בס”ד Tetzaveh (Exodus 27:20-30:10 ) Every year, on the Shabbat before Purim, we read Parshat Zachor, the Portion of Remembrance, reminding us of the obligation to wipe out the evil nation of Amalek. The Torah tells us that the reason for this is that the Amalekites attacked us whilst they were in the desert, and consequently we are… Read More »PARSHAT TETZAVEH 5785 – THE ROOTS OF AMALEK

בס”ד Terumah (Exodus 25:1-27:19 ) The Torah portion begins with G-d instructing Moses to tell the people to bring the raw materials necessary in order to build the Mishkan (Tabernacle). “This is the portion that you shall take from them: gold, silver, and copper; and turquoise, purple and scarlet wool; linen and goat hair; red-dyed ram skins; tachash skins,… Read More »PARSHAT TERUMAH 5785 – OVERCOMING LAZINESS

בס”ד Mishpatim (Exodus 21-24 ) One of the most well-known mitzvot in this week’s Torah portion is “M’dvar Sheker Tirchak” – the command to distance oneself from falsehood. Although this mitzvah comes in the context of laws of the Jewish court, it also applies to daily life. However, according to Jewish law there are a number of… Read More »PARSHAT MISPATIM 5785 – RUTH AND FALSEHOOD

בס”ד Yitro (Exodus 18-20 ) This week’s Torah portion features the momentous event of G-d giving the Torah to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai. However, the sages teach that before giving the Torah to the Jewish people, G-d offered the Torah to the other nations of the world: The Sifri1 relates: “When the Holy One, Blessed is… Read More »PARSHAT YITRO 5785 – WHEN G-D OFFERED THE NON-JEWS THE TORAH

בס”ד Beshalach (Exodus 13:17-17:16 ) Psalms, 114, 1-3: “In Yisrael’s leaving of Egypt, the house of Yaakov from a people of foreign tongue; Yehuda sanctified Him, Yisrael His ruler. The sea saw and escaped…”Rashi, Psalms, 114:2, Dh: Hayta Yehuda: “…This verse is homiletically explained in Agadda, ‘Yehuda sanctified Him’, in that Nachshon jumped into the sea and said ‘I… Read More »PARSHAT BESHALACH 5785 – WHY THE SEA SPLIT

בס”ד Bo (Exodus 10:1-13:16 ) “And Moshe said, ‘so said G-d at about midnight I shall go out in the midst of Egypt. Every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die… (Shemot, 11:4) Moshe warns Pharaoh about the oncoming Plague of the firstborn, telling him it will take place at approximately midnight. The Gemara[1] addresses why Moshe said it… Read More »PARSHAT BO 5785 – AROUND MIDNIGHT; AVOIDING DESECRATING G-DS NAME