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… Continue reading “According to the Measure”
Good Advice?
In this week’s Parsha, Moshe’s father-in-law, Yitro, notices that Moshe is overworked dealing with all the requests and disputes coming to him from the Jewish people. He suggests that Moshe delegate some of the work to other highly-qualified people. In making his suggestion, Yitro says “וְהָיָה כָּל-הַדָּבָר הַגָּדֹל יָבִיאוּ אֵלֶיךָ, וְכָל-הַדָּבָר הַקָּטֹן יִשְׁפְּטוּ-הֵם (and it… Continue reading Good Advice?
“They Have Done Well”
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… Continue reading “They Have Done Well”
Keeping Perspective
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… Continue reading Keeping Perspective
Femininity at the Sea
“And Miriam the Prophetess, the sister of Aharon, took the tambourine in her hand and she went out with all the women after her in music and dancing. And Miriam answered them, “Sing to HaShem, for He is greater than the great, horse and rider He has plunged into the sea!” (Exodus 15;20-21) After Moshe… Continue reading Femininity at the Sea
Allied with Hashem
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… Continue reading Allied with Hashem
“For All the Children of Israel There Was Light”
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?… Continue reading “For All the Children of Israel There Was Light”
Don’t be a donkey
This week’s Parsha is filled with many events such as the last three plagues, the Mitzvah of Rosh Chodesh, and Tefillin and much more. But today we are going to skip over most of the Parsha and dive into what it means to “Harden Parohs heart”. So what is the Torah telling us when it… Continue reading Don’t be a donkey
Yom Hashem
(I got this Dvar Torah from HaRav Menachem Leibtag Shlita)400 years before the Exodus of Egypt, the city of Sdom was celebrating Pesach. According to Rashi, Lot served his guests matzot on Pesach.Flash forward a couple of parshiot and we are in Sefer Shmot. Moshe speaks to the sneh (burning bush). During that encounter, Hashem… Continue reading Yom Hashem
“Shortness of Breath”
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… Continue reading “Shortness of Breath”