יום שני, י״ד תמוז תשפ״וMonday, June 29, 2026
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Rabbi Fuchs learned in Yeshivas Toras Moshe, where he became a close talmid of Rav Michel Shurkin, shlit”a. While he was there he received semicha from Rav Zalman Nechemia Goldberg, shlit”a. He then learned in Mirrer Yeshiva in Brooklyn, and became a close talmid of Rav Shmuel Berenbaum, zt”l. Rabbi Fuchs received semicha from the Mirrer Yeshiva as well. After Rav Shmuel’s petira Rabbi Fuchs learned in Bais Hatalmud Kollel for six years. He is currently a Shoel Umaishiv in Yeshivas Beis Meir in Lakewood, and a Torah editor and weekly columnist at The Jewish Press.
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On fast days and in selichos we mention a line in tefillah as follows: May the one who answered Avraham Avinu on Har Hamoriah, answer us as well.
How can we even expect that our actions will reach those of our great ancestors?
The Democrats and liberals set the corrupt agenda, and the media broadcasts it to society.
The Emek Berachah explains that indeed after Rosh Hashanah the din is sealed and one is only judged on his actions of the previous year.
In the aftermath of 9/11 many people were fearful of another terrorist attack. Indeed, from that day on we entered into a new era of global terrorism.
In order for a person to properly confess a sin he must first feel that he is great. He must have an appreciation for himself and his self-worth.
As a side note, it is evident from Tosafos that the order of the nechama haftaros is essential.
We recite a kapitel whose main focus stresses that Hashem is our strength and that He will protect us from our enemies.
In this week’s parshah, as Bnei Yisrael are about to enter Eretz Yisrael, the Torah commands us in the mitzvah of shechitah. The pasuk says, “…Vezavachta mibikarcha u’mitzonicha asher nasan Hashem l’cha ka’asher tzi’vi’sicha…” – You shall shecht from your cattle that Hashem has given to you, just as I have commanded you (Devarim 12:21). […]
Our connection to the Torah is the only way we have survived this long and bitter galus.
We are not on the level to sit back and have Hashem fight our battles for us; rather, we need a human army to go out and fight physical wars so that Hashem can make us victorious.
Those who instituted our minhag believed that the main focus of the aveilus and the tefillah of Nachem is on the destruction of Yerushalayim and the Beis HaMikdash.
It is difficult to write about such a topic, but from an outsider’s perspective it seems that there are so many ongoing communal machlokesim today.
Our moral compass is based on what God informed us is right and wrong.
What about other cases? What about other scenarios that offend and disgrace the honor of Hashem? How do we know when to act and how to act?
The essential fault that they made was that they were not commanded to find a replacement to represent them.
We see from this that Eltzafun was called upon to help others and did as he was told. Perhaps, this is an indication of Eltzafun’s humility and that his heart was in the right place.
Rav Moshe answers that tzitzis can only affect a person when he realizes that he needs a rebbe, a teacher, someone to show him the right way.
Now we ask ourselves, what is the purpose of being part of a korban pesach group if one does not get to eat the korban?
The Rishonim are bothered by the obvious question: what is the purpose of going to Har Sinai if we would not have received the Torah?
Surely one can see the work of Hashem at play here, and things are happening very quickly.
Achav challenged Eliyahu saying that if Moshe Rabbenu’s promises did not come true, namely those mentioned in the Tochacha, how can those of his disciple, Yehoshua, possibly come true?
Perhaps this also explains why many have the custom not to recite Aleinu after Shacharis on Shabbos (since we do not leave shul until after the conclusion of the next tefillah – Mussaf).
When an entire community mistakenly accepts Shabbos early, even if they davened ma’ariv, they would not repeat shemoneh esrei.
The Torah then proceeds to only mention Aharon’s children. Rashi explains that since Moshe taught his nephews Torah, they are considered his sons.
