YIOT Torah: Recent Episodes
YIOT
Does Avraham ever become ANGRY? Exasperated? There is one episode we read this week that seems to show Avraham FURIOUS for really the only time in the Torah. Avraham has just returned from doing battle in the war of the 4 Kings vs. the 5 Kings. He has saved the King of Sedom, his nephew Lot, and all their belongings. And it is at that moment that the King of Sedom says to Avraham: (כא) וַיֹּאמֶר מֶלֶךְ סְדֹם אֶל אַבְרָם תֶּן לִי הַנֶּפֶשׁ…
There is only about a week and a half until Rosh Hashana. And typically, during this time, I begin to close myself in my office and consider what messages I want to share over these important days. But this year, I have continued to think about a question that many of us may have already been thinking about and will likely think about in some way on Rosh Hashana. And that is: Did our tefillos fail last year during the Yamim Noraim? The Yamim Noraim season concludes, to a certain extent,…
This morning, we are introduced to the halachos of YERUSHA, of how finances are passed down according to the Torah. Yet, the way in which the Torah teaches this idea is rather surprising. Says the Torah: Imagine a scenario where a man has two wives, one that he loves, called by the Torah, the AHUVA, and one that he dislikes, called by the Torah the SENUA. And each of these women has a son. Now, imagine that this man dies, and he leaves a command to his family, that he wants the…
Our Parsha begins in an unusual way: (כו) רְאֵה אָנֹכִי נֹתֵן לִפְנֵיכֶם הַיּוֹם בְּרָכָה וּקְלָלָה: Look, says Hashem, I place before you TODAY, Blessing & Curse And there is so much ink spilled trying to understand so many different parts of this pasuk. And the commentators ask at least two questions: 1) Why RE’EH!? Look! What is Hashem asking the people to look at? 2) Why does the Torah use the present tense, NOSEIN…
As Korach and his men launch a rebellion against Moshe and Aharon, the Torah describes Moshe’s reaction. Instead of debating the rebels, Moshe describes a showdown that will take place the next day, and he offers instructions: (ו) זֹאת עֲשׂוּ קְחוּ לָכֶם מַחְתּוֹת קֹרַח וְכָל עֲדָתוֹ: (ז) וּתְנוּ בָהֵן אֵשׁ וְשִׂימוּ עֲלֵיהֶן קְטֹרֶת לִפְנֵי יְקֹוָק מָחָר וְהָיָה הָאִישׁ…
As Parshas Bamidbar begins, we are introduced to an ELABORATE description of how the Jewish People CAMPED in the desert: (ב) אִישׁ עַל דִּגְלוֹ בְאֹתֹת לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם יַחֲנוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִנֶּגֶד סָבִיב לְאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד יַחֲנוּ: Each person camped by his flag, according to his family, all surrounding the Mishkan. The Torah then spends over 30 more psukim describing the encampment of the Jewish…
Yisro is probably one of the most enigmatic personalities in the Torah. On the one hand, he is a relatively well-known character. He is Moshe Rabbeinu’s father-in-law, and he has an entire parsha named after him. At the same time, we know relatively little about the details of Yisro’s life: - Chazal tell us he had many names. - Yisro’s time on stage is relatively short. We find only one perek, one chapter dedicated BOTH to his arrival in the desert AND…
A young child at a Chassidic gathering at 770 in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, once lost his father momentarily. Thousands of men present were wearing long black kapotehs, and thinking he had found his father, the child innocently grabbed the hand of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, and wiped his dirty face on the Rebbe’s sleeve. The next day, the rebbe received a note from the mother of the child, begging forgiveness, saying she was embarrassed and pained at what had happened. The mother soon received…
Our parsha, this week, opens up by telling us not only that Hashem spoke to Moshe, but WHERE He spoke to him: במדבר פרשת במדבר פרק א (א) וַיְדַבֵּר יְקֹוָק אֶל מֹשֶׁה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי בַּשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית לְצֵאתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לֵאמֹר: Hashem spoke to Moshe in the Desert of Sinai…. And…
