17 Cheshvan 5784, 1 November 2023 “Avraham came forward (‘vayigash’) and said: Will You wipe out the righteous along with the wicked?” (Genesis 18:23) The word ‘vayigash’ appears three times in scripture in the context of someone coming forward and approaching another with a request. Here, where Abraham prays for… Read More »GENESIS 18:23 – THE MEANING OF ‘VAYIGASH’
13 Cheshvan 5784, 28 October 2023 “He took him outside and said: Look now to the heavens and count the stars, if you are able to count them. And He said to him: So will be your offspring” (Genesis 15:5). There are actually billions of stars, so are we to… Read More »GENESIS 15:5 – THE JEWISH PEOPLE WILL NOT GIVE UP!
6 Cheshvan 21 October 2023 “You shall make a skylight for the ark…” (Genesis 6:16). The word for skylight, ‘tzohar’ means illumination. The word for ark, teivah also means word. Based on this, the Baal Shem Tov suggested that there is an embedded message for us in this verse. We… Read More »GENESIS 6:16 – LIGHT INTO OUR PRAYERS
2 Cheshvan 17 October 2023 Rav Tzadok HaCohen of Lublin famously taught that the first time a word appears in the Torah is its headquarters. This is an appropriate idea to keep in mind as we begin our study of the Torah again this week with the portion of Bereishis… Read More »GENESIS 3:9 – WHERE ARE YOU?
28 Tisrei – 13 October 2023 G-d formed man of dust from the ground (adamah) Genesis 2:7. This is why the human is called Adam. But this verse concludes by telling us that G-d blew into his nostrils the breath of life. Breath in Hebrew is neshima – this refers… Read More »GENESIS 2:7 – MAN IS DUST AND POTENTIAL
26 Tisrei – 11 October 2023 G-d had made it very clear that the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil was not to be eaten, and that “on the day you eat of it you will surely become subject to death” (Genesis 2:17). If that was the case, how… Read More »GIVE ME CLARITY OR GIVE ME DEATH!
5 Tisrei – 20 September 2023 “For with You there is forgiveness, so that You may be feared .” (Psalm 130:4) Why should we be fearful if Hashem is forgiving? The Baal Shem Tov explained that the potential for forgiveness exists if we grab the opportunity of teshuvah/repentance. It’s not… Read More »PSALM 130:4 – WHY SHOULD WE BE FEARFUL IF HASHEM IS FORGIVING?
22 Elul – 8 September 2023 “Gather together the nation, the men, the women, and the small children and your stranger who is in your gates so that they will hear and so that they will learn and they will fear Hashem your God, and they will be careful to… Read More »DEUTERONOMY 31:12 – IN YOUR GATES
20 Elul – 6 September 2023 “You saw their abominations and their detestable idols of wood and stone, of silver and gold that were with them” If these idols are so repulsive, how could anyone even think of going after them to worship them? Why does Moses have to warn… Read More »DEUTERONOMY 29:16 – WOOD AND SILVER?
18 Elul – 4 September 2023 “…and you will be only on top and you will not on the bottom when you obey the commandments of Hashem your G-d” . It’s clearly impossible to be on the top and bottom at the same time, so why does the Torah have… Read More »DEUTERONOMY 28:13 – TOP AND BOTTUM