The explanation that the Haggadah is alluding to is that there are two forms of prayer. One where one cries outlaw and screams out to Hashem. Then there are troubles that a person suffers with and does not even know how to verbalize and does not call out for help.
Many believe you need to eat large quantities of matzah and drink a lot of wine to fulfill your chiuv. The truth is much more pleasant than that.
The Shaagas Aryeh explains that the Gemara that says that we will be redeemed in Nissan is referring to the set time for the geulah, which is in Nissan. However, Mashiach can actually come any month of the year, on any day.
Shame on all those who cannot recognize when they have such tremendous blessing right in front of their face.
We must also work together to create a culture in our country that embraces the dignity of life, that creates deep and meaningful human connections, and that turns classmates and colleagues into friends and neighbors.
The night of Purim should not be the first time that one is hearing the story of the Megillah. Reading it in public is intended to publicize the miracles that Hashem performed.
Parshas Zachor follows, as Amalek will resurface before the geula, reminding us that we must rid ourselves of wrongdoing and teshuvah.
According to the opening line of the famous song Shoshanas Yaakov, Klal Yisrael was extremely happy when they saw “techeiles Mordechai.” What is “techeiles Mordechai”?
Very often we experience a moment of hisorerus or inspiration in which we immediately develop aspirations to better ourselves.
Of course, in our time Eretz Yisrael has begun producing fruits in an enormous abundance. That it has done so despite it being known as a barren desert for millennia is nothing short of an open miracle.
We know that the measure of goodness is greater than that of punishment.
Surely there is always a reason to hate someone, but unless it is a reason warranted by the Torah, it is deemed baseless, and further worsens our chance of redemption.
His predecessor had heard from many dignitaries urging Shalom Morchechai’s release but did not act.
There is a fundamental question that the commentators are bothered by. Where do we find Yosef rebuked his brothers? All he said was that he was Yosef.
The original Asara B’Teves was a yom hadin (judgment day) on which it was decided whether there would be a churban that year.
Sometimes Hashem performs tiny miracles that serve only to show His love for us and remind us that He is here with us in our moment of difficulty.
Rav Shmuel explained that if we would understand that we are an elevated nation our task in this world would be so much easier.
When Eliezer came to find a wife for Yitzchak, he came with jewelry and presents. Yaakov, on the other hand, came with nothing.
Yaakov Avinu only gave Eisav a pot of beans in exchange for his birthright. Wasn’t the birthright worth far more than a pot of beans?
What I believe we can take from this thought is the understanding that there is a dual universe, a spiritual-metaphysical universe that mirrors the physical one that we live in.
The media today tries to take advantage of this aspect of human nature by making stories sound sensational and as introducing it as breaking news.
We know that the akeida is considered a most monumental event, so much so that we mention on Rosh Hashanah and in many of our tefillos.
When in the history of the world did all of the nations of the world ever claim that we stole Eretz Yisrael?
The thief took his advice and did so. Yet, when the official got up to speak, he informed the court of all the horrible things the highwayman did to him.
Another peculiar event that has covered the news recently is the players of the NFL who refuse to honor the flag and national anthem.
Rav Moshe Shmuel Shapiro, zt”l, explains that the teshuvah of Rosh Hashanah is different from that of Yom Kippur and that of the mitzvah of teshuvah in general.
One of the fundamental aspects of Rosh Hashanah is malchus – accepting Hashem as our king; the one and only king.
The disaster has unfolded on an epic scale, with the nation’s fourth-largest city mostly paralyzed by the storm that parked itself over the Gulf Coast.
First, even had the president actually said something reprehensible, is it our job to reprimand him? Is that in the charter statements of these organizations?
There has been very little media coverage of the actual events, and there are many unanswered questions.
Of the travesties listed in the Gemara the one that is most obviously becoming more rampant is mishkav zachor.
Hashem wants us to realize that we are not in control of Har Habayis, and this should disturb us.
