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…
The Torah commands:“וְיִקְחוּ־לִי תְּרוּמָה” – “And they shall take for Me a donation.” (Shemot 25:2) Am Yisrael had just witnessed the greatest miracles in history—Yetziat Mitzrayim, Kriyat Yam Suf, and Matan Torah. They stood at the peak of spiritual elevation. And now, Hashem asks them to give. But not just gold and silver—something far greater.…
When Hashem took Bnei Yisrael out of Egypt, He did not lead them through the shortest route, derech Eretz Plishtim “ki karov hu” which was the closest and seemingly easiest route. Instead, He took them on a longer, seemingly roundabout journey to prevent them from wanting to turn back out of fear. We often seek…
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…
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,…