There is often a certain disconnect that exists when we arrive at Sefer Vayikra. We spent the past many weeks reading about and discussing the descriptions of just how beautiful the mishkan and later the Beis HaMikdash was. Integral to the entire Pesach experience is the desire for a time when we will be able to bring the Korban Pesach once again at the Har HaBayis. Yet, if you’ve ever been to a slaughterhouse, or even thought about going to one, the sites and smells of that place do not…
About 6 weeks ago, Lebron James became the all-time leading scorer in NBA history. Over the next few days, a side-by-side comparison of his famous shot and Michael Jordan’s final shot against the Utah Jazz in the NBA finals started circulating on social media. The focal point of the comparison was not two of the greatest players of all time. Rather, the fans watching each player. In the Jordan picture, the crowd is full of fans watching closely as Jordan took one of his most famous shots.…
Imagine the following scenario. You are walking down the road, and you see a person with whom you do NOT have a good relationship. Someone with whom you have had disagreements in the past. You might even call him your “enemy”. And you notice, that he is standing next to his donkey, and it is filled to the max, and the owner is having trouble unloading all of the cargo. The Torah, this morning, tells us what to do in this situation: (כג:ה) כִּי תִרְאֶה חֲמוֹר…
The Mishna in Shabbos (daf 73) teaches us that there are 39 Melachos, 39 types of creative activities which are forbidden on Shabbos. And, the Mishna tells us, these 39 melachos are the activities that were used in the creation and later the use of the mishkan. We know that each melacha tends to have a shiur, a certain amount of the activity that is meaningful enough for one to be liable. For example, when it comes to the melacha of writing, it’s writing 2 letters. So, the Mishna asks,…
Throughout the entire course of the plagues, one of Hashem’s goals is not only to take Bnei Yisrael out of Egypt, but also, “ViYadu Mitzrayim Ki Ani Hashem” that Pharaoh and his people should recognize HKBH as the Master of the Universe. And the first time we start to see Pharaoh really begin to come to this recognition is after the 7th plague, Barad, Hail. At this point, Pharaoh summons Moshe and says: (ט:כז) [וַיִּשְׁלַח פַּרְעֹה וַיִּקְרָא לְמֹשֶׁה…
After Yaakov is told the wonderful news that Yosef is alive, he prepares to move his entire family down to Egypt, where they will be financially and agriculturally supported by Yosef. And in making those preparations the Torah tells us: (מו:כח) וְאֶת יְהוּדָה שָׁלַח לְפָנָיו אֶל יוֹסֵף לְהוֹרֹת לְפָנָיו גֹּשְׁנָה וַיָּבֹאוּ אַרְצָה גֹּשֶׁן: And Yaakov sent Yehuda ahead to Yosef, “L’HOROS L’FANAV”…
As Yosef rises to power in Egypt, he gets married, and he begins to raise a family. And as he does so we are introduced to his two sons, and the Torah tells us not only their names, but the REASONS behind the names they are given. “וַיִּקְרָא יוֹסֵף אֶת שֵׁם הַבְּכוֹר מְנַשֶּׁה כִּי נַשַּׁנִי אֱלֹקים אֶת כָּל עֲמָלִי וְאֵת כָּל בֵּית אָבִי” And Yosef named the eldest one Menashe, for Hashem has helped…
It’s one of the saddest moments in the history of our people. Moshe Rabbeinu, having sacrificed his entire life, his family, for Am Yisrael, for the expressed purpose of bringing the people in Eretz Yisrael, has been told he cannot enter the land. But, of course, he hasn’t given up! And he tells the Jewish People the story: (כג) וָאֶתְחַנַּן אֶל יְקֹוָק בָּעֵת הַהִוא לֵאמֹר: And I PLEADED with Hashem at that moment. And we can imagine…
Rabbi Moshe Greene, a Rebbe in Yeshiva Sh’or Yoshuv was once driving in Queens when his back tire when flat. As he was waiting for AAA to arrive, a Latino man in his sixties pulled up. He introduced himself as Donny and without warning, started speaking in Yiddish. “Are you Jewish?” Rabbi Green inquired, completely caught off guard. Donny smiled and said, “No.” While crouching down to examine the damaged tire, Donny explained that he was a retired NYPD cop who on numerous…
Moshe had invested 40 years of his life towards one goal: leading Bnei Yisrael from Egypt to Eretz Yisrael. And he is finally on the cusp of making that dream a reality, when the tribes of Gad & Reuven approach him with a request: They do not want to cross over into Eretz Yisrael. They wish to stay on the Eastern bank of the Jordan River. And after Moshe Rabbeinu responds with disbelief that they would even consider leaving the rest of Am Yisrael on their own and not entering the land,…
