Introduction to Torah Study I. Life is for pleasure Tell your class: “It is a principle of Jewish understanding that G-d created us because He wanted to give us pleasure. Illustration: When you have children you’ll see, or if you already have children you know that all
Read more →More, more, moreHow do you like it, how do you like itMore, more, moreHow do you like it, how do you like it-Bananarama This week’s Torah portions contain the law of Shmittah, the Sabbatical year. Every seventh year, Jews living in Israel are instructed not to farm,
Read more →In a number of places in the Torah, we are instructed to give charity to the poor. One of those exhortations is in Parshas Behar: “If your brother becomes impoverished, and his means falter in your proximity, you shall strengthen him – proselyte or resident – so that
Read more →“You shall perfom my decrees and observe my ordinances and perform them; then you shall dwell securely on the land.” Vaykira 25:18 Jews go into exile for failing to observe Shmita.[1] This is not simply on the national level. On a personal level as well, the Talmud[2] tells us
Read more →On two occasions in Parshas Behar the Torah instructs us not to afflict our fellow Jew. In the first instance, the Torah states: “When you sell an item to one of your people or buy from one of your people, a man should not afflict his brother.[1]” A
Read more →It is wrong to live by rote. Living as mechanical robots contradicts spiritual growth. We need to know why we are Jewish and why we believe what we believe. Every now and then, it behooves us to spend time and effort comprehending and cementing our belief in
Read more →Proof of Torah’s Truth This is probably review for most of us. We heard this so often from The Rosh Yeshiva. The mitzvah of Shemitta itself is a proof that only Kavayachol could have written the Torah. The Torah says that when people will come and ask
Read more →Topics covered in this class: Behar as a continuum. A “classical” mitzvah. The meaning of Shmittah. Behar as a continuum. Holiness is found in three realms: people, time and place. In Kedoshim we spoke of sanctifying oneself with that which the Torah permits. In Emor we spoke
Read more →Topics in this class: The Oral Torah and the Written Torah. The Mitzvah of Shmitta. The Written and Oral Torahs Behar: Rashi – “all was given over to Sinai”. Question: Why was Shmitta chosen to demonstrate this principle? Some informal points concerning the Oral Torah:* The joke,
Read more →This week’s Torah portion Behar is about the Land of Israel and the strange connection that the Jewish People have to it. The very first directive by G-d to the Jewish People underscores this odd yet special relationship: “G-d spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying: Speak
Read more →Based on Rav Noah Weinberg What is the most profound way you could help another human being? And, with so many to be helped, how is one to decide which need is greater? In this week’s Torah portion, we are commanded to reach out and help our
Read more →Striving For Perfection Sforno explains that even though there are blemishes that actually increase the strength and value of an animal, they nevertheless render the animal unfit for sacrifice. Throughout the Torah we find completion and wholeness taking precedence over quantity. Thus in the recitation of the haMotziblessing,
Read more →The Parsha ends with the incident involving the blaspheming of the mekalel. The Torah tells us that after he committed his heinous sin, he was placed in a cell to await the punishment he was to recieve[1]. Rashi, quoting a Medrash, writes that at the same time
Read more →The Parsha outlines the Mitzvos involved with the Omer offering. On the second day of Pesach we are commanded to bring an offering of barley in the Beis HaMikdash and the Torah further instructs us to count forty nine days from the offering until the day before Shavuos. Rav Yosef
Read more →“And you shall count for yourselves, on the day after the holiday – from the day that you brought the omer as a wave offering – seven complete weeks shall they be.” Vayikra 23:15 The Jews are commanded to count the seven weeks of the omer, and those days are
Read more →I was shopping for a mother’s day card for my wife and ran across one which contained the following captions: “I would climb the highest mountain, swim the widest river, brave the fiercest storm”, with appropriate cartoon images of a macho greeting card hero performing these acts,
Read more →We Are Unique The first Rashi in the parsha says that the “Emor… Veamarta” double lashon teaches “Lehazhir gedolim al ketanim”. The Rosh Yeshiva zt”l asked why is it that davka in the halachos of kohanim we derive the concept of making sure that our children keep
Read more →Topics covered in this class: Biblical commandment of Counting the Omer. The Rabbinical mourning period. Lag b’Omer. Sefiras HaOmer. Mentioned in the week’s sedra. The Minchas HaOmer: first barley crop of the year, which allowed the new crops to be used. It was like a “blessing” that
Read more →Topics discussed in this class: Holiness and how Cohanim hold on to it. The holy times of the year. An eye for an eye. “Not everyone is the same”. Cohanim have more mitzvos. Different mitzvos for different roles/functions. Equal doesn’t mean being the same. Give examples. Cohanim
Read more →Based on Rav Noah Weinberg What would you be willing to die for? A country? A friend? A cause? In this week’s Torah portion, there is one particular commandment that deals with this very subject: Do not desecrate my holy name. I must be sanctified among the
Read more →In the latter part of the Parsha the Torah enumerates the various forbidden relationships and their punishments. Towards the end of this list the Torah states: “A man who takes his sister, the daughter of his father, or the daughter of his mother, and sees her nakedness,
Read more →Parshas Kedoshim is replete with Mitzvos that teach about interpersonal relationships. Towards the end of this section, the Torah instructs us: “Do not hate[1] your friend in your heart, rebuke your friend, do not bear upon him sin”.[2] There are a number of questions on this verse: Firstly, why does the Torah
Read more →The Talmud (Sotah 14a) instructs us in the Mitzvah of imitating God in all His ways. Just as God clothes the naked, visits the sick, comforts mourners and buries the dead, so should you emulate His example. Maimonides (Mourning 14:1) mentions all the above Mitzvot, but gives
Read more →Are all men created equal? At Mount Sinai, God described the Jewish People as a holy nation (Shemot 19:6). But it sounds too difficult and lofty a concept for us to handle. How do we attain holiness? A Torah portion with the name “Kedoshim,” which means “holy,”
Read more →Respect Leads to Kedusha The very first mitzva that is mentioned after the mitzva of Kedoshim Tihiyu is to fear parents. The Rosh Yeshiva zt”l explained that if one is to have any kind of kesher to Kavayachol, respect for one’s parents is vital. We must know
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