“The Jew has made a marvelous flight in the world, in all ages: and has done it with his hands tied behind him. He could be vain of himself, and be excused for it. The Egyptian, the Babylonian and the Persian rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded to dream-stuff and passed away…
Continue reading →Responsibility is a very strong word, a word with so many connotations. Children should be responsible and take care of their belongings, army generals are responsible for their soldiers’ actions, CEOs are responsible for a drop in profits.
Continue reading →I want to suggest an explanation for the mystery of the Kushi woman, which correlates with the Pshat both in Scriptures (Ketuvim) and the Midrashim. I believe that this solution does not refer to and does not interfere with any explanation of the second, third and fourth parts of the story.
Continue reading →You’re now stranded on an uninhabited island – all alone. The ship you were on sank, and you were fortunate enough to find something to float on until you reached the island. Does this sound like a Tom Hanks movie or a bad dream?
Continue reading →Our Sages find similarities between the Mitzvah of Shmita, opening Parshat Behar, and the Mitzvah of Shabbat.
Shabbat – “The seventh day is a sabbath of the lord your God” – ויום השביעי שבת לה’ אלוקיך (Shmot 20,10)
Continue reading →This week’s parsha has multiple references to the concept of חילול השם, the profanation of God’s name. The parsha does not explain what it means to profane God’s name. However, the previous parsha, K’doshim gives us insight into what it might mean.
Continue reading →When a passuk is written with an abstract clause, it can’t be interpreted literally. One cannot “walk” in a set of laws or behaviors. This invites a wide range of interpretations. Some interpret, not to follow the laws of the gentiles. Some interpretations are hairstyle, behavior, architecture, dress, fashion. Rambam, following a number of Talmudic sources rules “all the above”.
Continue reading →David Hamelech, in his book of Tehillim (Psalms), uses a very profound description of the Jewish people during the beginning of Redemption (Psalms 126, 1):
“A song of ascents. When the Lord returns the returnees to Zion, we shall be like dreamers”
Masechet Shabbat, Page 53B, tells of a man whose wife died while she was still nursing their child and he could not afford to pay for a wet nurse. A miracle occurred and he grew two breasts so that he could nurse his son.
Continue reading →We have left Mitzrayim. We have left our constraints behind. Tzar, narrow, constraint, restriction, is the root of mitzrayim. This is the work we did leading up to Pesach whilst we worked hard cleaning our homes, and ourselves, cooking, buying, preparing, taking care of our families, focussing on our immediate surroundings.
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