*This dvar Torah is dedicated for a refua shleima for Esther Tehila bas Arielle Tzipora b’soch kol cholei Yisrael. Chani & I returned this week from an amazing week in Eretz Yisrael. BH, we had a chance to spend time in Yerushalayim, in Tzfat, and all kinds of places in-between. A great chance to reboot physically, emotionally, and spiritually. And yet, as our time away was coming to an end, I couldn’t help but feel ready to come home. I had literally just davened mincha-maariv…
Alex Clare is a world-famous musician. What many people don’t know is that Alex grew up as a Jew with little background. He was not observant. However, as his music career began to take off he also began learning more about Judaism and eventually started keeping Shabbos. At one point, a widely recognized record company called that they were interested in signing him to a record deal. He told them he would be honored, but he needed them to know he wouldn’t be able to play any gigs…
The day had finally arrived. After all kinds of advanced planning, 12 leaders of Am Yisrael were prepared to head out on their mission to spy out Eretz Canaan and provide critical data which would be used to conquer the land. And as they prepare to leave, the Torah tells us that Moshe calls over his trusted student, Hoshea Bin Nun and changes his name to Yehoshua. Why does he change his name now? Rashi quotes from the gemara in Sota 34b that this was not simply a name change, but rather…
Herman Wouk was a great admirer of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, and he was deeply impacted by the decades-long relationship he shared with him. He once described the Rebbe’s optimism with the following analogy: Suppose the scientific community concluded absolutely that in three weeks’ time the planet would disappear underwater. Heads of State and pundits would bicker and point blame, [religious leaders] would deny the impending doom or call for repentance. But the Rebbe would call a meeting…
Almost every single year in Chutz La’Aretz, we read Parshas Bamidbar before the Yom Tov of Shavuos. And I saw and idea this week that made me think that the connection between the two is more than just a calendaric coincidence. The parsha begins with a census of Am Yisrael, and the Ramban is perplexed: What was the purpose of counting Am Yisrael? Yes, they were setting up the camp and needed to know where each shevet would camp, but if that were true, it would be enough to make sure…
Often, when we read Parshas Bechukosai, we focus on the terrifying tochacha, rebuke, that is promised if we don’t follow the way of HKBH. However, we should not overlook some of the beautiful brachos that are promised to us in this parsha when we do the right thing. One of those brachos is found right at the beginning of the parsha. We are told that “Im Bechkosai Teleichu”, if we follow Hashem’s mitzvos and lead a way of life about which He can be proud: (י) וַאֲכַלְתֶּם…
Every championship team in sports has its superstar. The player who scores the most points or hits the most home runs. But every championship team also has one or two other players who could go unnoticed, but are equally as essential to the team’s success. These role players are often referred to as “GLUE GUYS” because they hold the team together. They are the players who are willing to dive on the floor for a loose ball, give that extra effort to make a diving catch, or play lock-down…
Rav Meir Shapira zt”l, the founder of Daf Yomi was also the founder of Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin, which existed in the 1930s and became one of the largest yeshivas in the world. On the front of the yeshiva there was a pasuk, which recently has been restored to the original building: תהלים פרק לד:יב - לְכוּ בָנִים שִׁמְעוּ לִי יִרְאַת יְקֹוָק אֲלַמֶּדְכֶם: Go children, listen to me, the fear of Hashem I will teach you. Someone once…
Rabbi Daniel Hershkowitz was the President of Bar Ilan University from 2013-2017, he is also an Israeli politician, mathematician, and community Rabbi. About 12-13 years ago, Rabbi Hershkowitz was a visiting Scholar-in-Residence at the Jewish Center in Manhattan for Shabbos. At Shalosh Seudos, there was a Q & A session, and someone asked, “Rabbi Hershkowitz, what made you decide to become a communal leader?” He answered, “Rabbi Hershel Schacter”, and he then told the following…
