The word “Torah” is related to at least two other words: (1) Ohr, which means light. The Aramaic translation of Torah is Oraissa, which means Light. (2) The root ‘yrh’ – which means to shoot or project. Torah, of course, is meant to illuminate our world and our lives. It… Read More »THE LIGHT OF TORAH
Akavya ben M’halalel taught that one of the things to keep in mind that will prevent you from coming to sin is to know before Whom you will ultimately have to give a ‘Din V’cheshbon’ – judgment and reckoning. (Pirkei Avos / Ethics of the Fathers 3:1) The Vilna Gaon… Read More »JUDGEMENT AND RECKONING
“It shall be a day of TERUAH (blowing the horn) to you…” (Numbers 29:1) The word ‘teruah’ is related to RA’A, which means ‘to smash’. The Chidushei HaRim, first Gerrer Rebbe, taught that we can render “a day of teruah to you” as A day on which you smash your… Read More »NUMBERS 29:1 – SMASH YOUR “YOU”
“For my sin I admit, I worry about my transgression.” (Psalm 38:19) The Book of Psalms, indeed, the Bible often uses parallelism – the same idea is expressed in two ways. This is how this verse is usually understood. Rebbe Nachman of Breslov took it in another direction: David was… Read More »PSALM 38:19 – THE WORRY OF SIN
“A man has joy through the utterances (ma’aneh) of his mouth…” (Proverbs 15:23) The word for utterances, “ma’aneh” can also mean ‘restrictions’. This verse can be understood to be teaching that “the one who restricts his speech can have joy!” (R’ Elimelech of Lizhensk) By Rabbi Michael Skobac © Copyright,… Read More »PROVERBS 15:23 – RESTRICTIONS CAN HAVE JOY
“After Hashem, your God you shall follow…and cleave to Him” (Deuteronomy 13:5) There are two Hebrew words that can mean ‘after’. One is achar and the other is acharei. In his commentary to Genesis 15:1, Rashi explains that achar implies proximity, where one event follows immediately after another; while acharei… Read More »DEUTERONOMY 13:5 – DISTANCE VERSUS PROXIMITY
“See, I place before you today a blessing and a curse” (Deuteronomy 11:26). 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. The Kotzker Rebbe was fond… Read More »DEUTERONOMY 11:26 – A BLESSING AND A CURSE
“I took hold of the two tablets and threw them from my two hands and broke them in your sight” (Deuteronomy 9:17). According to the Talmud, the broken pieces of the shattered tablets were gathered up and placed in the ark along with the new tablets that replaced them (Berachos… Read More »DEUTERONOMY 9:17 – LESSONS FROM BROKEN EXPERIENCES
· “Now, O Israel, what is Hashem, your G-d asking of you? Merely to fear Hashem your G-d, to follow in all His ways, to love Him and to serve Hashem your G-d wholeheartedly and with your entire being” (Deuteronomy 10:12). The Talmud (Berachos 33b) asks: Is fear of G-d… Read More »DEUTERONOMY 10:12 – FEAR OF HASHEM
“You have been defiant with G-d…” (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 – they exploit and distort G-d for their… Read More »DEUTERONOMY 9:24 – DEFIANT
