21 Av 5783 – 8 August 2023 “See, I place before you today a blessing and a curse” According to R’ Ovadiah Seforno, we are warned here against thinking there can be a middle ground in our spiritual lives. There are only the two extremes of either blessing or curse.… Read More »Deuteronomy 11:26 – The Middel Road is for…?
19 Av 5783 – 6 August 2023 “…cleave to Him”. There are many ways to attach ourselves to the Creator. Rashi teaches that one way is by connecting ourselves to Torah scholars. Our sages teach that something which is attached to that which is (ritually) pure has the status of… Read More »Deuteronomy 11:22 – Cleave to Him
17 Av 5783 – 4 August 2023 “I took hold of the two tablets and threw them from my two hands and broke them in your sight” According to the Talmud, the broken pieces of the shattered tablets were gathered up and placed in the ark along with the new… Read More »Deuteronomy 9:17 – Learning from Mistakes
16 Av 5783 – 3 August 2023 “…and you shall eat and be satiated and bless Hashem your G-d…” This is normally understood to mean that after we have eaten enough to feel satisfied; we should thank Hashem for the food. Rabbi Shlomo of Karlin offered a beautiful way of… Read More »Deuteronomy 8:10
15 Av 5783 – 2 August 2023 “You have been defiant with God…” (Deuteronomy 9:24). This is usually translated as ‘You have been defiant against G-d’. But R’ Menachem Mendel of Riminov notes that we should not ignore the literal meaning. There are those who are defiant WITH G-d –… Read More »Deuteronomy 9:24 – Defiant
13 Av 5783 – 31 July 2023 “Hear O Israel, Hashem is our G-d, Hashem is One!” This is a profound verse, and there may be other ways to parse the words. One possibility suggested by Rabbi Norman Lamm in his brilliant book on the Shema is: Hear O Israel… Read More »Deuteronomy 6:4 – Hashem is One!
12 Av 5783 – 30 July 2023 Be very careful that you not forget the covenant that Hashem, your G-d made with you, and you make for yourselves a statue – the image of anything, that Hashem, your G-d has commanded you. The actual wording of the original Hebrew here… Read More »Deutoronomy 4:23 – … Make for Yourselves a Statue…?
10 Av 5783 – 28 July 2023 “From there you shall seek Hashem your G-d and you will find Him, but you must search for Him with all your heart and all your soul” The Kotzker Rebbe taught that even after you have found Hashem, you must continue to seek… Read More »Deuteronomy 4:19 – Discover More
8 Av 5783 – 26 July 2023 “And these words which I am commanding you today shall be upon your heart.” The Kotzker Rebbe wondered why it doesn’t say to place the words within our hearts – why just upon them? He answered that in truth, our hearts are not… Read More »Deuteronomy 6:6 – Only Upon Your Heart?
7 Av 5783 – 26 July 2023 The creation testifies to the glory of the Creator. “Raise your eyes on high, and see Who created these (things)…” Isaiah 40:26 “The heavens declare the glory of G-d and the firmament tells of His handiwork.” (Psalm 19:2) Everything we see points to… Read More »Isaiah 40:26 – No Human is Equated with G-d