From the first time I learned about the concept of Tzaraas, I always remember feeling a combination of wonder and horror. The idea that there could be this “check engine light” if you will for our spiritual health is incredibly powerful. At the same time, it is terribly scary. But maybe one of the most interesting halachos associated with tzaraas, is found towards the end of Parshas Tazria: We know that tzaraas arrives in different ways, but one is with a white spot on one’s skin. …
This week we read one of the most painful stories in the entire Torah: The death of Aharon’s two sons, Nadav & Avihu, and the response of Aharon & Moshe. After Nadav & Avihu are killed for what the Torah refers to as bringing an ‘Eish Zara asher lo tziva osam’, a strange fire they were not commanded to bring, Moshe comes over to Aharon and tells him as follows: (ג) ]וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל אַהֲרֹן[ הוּא אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְקֹוָק…
Purim, if it is nothing else, is a day focused on unity.Chazal point out that Haman’s main argument for the destruction of Bnei Yisrael was that we lacked unity, “Yeshno Am Echad Mefuzar Umefurad”. They are a nation that is fragmented and fractured. And the Mitzvos of Purim come specifically to combat that notion of our infighting, and instead to bring us together. Mishloach Manos, The Purim Seuda, and Matanos L’Evyonim are all focused on reaching out one Jew to the other. The gemara…
In 1990, the Dalai Lama, who had lived in Exile from Tibet since 1951, began to realize that he and his followers would likely have to spend many years in exile from their home country, and he had a concern: How does a nation maintain its identity, sustain its way of life, when they are so far from home? He knew there was one group that had expertise in this area. So, he called on a group of Jewish leaders to offer him some advice. Why did Hashem tell us to build a mishkan? I’m not…
Austrian Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl, a survivor of Auschwitz, is most famous for his book, Man’s Search for Meaning. In the book, which takes the reader through his experiences in the holocaust, Frankl develops the concepts which he would later use in his practice. After the war, Frankl became the founder of logotherapy, a school of psychotherapy that describes a search for a life's meaning as the central human motivational force. According to Frankl, when a person is able to find meaning…
As reported by Artnet News, on February 2, joggers in New York’s Central Park may have come across a curious, rather illustrious sight. A cube composed of 400 pounds of pure 24-karat gold, conceived by the German artist Niclas Castello, was wheeled out to the Naumburg Bandshell at around 5 a.m. Although the work is not for sale, according to the artist’s team, based on the current price of gold at $1,788 per ounce, its material worth is around $11.7 million. Flanked by a heavy security…
*Special thank you to Rabbi Dr. Mordechai Schiffman whose article “Psyched for Torah - The Dangers of Groupthink" inspired this one. In 1972, Dr. Irving Janis, a Yale psychologist wrote a pioneering book called “Victims of Groupthink”. In his book, Dr. Janis describes the concept of Groupthink: When likeminded people gather to make a decision, and, due to the social pressures to conform, they all gravitate to the same conclusion, without taking the time to fully analyze all side of the…
Sidney Poitier was a Bahamian-American actor, film director, and diplomat. In 1964, he was the first African-American and first Bahamian to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. He won two Golden Globe Awards, a Grammy, and in 2009, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama. However, all of those accolades seemed unlikely when Poitier first came to the United States from the Bahamas in his teen years. He auditioned for a role in a movie but was badly embarrassed…
