Tag: Torah lessons
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Haazinu is written as a song. A song can’t be understood by hearing only one note. To appreciate it, you need the whole melody. And once it’s inside you, every lyric pulls you back to a moment, a place, a memory. That’s what Haazinu does: “Remember the days of old, understand the years of generation…
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Ki Teitzei – The Two Battles We Fight Parshas Ki Teitzei begins with war and ends with war. But they’re not the same war. At the start, Chazal tell us the Torah speaks about the inner battle—the war with the yetzer hara. At the end, it speaks about the outer battle—the war with Amalek. Inside,…
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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…
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Chazal in a Midrash debate about what the most fundamental pasuk in the Torah. The answer is surprising: “אֶת־הַכֶּבֶשׂ אֶחָד תַּעֲשֶׂה בַבֹּקֶר וְאֵת הַכֶּבֶשׂ הַשֵּׁנִי תַּעֲשֶׂה בֵּין הָעַרְבָּיִם”“One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and one in the afternoon.” The command to bring the daily Korban Tamid, morning and afternoon. Found in this week’s…
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In Parshat Chukat, we encounter one of the most painful moments in the Torah. Moshe is told to speak to the rock. Just speak. But under the weight of complaints and pressure, he hits it instead. The water flows. But so does the decree. Hashem says:“Because you did not believe in Me to sanctify Me…
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Hashem told Moshe to speak to the rock. Just speak. But after so many complaints, Moshe reaches a breaking point. He cries out, “Listen, you rebels!” and hits the rock. And then… everything changes. Hashem tells Moshe and Aharon, “Because you did not believe in Me to sanctify Me before the eyes of Bnei Yisrael,…
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In Parshat Yitro, just before Matan Torah, the Torah describes Bnei Yisrael’s encampment at Har Sinai: “וַיִּחַן שָׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל נֶגֶד הָהָר” – “And Israel encamped there opposite the mountain.” (Shemot 19:2) Rashi famously points out the unusual singular form of “וַיִּחַן” (they encamped), rather than the expected plural, explaining that Bnei Yisrael were united “כְּאִישׁ…
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What Are You Rooted In? The Secret to Lasting Growth Tu B’Shevat is known as the “New Year for Trees,” a time when we reflect on growth, renewal, and the power of deep roots. But this isn’t just about trees—it’s about us. The Torah tells us, “Ki ha’adam etz hasadeh”—”Man is like a tree in…
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At the beginning of Parshat Bo, Moshe once again delivers Hashem’s message to Paroh: “For how long will you refuse to submit to Me? Let My people go so they may serve Me.” Paroh’s advisors, exhausted by the cycle of plagues and warnings, urged him to give in: “Let the men go and serve their…
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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…
