עֲשָׂרָה דְבָרִים נִבְרְאוּ בְּעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת בֵּין הַשְּׁמָשׁוֹת, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן, פִּי הָאָרֶץ, וּפִי הַבְּאֵר, וּפִי הָאָתוֹן, וְהַקֶּשֶׁת, וְהַמָּן, וְהַמַּטֶּה, וְהַשָּׁמִיר, וְהַכְּתָב, וְהַמִּכְתָּב, וְהַלּוּחוֹת. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים, אַף הַמַּזִּיקִין, וּקְבוּרָתוֹ שֶׁל משֶׁה, וְאֵילוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים, אַף צְבָת בִּצְבָת עֲשׂוּיָה Ten things were created on the eve of the Sabbath at… Read More »Parshat Balak – The Speaking Donkey
In June of 1980, after a year of learning at Machon Gruss in Jerusalem, I returned to the United States. A few days after unpacking, I flew off to Venice, California to help run a Shabbaton for the Flame, a campus outreach organization. We were spending Shabbat at a very… Read More »Parshat Chukat – Moses and the Rock: California Dreaming
7 And the L-RD spoke unto Moses, saying: 8 ‘Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes, that it give forth its water; and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock; so thou… Read More »Parshat Chukat- Balak – Life From The Inanimate
Genesis 28:1-2 וַיִּקְרָ֥א יִצְחָ֛ק אֶֽל־יַעֲקֹ֖ב וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אֹת֑וֹ וַיְצַוֵּ֙הוּ֙ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֔וֹ לֹֽא־תִקַּ֥ח אִשָּׁ֖ה מִבְּנ֥וֹת כְּנָֽעַן׃ So, Isaac sent for Jacob and blessed him. He instructed him, saying, “You shall not take a wife from among the Canaanite women. ק֥וּם לֵךְ֙ פַּדֶּ֣נָֽה אֲרָ֔ם בֵּ֥יתָה בְתוּאֵ֖ל אֲבִ֣י אִמֶּ֑ךָ וְקַח־לְךָ֤ מִשָּׁם֙ אִשָּׁ֔ה מִבְּנ֥וֹת לָבָ֖ן… Read More »PREPARE YOUR DAY WITH A PIECE OF TORA CONTEMPLATION
Chukat (Numbers 19:1-22:1 ) Bamidbar, 21:33-34: “They turned and ascended by way of Bashan: Og, King of Bashan, went out against them, he and his entire people, to do battle at Edrei. Hashem said to Moshe, ‘Do not fear him, for into your hand have I given him, his entire people, and his… Read More »Parshat Chukat – Combine Good Actions with Good Intent
8 Tammuz 5783 – 27 June 2023 “This is the decree of the Torah that Hashem commanded, saying: Speak to the Children of Israel that you shall take to you a completely red cow, without blemish, upon which no yoke has come” Any person who thinks they are perfect and… Read More »Numbers 19:2-3 – Do We Have Many Blemishes?
וּקְח֣וּ ׀ אִ֣ישׁ מַחְתָּת֗וֹ וּנְתַתֶּ֤ם עֲלֵיהֶם֙ קְטֹ֔רֶת וְהִקְרַבְתֶּ֞ם לִפְנֵ֤י ד’ אִ֣ישׁ מַחְתָּת֔וֹ חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים וּמָאתַ֖יִם מַחְתֹּ֑ת וְאַתָּ֥ה וְאַהֲרֹ֖ן אִ֥ישׁ מַחְתָּתֽוֹ׃ Each of you take your fire pan and lay incense on it, and each of you bring that fire pan before יהוה, two hundred and fifty fire pans; you and Aaron also… Read More »Numbers 16:17 – Approaching G-d through a Prohibition?
בס”ד The Sixth Principle – Prophecy One must know that there is a type of person in whom is found a nature, which is the result of extremely excellent character traits and great self-perfection. Their souls are prepared to the point that they receive a certain form of intelligence, by… Read More »THE 13 PRINCIPLES OF FAITH #6: PROPHECY
7 Tammuz 5783 – 26 June 2023 The battle between good and evil thoughts is the main reason for the creation. Rabbi Noson How do we connect this to Avot 6:11? Whatever the Holy Blessed One created in His world, he created only for His glory, as it is said:… Read More »The Reason for the Creation – Good and Evil Thoughts
Numbers 19:1-22:1 from 25 June till 1 July 2023 וַיַּ֤עַשׂ מֹשֶׁה֙ נְחַ֣שׁ נְחֹ֔שֶׁת וַיְשִׂמֵ֖הוּ עַל־הַנֵּ֑ס וְהָיָ֗ה אִם־נָשַׁ֤ךְ הַנָּחָשׁ֙ אֶת־אִ֔ישׁ וְהִבִּ֛יט אֶל־נְחַ֥שׁ הַנְּחֹ֖שֶׁת וָחָֽי׃ Moses made a copper serpent and mounted it on a standard; and when bitten by a serpent, anyone who looked at the copper serpent would recover. Numbers… Read More »Parshat Chukat – The Snakes