If you were sending someone on a mission, how would you send them off? I would say “LECH”, GO on your way! And Hashem does, indeed, tell Moshe numerous times, “LECH El Pharaoh” “Go to Pharaoh”. Yet, at the beginning of the conversation this week, Hashem changes His language, and instead tells Moshe: “BO El Pharaoh” ‘GO to Pharaoh’. And the question, of course, is what is the difference between these two commands? Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik argues that the difference…
There is a lot of conversation about the question of how Hashem could remove Pharaoh’s free will. However, there is much less discussion about Pharaoh’s stance before Hashem gets involved. Early on, well before Hashem intervenes with Pharaoh in any way, the Torah already tells us about Pharaoh’s own, personal response to Moshe & Aharon’s request to allow the Jewish People to leave. And throughout these conversations, we find that the Torah describes Pharaoh’s responses with references…
This week, I had the special privilege to meet a special Jew. His name is Rabbi Mendel Alperowitz, and he is the Chabad Emissary (Shliach) to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Rabbi Alperowitz is one of only two rabbis in all of South Dakota, and he has a connection with 95% of the approximately 500 Jews in the state. Our community had an opportunity to listen to him describe the holy work that he does each and every day, connecting Jews with their heritage, no matter their background, no matter their…
A woman once came to the Lubavitcher Rebbe and she looked totally dejected. He asked her, “What’s the matter? Why do you look so sad?” “My entire life I have known that I’m just not a good person. I’ve been to so many therapists, I’ve read so many self-help books, but it’s no use. I think nasty things about others. I judge people. I don’t know what to do!” The Rebbe responded to her as follows: “Maybe it’s time you stop thinking so much about how much bad you have…
It is one of the most stunning and dramatic scenes in the entire Torah: “Vayigash Eilav Yehuda”. In a bid to save his brother, Binyamin, from the hands of the Viceroy of Egypt, Yehuda stepped forward. But the language of Vayigash, “and he approached” is strange. What is gained by using this word rather than simply saying, “Vayomer Eilav Yehuda” “And Yehuda SAID to him”?! What is unique about the word “VAYIGASH? The Medrash Raba offers three other examples of times the word Vayigash…
There is a great Talmid Chacham who is well-known by name, but not as well-known in terms of who he was. His name is Onkelos. Onkelos is well-known because his Amaraic commentary/translation of the Torah is found in almost every chumash in the world. What is less well-known is how Onkelos came to be Onkelos. Onkelos lived just after the destruction of the second BHMK, around 100 C.E. He was a member of the Roman royal family. His mother was the sister of the Roman Emperor Hadrian. Over time,…
One of my favorite few days of the year, are the Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of Thanksgiving weekend. Why? Because for me it’s the one holiday when I don’t have to work. It’s an opportunity to clear my head a little and to spend time with family. And as our parsha opens this week, Chazal point out that Yaakov was looking for a little peace and quiet as well. “And Yaakov settled in the land of his father, the land of Canaan.” Chazal, picking up on the relatively superfluous nature…
Yaakov is all alone. Vayivaser Yaakov L’Vado. It is the night before his meeting with Esav, Yaakov becomes separated from his family, and at that moment, Vayeaveik Ish Imo, an individual, a man, some say an angel, encounters Yaakov, and they fight until dawn. Why is Yaakov by himself? And why does he need to fight with this individual? The Seforno explains that Yaakov was simply moving items from place to place within his camp and he was the last one, cleaning up and making sure every last…
The Torah does not have a word for ambivalence. It does, however, have a TUNE, or really, a MUSICAL NOTE for it. It is called the Shalsheles. The shalsheles appears only 4 times in the entire torah and explains Rav Yosef Ibn Kaspi that each time it is used, it reflects an existential crisis within the individual it is referencing. When Eliezer goes out on his mission to find a wife for Yitzchak, he turns to HKBH to ask for help in devising a plan with which to find this woman, and when he does…