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This week’s parsha, Tzav, opens with a striking image:“Aish tamid tukad al haMizbeach, lo tichbeh” — A constant fire shall burn upon the altar; it shall never go out. Even though a miraculous fire came down from Heaven, the Kohanim still had to place wood on it every single morning. Why? Because that’s our avodah.…
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The Hidden Fire: Seeing the Miraculous in the Mundane In Parshat Tzav, we encounter a striking commandment: “A continual fire shall burn upon the altar; it shall not go out.” (Vayikra 6:6) Day and night, year after year, the fire on the mizbeiach never went out. But there’s something even more fascinating beneath the surface.…
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Most of us aren’t being chased by taskmasters or whipped into labor. But the truth is—we’re still enslaved. Not physically. Mentally. We live with chains you can’t see: fear of failure, low self-worth, and the inner voice that whispers: “You can’t.” “You shouldn’t.” “You’re not enough.” This isn’t just psychology—it’s Mitzrayim. The Hebrew word Mitzrayim comes from meitzar—a…
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The very first word in Sefer Vayikra is Vayikra — “And He called.” Rashi points out something beautiful:This wasn’t just a call. It was a call of love. Hashem didn’t just speak to Moshe Rabbeinu —He called him, warmly and affectionately, by name. The Power of a Name And this isn’t a one-time thing.Throughout the…
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In the opening of Sefer Vayikra, there’s a quiet but powerful message hidden in the very first word. The Torah says “Vayikra el Moshe”—“And He called to Moshe.” But the word Vayikra is written with a small alef. The Ba’al HaTurim explains: Moshe, in his deep humility, didn’t want to write that Hashem called to…
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I always went to the Pesach seder at my Bobie and Zaidy’s house.Same table.Same songs.Same Divrei Torah.Same jokes. (bih bih bih…) After my Zaidy was niftar, we continued at my parents’ home. Even when I got married and had kids, we went back. Pesach was never up for discussion. It meant something — that night…
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The Double Mishkan: A Promise of Redemption This week’s parsha begins with a curious phrase:“Eileh Pekudei HaMishkan, Mishkan HaEidut…”Why the double language—Mishkan, Mishkan? Rashi, quoting the Midrash, explains that the repetition hints at something deeper.The word Mishkan can also be read as Mashkon—a collateral. This teaches us that the two Batei Mikdash in Yerushalayim were…
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Just Try: The Power of Effort and Emunah At the end of Sefer Shemot, we read how Bnei Yisrael completed all the parts of the Mishkan and brought everything to Moshe. Then, in Shemot 40:17–18, it says: “And it was in the first month… the Mishkan was erected. And Moshe erected the Mishkan.” Wait—who put…
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It starts with who—and what—you surround yourself with. Every morning, I get to live what feels like the dream. I head to shul a bit early for Shacharit. And I don’t rush out. After davening, I stay. I do Shnayim Mikra, say some Tehillim, whisper a few extra tefilot, and then sit down to learn—with…
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Imagine a child giving their parent a drawing. The paper is crumpled, the lines are messy, and the colors don’t stay inside the lines. Objectively, it’s not worth much. But to the parent? It’s priceless. Because it wasn’t about the paper or the crayons—it was about the love behind it. In this week’s parsha, we…
