Moshe became frightened and said, “indeed, the matter has become known.” Pharaoh heard of this incident, and he sought to slay Moshe; and Moshe fled from before Pharaoh…” – Shemot 2:14-15 וַיִּירָא משֶׁה וַיֹּאמַר אָכֵן נוֹדַע הַדָּבָר: וַיִּשְׁמַע פַּרְעֹה אֶת הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה וַיְבַקֵּשׁ לַהֲרֹג אֶת משֶׁה וַיִּבְרַח משֶׁה מִפְּנֵי פַרְעֹה – שמות ב, יד-טו The Torah relates that when Moshe discovered […]

December 23, 2018 at 2:52 AM 0 comments

Mass-Energy Equivalence – Parashat Pikudei

Mass-Energy Equivalence – Parashat Pikudei

“…These are the accounts of the Mishkan, the Mishkan of the Testimony, as they were overseen by Moshe…” – Shemos 38:21 אֵלֶּה פְקוּדֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן מִשְׁכַּן הָעֵדֻת אֲשֶׁר פֻּקַּד עַל פִּי משֶׁה – שמות לח, כא The total weight of all the gold, silver, and copper that was donated for the Mishkan is recorded in Parshas Pikudei.  No mention is made, […]

March 8, 2018 at 1:57 AM 0 comments

The Gifts of the Gifted

The Gifts of the Gifted

“…All the women whose hearts uplifted them with wisdom spun the goat hair…” – Shemot 35:26 וְכָל הַנָּשִׁים אֲשֶׁר נָשָׂא לִבָּן אֹתָנָה בְּחָכְמָה טָווּ אֶת הָעִזִּים – שמות לה, כו This is particularly remarkable considering that Bnei Yisrael had not been instructed to process the goat hair at all before donating it to the Mishkan. The manner in which the […]

March 6, 2018 at 1:50 AM 0 comments

When Broken Comes Before Whole

When Broken Comes Before Whole

“…And g-d said to Moshe: “hew for yourself two stone tablets like the first ones…” – Shemos 35:1 וַיֹּאמֶר ה’ אֶל משֶׁה פְּסָל לְךָ שְׁנֵי לֻחֹת אֲבָנִים כָּרִאשֹׁנִים – שמות לה, א The Midrash (Shemos Rabbah 46:1) relates that Moshe was distressed over having broken the Luchos, until G-d said to him, “Do not be pained over the first tablets, which […]

March 2, 2018 at 1:52 AM 0 comments

A Model

A Model

“…And now, if you forgive their sin… but if not, erase me now from your book that you have written…” – Shemot 32:32 ‫וְעַתָּה אִם תִּשָּׂא חַטָּאתָם וְאִם אַיִן מְחֵנִי נָא מִסִּפְרְךָ אֲשֶׁר כָּתָבְתָּ – שמות לב, לב   When Bnei Yisrael rebelled against the Torah’s most basic principle and worshipped the Golden Calf, G-d threatened to wipe Bnei Yisrael out […]

February 28, 2018 at 4:11 AM 0 comments

Learned from the Pro – Parashat Ki Tisa

Learned from the Pro – Parashat Ki Tisa

“…And now, if You forgive their sin… —But if not, erase me now from Your book, which You have written…’ – Shemot 32:32 וְעַתָּה אִם תִּשָּׂא חַטָּאתָם וְאִם אַיִן מְחֵנִי נָא מִסִּפְרְךָ אֲשֶׁר כָּתָבְתָּ – שמות לב, לב “The Shechinah (Divine Presence) spoke through Moshe’s throat,” say our Sages (see Zohar vol. 3, p. 232a). This means that Moshe’s identity […]

February 28, 2018 at 1:07 AM 0 comments

Positively Fulfilling the Negative Prohibitions

Positively Fulfilling the Negative Prohibitions

“…When he had finished speaking with him on mount sinai, he gave Moshe the two tablets of the testimony…” – Shemos 31:18 וַיִּתֵּן אֶל משֶׁה כְּכַלֹּתוֹ לְדַבֵּר אִתּוֹ בְּהַר סִינַי שְׁנֵי לֻחֹת הָעֵדֻת – שמות לא, יח Rashi notes that the Torah here spells the word Luchos, tablets, as לֻחֹת—without the letter “ו” that emphasizes the plural, according to which the word […]

February 26, 2018 at 1:28 AM 0 comments

Rinse Well Before Serving – Parashat Ki Tisa

Rinse Well Before Serving – Parashat Ki Tisa

“…Aharon and his sons shall wash their hands and feet from it…” – Shemot 30:19 וְרָחֲצוּ אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו מִמֶּנּוּ אֶת יְדֵיהֶם וְאֶת רַגְלֵיהֶם – שמות ל, יט Before beginning their daily service, the kohanim serving in the Mishkan would wash their hands and feet. Emulating the kohanim, we, too, wash our hands every morning upon awakening to sanctify ourselves for […]

February 25, 2018 at 3:46 AM 0 comments

Nameless – Parashat Tetzaveh

Nameless – Parashat Tetzaveh

“…And you shall command Bnei Yisrael…” – Shemot 27:20 וְאַתָּה תְּצַוֶּה אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל – שמות כז, כ From the account of Moshe’s birth in the beginning of the Book of Shemos until his monologue in the Book of Devarim, Moshe is mentioned by name in every weekly Torah portion with the exception of Parshas Tetzaveh. The notable absence of […]

February 18, 2018 at 3:19 AM 0 comments

Have Poles, Will Travel – Parashat Terumah

Have Poles, Will Travel – Parashat Terumah

“….The poles of the ark shall be in the rings; they shall not be removed from it….” – Shemot 25:15 בְּטַבְּעֹת הָאָרֹן יִהְיוּ הַבַּדִּים לֹא יָסֻרוּ מִמֶּנּוּ – שמות כה, טו The prohibition of removing the poles from the Aron, the Holy Ark, is explained in the Sefer Hachinuch (Mitzvah 96) as a means of ensuring that the Aron is always ready […]

February 14, 2018 at 2:45 AM 0 comments