In Parshat Vayelech, Hashem tells Moshe that after his death, Bnei Yisrael will turn to other gods, and as a result, He will “hide His face.” At first glance, it sounds like a punishment. But really, it’s a natural consequence. Hashem is everywhere. In every blade of grass, in every detail of the human body,…
The Gemara asks: Where is Esther hinted to in the Torah? Chazal point to this week’s parsha:“וְאָנֹכִי הַסְתֵּר אַסְתִּיר פָּנַי בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא” — “I will surely hide My face on that day.”The words haster astir allude to Esther, and to Hashem’s hiddenness in the Purim story. The Ramban explains: hester panim means Hashem withdraws His…
Climbing the Right Mountain We’ve all heard of rock bottom — when a person loses everything and only then realizes it’s time to change. But Parshat Shoftim warns of another danger that’s spoken about far less. When you spend so much time climbing the mountain of success — money, fame, luxury — only to reach…
We’ve wandered long enough. In this week’s parsha, Moshe begins his final address to Bnei Yisrael.But he’s not speaking to the generation that left Egypt. He’s speaking to their children—the ones who struggled in the desert, grew through challenges, and matured over forty long years. Now, they stand at the threshold of Eretz Yisrael.They’re finally…
Struggling to Feel Growing up, I always had a hard time connecting to the Three Weeks, the Nine Days, and especially Tisha B’Av. The mourning. The restrictions. The heaviness. I tried to feel something — but couldn’t. Part of it was that I didn’t fully understand what we were mourning. I mean, I grew up…
Parshat Matot opens with a curious halacha: vows. If a Jew says something like “I won’t eat bread today,” it becomes halachically binding. Words alone create new spiritual realities. No action, no ritual—just speech. That’s the power Hashem gave us. It mirrors the opening of the Torah itself: “Vayomer Elokim—Yehi or.” Hashem spoke—and light came…
A man walks into Macy’s and wins a 10-minute shopping spree. The doors open, the countdown starts… and he takes off running. But instead of heading for the jewelry or electronics, he wastes time and gets distracted picking things up along the way like grabbing socks, gum, and cheap T-shirts. By the time his 10…
Complaining vs. Gratitude: A Mindset That Shapes Everything In this week’s parsha, Bnei Yisrael complain. They remember the “free” fish in Egypt, the cucumbers, leeks, onions, and garlic — and they long for it. Not freedom. Not connection to Hashem. Just food. Just comfort. They forget the slavery. The pain. The miracles that carried them…
Hashem Can Do Anything — Even Without a Miracle Bnei Yisrael complained that they didn’t have meat.After all that Hashem had done for them—taking them out of Egypt, freeing them from slavery, providing for their every need—it was a shocking display of ingratitude. They weren’t starving.They were fed daily with heavenly manna.But they didn’t like…