Parshas Bo sees the culmination of the ten plagues which devestated Mitzrayim. However, Chazal tell us that during the Plague of Darkness, the Jewish people suffered terrible losses; Rashi cites the opinion that four fifths died and only one fifth remained[1]. The Mechilta that Rashi quotes actually brings two
Read more →Rabbi Yehoshua Eliyohu Berman 1) Where do we see an indication that it is worthwhile to relay important moral concepts, values, etc. to children even at an age when they are hearing the words without really understanding them? In 10:2 it says, “And in order that you should
Read more →Light Unto the Nations “The Israelites [also] did as Moses had said. They requested silver and gold articles and clothing from the Egyptians. God made the Egyptians respect the people, and they granted their request. [The Israelites] thus drained Egypt of its wealth.” (Exodus 12:35-36) Prior to the
Read more →Last week we started the 10 plagues. The first group of three was blood, frogs and lice. The next three are wild animals, pestilence (a plague affecting their domestic animals), and boils.The Torah says in the first five plagues that Pharaoh hardened his heart against the pressure
Read more →We all believe in God, but we constantly struggle with the same issue: how do we increase our faith in Him? Is there anything active that we can do to deepen our belief in God? This week’s Torah portion provides the answer. The second verse in Parshat
Read more →Faith & Fundamentals The second pasuk in this week’s parsha, 10:2, was seen by Rav Yaakov Weinberg zt”l as an extremely significant pasuk in terms of what he derived from it. He once commented that he doesn’t know of a pasuk that teaches so many chashuv fundamentals.
Read more →The other day I was in a store and was collecting my change from a purchase. I thought that the cashier inadvertently made a mistake and gave me too much money back. I told her that she may have made a mistake and after checking, I was
Read more →10:22 Rashi writes that Hashem brought the plague of darkness in order to kill the evil ones amongst Yisrael that didn’t want to leave Egypt. In truth the entire generation was not righteous, as we find that the angels, by the splitting of the sea, argued that the Jews were idol worshippers just
Read more →We all believe in God, but we constantly struggle with the same issue: how do we increase our faith in Him? Is there anything active that we can do to deepen our belief in God? This week’s Torah portion provides the answer. The second verse in Parshat
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