G-d’s Word is Not a Suggestion
In the Torah section of Bo, G-d completes a series of ten plagues whereby He punishes the Egyptians for their cruel enslavement and persecution of the Children of Israel and whereby He demonstrates His unequivocal dominion over this world’s events. As regards the next to last plague, we read (Sh’mot 10: 21 -23), “And G-d said […]
Look to G-d
Towards the end of the Torah section of Matot, we read of the tribes of Reuven and Gad approaching Moses to request that they be allowed to settle the land on the other side of the Jordan River rather than settle the Land of Israel along with all the other tribes. After initially being reprimanded […]
Putting Things into Proportion
On the 6th day of the Hebrew month of Sivan, Jews all over the world commemorate G-d’s presenting the Torah to their ancestors several thousand years ago. Leading up to this monumental event, the great medieval Biblical exegete known as Rashi cites the Mekhilta commentary on the verse (Sh’mot 19:2), “And Israel encamped there, opposite the mountain […]
In the Pursuit of Truth
As we consider the period following the exodus of the nation of Israel from their enslavement in Egypt up to their receiving the Torah from our Master and Creator, the G-d of the entire universe, various seemingly conflicting thoughts come to mind, the resolution of which sheds significant light on the path that we must […]
Bearing Fruit
On the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shvat, known as Tu B’Shvat, Jews worldwide mark the New Year of Trees (Babylonian Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 2a). This day is considered the start of the new year for tithing fruits that grow from the tree. Fruits blossoming from this day forward are considered to belong to […]
Light at the End of the Tunnel
In one of his talks discussing the holiday of Chanukah, the latter day Torah scholar R. Shimshon Pincus described a progression in the various holidays celebrated by observant Jews round the world. The first holiday in the Jewish order of holidays, R. Pincus contended, is Pesach (Passover), the time that the offspring of Abraham, Isaac […]
Back to Basics
In the midst of the unfathomable turmoil and brutality that typified the Nazi era, R. Reuven Grozovsky (1886 – 1958) eloquently addressed the townspeople of Rassein who welcomed him and his students as they attempted to escape the Germans. While doing all in his power to survive himself and aid in the survival of myriads […]
Mistakes Happen to the Best of Us
As the Jewish day of atonement, Yom Kippur, comes upon us, it is advisable to keep in mind a comment by R. Barukh HaLevi Epstein, author of Torah Temima, as he was once listening to a man denigrating others over what appeared to be senseless mistakes. The comment, made in the presence of and with […]
How are You Doing?
As we approach the beginning of the Jewish High Holy Days, known as Rosh HaShana, an anecdote involving one of our latter-day great Torah scholars can shed light on the direction in life that these days of introspection are to point us in. In his Mekor Barukh, R. Barukh HaLevi Epstein, translated in My Uncle the Netziv, […]
As One
We read (Sh’mot 19:1-2), “In the third month from the exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt, on this day, they arrived at the wilderness of Sinai. And they journeyed from Rephidim and arrived at the wilderness of Sinai and encamped in the wilderness; and Israel encamped there, opposite the mountain.” As regards the […]