myDvar

Terumah 5770
The Beis HaLevi asks why the Parshah of donations, Terumah, follows the Parshah of civil law, Mishpatim. He answers, that this is to teach us that before a person can begin to give tzedakah with his money, he must meticulously ascertain that none of his wealth has been acquired in a manner that contained [...]

[This  Dvar Torah is based on an idea I heard from Rabbi Yaakov Hillel when he was in Los Angeles a few months ago.]
This week’s parsha discusses the construction of the Mishkan and all of its vessels in great detail. Hashem tells Moshe to create two poles made out of acacia wood and covered in [...]

Mishpatim 5570
“If you take your neighbor’s garment as security, until sunset you shall return it to him, for it is his only covering; it is his garment for his skin. With what shall he lie? And it shall be [that] if he cries out to Me, I will hear because I am gracious” (Shemos 22:25-26).
The [...]

Yisro 5770
When the Aseres HaDibros are repeated in Devarim, Hashem responds to the request of B’nai Yisrael that He not communicate directly with them lest they be killed by the experience, saying: “They have done well in all that they have spoken. Would that their hearts be like this, to fear Me and to keep [...]

וַיַּסַּע מֹשֶׁה אֶת-יִשְׂרָאֵל מִיַּם-סוּף, וַיֵּצְאוּ אֶל-מִדְבַּר-שׁוּר; וַיֵּלְכוּ שְׁלֹשֶׁת-יָמִים בַּמִּדְבָּר, וְלֹא-מָצְאוּ מָיִם.
וַיָּבֹאוּ מָרָתָה–וְלֹא יָכְלוּ לִשְׁתֹּת מַיִם מִמָּרָה, כִּי מָרִים הֵם; עַל-כֵּן קָרָא-שְׁמָהּ, מָרָה.
וַיִּלֹּנוּ הָעָם עַל-מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר, מַה-נִּשְׁתֶּה.
יִּצְעַק אֶל-יְהוָה, וַיּוֹרֵהוּ יְהוָה עֵץ, וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ אֶל-הַמַּיִם, וַיִּמְתְּקוּ הַמָּיִם; שָׁם שָׂם לוֹ חֹק וּמִשְׁפָּט, וְשָׁם נִסָּהוּ.
And Moshe led Israel onward from the Sea of Reeds, and they went out into [...]

Beshalach 5770
Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik, quoted in Mipninei HaRav, asks why B’nai Yisrael failed to sing at the time of the exodus the way that they sang during the splitting of the sea. He answers, that the difference between the two salvations is that while the exodus was performed entirely by Hashem, B’nai Yisrael were [...]

Bo 5770
During the plague of darkness, the Torah tells us that the Egyptians “did not see each other, and no one rose from his place for three days, but for all the children of Israel there was light in their dwellings” (Shemos 10:23). What is the significance of the children of Israel having light? Is [...]

VaEira 5770
Hashem commands Moshe to tell B’nai Yisrael of their upcoming redemption, despite knowing that His words would be disregarded by them – “but they did not hearken to Moshe because of [their] shortness of breath and because of [their] hard labor” (Shemos 6:9). The Sfas Emes questions Hashem’s insistence in delivering a message that [...]

Shemos 5770
Hashem tells Moshe that his older brother Aharon will serve as his spokesperson, and He further comments to him that when Aharon “sees you he will rejoice in his heart” (Shemos 4:14). Our Sages lavishly praise Aharon for not being jealous nor taking issue with his younger brother – who had been missing in [...]

VaYechi 5770
Yaakov Avinu gave priority in his blessing of Yosef’s sons to the younger of the two, Efraim. The Ba’al HaTurim finds a hint in the Torah’s description of the event that Efraim was honoured above his brother because “he had humbled himself.” Humility is often not given its due admiration in our society; on [...]