
In Parshat Beshalach, Hashem tells Bnei Yisrael: “If you follow My ways and do what you’re supposed to do, I won’t strike you with the plagues I gave to Mitzrayim, because I am Hashem, your healer.” At first glance, this seems a little strange. Hashem, our healer? Healing happens after sickness. But here, Hashem is…

We read in the Torah about Bnei Yisrael’s journey out of Mitzrayim, and honestly, it’s frustrating to watch. Hashem saves them from slavery with incredible miracles—the ten plagues, the splitting of the sea—and what happens? The next moment, they’re panicking. “We’re trapped! The Egyptians are coming! We’re all going to die!” So Hashem splits the…

David Hamelech writes in Tehillim: “Tov L’hodot L’Hashem”—”It is good to give thanks to Hashem… To declare Your Chesed in the morning and Your Emuna at night.” (Tehillim 92:2-3) It is easy to sing Hashem’s praises when life is smooth—“L’hagid baboker chasdecha”—we naturally feel Hashem’s kindness in those moments. But what about the darkness? What…

Life is a journey filled with moments of triumph and times of challenge. Yet, it’s during the struggles—the hardest, most humbling moments—that we often uncover our true purpose. Right now, we’re reading the parshiot about Bnei Yisrael transitioning from slavery to freedom, a story we revisit every Pesach Seder. Rav Hershel Schachter teaches that Pesach…

At the end of last week’s parsha, Moshe approaches Hashem, frustrated that not only did Pharaoh refuse to let Bnei Yisrael go, but the slavery intensified. Hashem reassures Moshe, saying, “Ata tireh”—you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. In this week’s parsha, Hashem delivers a transformative message to Bnei Yisrael: “I am Hashem, and I will take…

The Struggles of Bnei Yisrael In this week’s parsha, Shemot, we witness the deepening struggles of Bnei Yisrael as they endure worsening slavery in Mitzrayim. The parsha opens with the tragic turning point: a new Pharaoh arises, one who “did not know Yosef,” and initiates the enslavement of the Jewish people. As the parsha unfolds,…

Have you ever found yourself stuck in a loop, focusing on what’s wrong instead of celebrating what’s right? For years, that was me. If something didn’t go as planned, it would consume my thoughts. I could have a hundred things going well, but one small problem would grab my attention and pull me down. But…

Yosef’s story is one of the most incredible examples of emunah (faith) and bitachon (trust) in Hashem’s plan. Despite everything he went through—being betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused, and thrown into prison—he never lost sight of the bigger picture. Yosef understood that every moment of his life, no matter how painful…

Chanuka always seems to fly by, doesn’t it? One moment, we’re excitedly setting up our menorahs and spinning dreidels, and the next, we’re lighting the last candle and realizing it’s all coming to an end. It was fun while it lasted—the lights, the songs, the donuts—but there’s so much more to Chanuka than the celebration…