Author: David Levin The New York TimesMarch 27, 2008 It would seem an odd, perhaps even absurd, announcement to make over a high school’s public address system. But at 11:15 each morning at the Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls on Long Island, the voice of
Read more →“Moses’ father-in-law Jethro, sheik of Midian, heard about all that God had done for Moses and His people Israel when He brought Israel out of Egypt.” (Exodus 18:1) What did Jethro hear about that made him come? The Splitting of the Sea and the war with Amalek (Rashi).
Read more →Author: Rabbi Shraga Simmons One man spread a rumor about another. He later felt regret, and went to the rabbi to ask how to make amends. “Go to the store and buy a bag of seeds,” said the rabbi, “then go to a big open field and scatter
Read more →On Rosh HaShana blow 100, 4 groups: three of thirty – murder, adultery, idol worship, last 10 are for Loshon Hora. Loshon Hora is likened to these three most horrible sins, it is the last , therefore it contains the essence of human failure. What is Loshon
Read more →Goal: Explanation of the third of the ten commandments: Say what you mean and mean what you say. Secondary Goal: Explanation of the fourth commandment, Shabbat: a) Take pleasure in what you have b) Work with a goal–not from compulsion. Tertiary Goal: Explanation of the fifth commandment:
Read more →Author: Rabbi Yitzchak Berkowitz (This text is a transcription of a shiur which Rav Berkowitz gave in Elul 5745 / September 1985 at Yeshivat Aish HaTorah, Jerusalem.) In all of Bein adam l’chaviro, the dealings between man and man, in the case of Sheker, in the case of truth in
Read more →Author: Rabbi Pinchas Morse The Chumash tells us what happens if we don’t care about each other. Verse The day after he killed the Egyptian, Moshe came upon two Jews fighting (Dasan and Aviram) and tried to intervene. They responded insolently to him and asked if he intended to kill the protagonist as
Read more →Author: Rabbi Marc Friedman Speech has power. Judaism says that it differentiates us from the animals-our ability to communicate intelligent thoughts elevates us. (Targum Onkelos Breishet 2:7) And yet, as with anything powerful, the flip side is something to be aware of. We look at the tongue
Read more →Loud Libraries Libraries are usually quiet places to allow for contemplation and concentration. Yet, if you walk into a Torah study hall, you may be surprised at the decibel level and the noise. Why is it that Jews study out loud? Parshat Ki Tavo offers an insight
Read more →Say 81 – Saying it Aloud SEFER AHAVAS CHESED — Part II Chapter XVI “Talk is cheap,” says the world. When that talk is a pledge to charity, however, it is far from cheap. It is almost as valuable as the act of giving itself. The Chofetz Chaim relates
Read more →Reuven and Gad Moshe Rabbeinu seems to be very hasty in his reaction to the request of Reuven and Gad. He calls them deserters and accuses them of repeating the Chet HaMeraglim. He does this seemingly without fully hearing them (and their intentions) out. We see that
Read more →CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET? SHOULD YOU? You are a doctor in a small town. One of your patients has become terminally ill. The patient just got engaged to a young woman who does not know about the illness. You know her and her family as well. What do
Read more →Rabbi Tanchum Burton LYING[1] Alex is the director of the chemicals division of a large company. He is informed that a team of internal auditors from headquarters will arrive at his door for an audit in 48 hours. His staff prepares as best they can. The day
Read more →Reuven and Gad Moshe Rabbeinu seems to be very hasty in his reaction to the request of Reuven and Gad. He calls them deserters and accuses them of repeating the Chet HaMeraglim. He does this seemingly without fully hearing them (and their intentions) out. We see that
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 →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 →Parshas Metsora outlines the various forms of the affliction of tzaraas.[1] Having completed discussion of the tzaraas on the body, the Torah discusses the tzaraas that can appear on people’s houses and outlines the painful process of purification. This includes removing all the possessions from one’s home to avoid
Read more →Being Makir the Root Rashi in 14:4 says that the tikun of the metzora is to “yashpil atzmo migaiuso k’tolaas v’k’aizov”. The Rosh Yeshiva zt”l asked why Rashi needs to say the word ‘gaiuso’? What would be missing if Rashi would have only said ‘yashpil atzmo’? He
Read more →14:2 Rav K. brings from the midrash, Vayikra Raba 16:2, on this verse. A peddler used to travel from city to city in the neighborhood of the city of Tsipori and announce “Who wants the elixir of life?” and people would crowd around him. Rav Yanai who was sitting inside learning
Read more →The Parshios of Tazria and Metsora discuss in length the spiritual malaise of tzoraas whereby a person is afflicted with white blotches on his skin. He must then experience a period of isolation and finally undergo a process of purification. Chazal tell us that this affliction comes about because of a
Read more →In this week’s Torah portion we are introduced to a number of laws that focus on illness. These maladies render a person spiritually impure and thereby preclude them from participating in the Temple services. One such area is the law of Tzaraas. Tzaraas, erroneously translated as Leprosy,
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