R’ Hirsch connects the first 5 Commandments to the last 5 in a general sense, but I think there’s a 1-to-1 parallel we can draw between them, with an important (and scary) lesson that comes out of it.
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You Matter
In Parshat Bamidbar, we see that Moshe counted each of the people in Bnei Yisrael “בְּמִסְפַּר שֵׁמוֹת” – by their names. Our rabbi in shul touched on the idea that in this counting each person needed to feel as if they personally mattered. This made me think about a new understanding of the mishna in… Continue reading You Matter
Trumah- Giving and Taking
“And take for me Truma” The parsha opens by God asking the Jewish People to donate materials for the building of the Mishkan. It occured to me that unlike modern day projects which often is funded by grants or a single donor or perhaps the government, the Mishkan was actually donated (mostly) by the Jewish… Continue reading Trumah- Giving and Taking
Mishpatim- An Eye for an Eye
“An Eye for an eye…” Rashi explains that if one impales another person’s eye, one must pay that person the worth of his eye. [The worth one must pay depends on the worth of the injured person (with his eye) if he were sold in the marketplace.] So why does the Torah employ the literal… Continue reading Mishpatim- An Eye for an Eye
Yisro- To Warn the Parents About the Children
Decided to explore a Halachik topic from the Parsha this week…From the Sefer KMotze Shalal Rav Do not do Melacha/”work” (on Shabbos) : You, your son, your daughter, etc. Rashi comments: The simple explination is that this verse refers to minors being warned not to do work on Shabbos. Or [you might claim that it… Continue reading Yisro- To Warn the Parents About the Children
Va’era- Separate, but Equal
There is much written regarding the Four references to Redemption used by God in our Parsha- And I will take you out, And I will save you, I will redeem you, and I will take you as a nation. There is also a fifth reference to God bringing us to the Land of Israel. I… Continue reading Va’era- Separate, but Equal
VaYeshev- Cooler Heads Prevail
“And they saw him from afar, and when he had not yet drawn near to them, they plotted against him to put him to death. So they said one to the other, “Behold, that dreamer is coming. So now, let us kill him, and we will cast him into one of the pits, and we… Continue reading VaYeshev- Cooler Heads Prevail
Vayeitze- Brotherly Love
1 Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples. 2 There he saw a well in the open country, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well. The stone over the mouth of the well was large. 3 When all… Continue reading Vayeitze- Brotherly Love
Lech Lecha- Showing Off or Showing Up?
“This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised.” (17:10) We are taught that Avraham kept every mitzva in the Torah before he (or anyone else for that matter) was even commended to, with one exception: the commandment to become… Continue reading Lech Lecha- Showing Off or Showing Up?