Anyway he gave it a try and got in the car and sure enough… the car started! He was surprised and asked the old man, how did you know what to do?
The Gemara says that anyone who mourns the churban will merit seeing the nechama.
Perhaps the reason this conflict erupted was for the purpose of reminding us that the Kosel is a holy sanctified place, which must be treated as such.
There is an obvious question about this story. Why would Sichon and Og wage war with Klal Yisrael?
Hashem told Moshe that the miracle of the staffs would remove the complaint that Bnei Yisrael still had.
They saw extremely large fruit and interpreted that to mean that just as the fruit are extreme and strange so to are the inhabitants. This was a misconception and a misinterpretation of the facts.
Given the potential for kaparah, we must understand how to properly utilize this time of Bein Hametzarim, which begins in a month’s time.
While there is a yeshiva in existence, the world will be full with knowledge of Torah. The moment the yeshiva ceases to exist, the Torah will be forgotten from the entire world.
When the nations of the world will see Hashem saving his children, His nation, they will see that there is a Borei Olam who runs the world.
Jews witnessed the ten makkos defy every natural law and decimate their oppressors. How could they still be sinking lower in tumah after witnessing this?
We are in Eretz Yisrael before the building of the Beis Hamikdash. Why are we repeating the same mistake three thousand years later?
Instead of commending this righteous individual for his proper ethical standards, he has been attacked by the left wing media!
How can we say that we are waiting for Mashiach in any month other than Nissan?
The UN condemns Israel on a constant basis for crimes it has not committed, and continually attempts to recognize the Palestinian claim to the land (with the exception to the Trump administration as we will shortly discuss).
It is difficult to begin to do teshuvah as if the geula is imminent when we do not really think that it will happen.
Donald Trump’s election was a complete surprise to many. In fact every poll predicted that he would lose. How were they all so wrong?
The obvious question is why Hashem decided to give this mitzvah right at the time when we were leaving Mitzrayim?
There are great accolades and rewards promised for one who judges honestly.
Interestingly, eating fruits of Eretz Yisrael is mentioned twice in the berachah of Al Hamichyah.
The lack of routine condemnation from the United States of Israel’s announced 2,500 new settlement houses is certainly encouraging.
A phenomenon that allows this process to occur is the credence, admiration, and relevance that our culture affords to celebrities and athletes.
What we pronounce is very different from what we spell. It is like a kri u’kesiv, a word that is spelled one way in the Torah but which we have a mesorah to pronounce a different way.
Many believe that Bnei Yisrael, prior to mattan Torah, only had a status of Yisrael l’chumrah.
Since Yaakov was in the middle of the first pasuk of Krias Shema he was unable to interrupt himself, even to inquire about the wellbeing of his son the king.
The mitzvah to recite Hallel that Chazal instituted regarding Chanukah was in fact a direct result of the miracle of Chanukah; however, its essence is not to publicize the miracle but rather to give thanks for the miracle.
Tosafos points out that this answer is not fully satisfactory since there are other mitzvos, such as affixing a mezuzah, that require having a house.
The Ramban adds that although Yaakov knew that when his sons told Shechem and Chamor to circumcise the entire city that they were not intending on actually marrying in with this city.
I want to suggest that although ma’ariv is a voluntary tefillah in its essence, it differs from a nedavah.
If someone remembers during Minchah that he did not recite ya’aleh veyavo during Shacharis, he must similarly daven Shemoneh Esrei twice during Minchah.
The reason it would be pronounced gashem is because it is the last word before a pause.
I would assume that if Hashem appeared to someone, he would be obligated to remain in Hashem’s presence for as long as Hashem remained.
Why do we allow a Jew to shecht on Shabbos when there are other ways of providing the ill person with meat?
As long as an individual is still alive and his possessions are still intact, they belong to him – and one may not steal them.
Why is it necessary for one to perform teshuvah over the performance of any other mitzvah?
It seems from the Vilna Gaon and the Ra’avan that shomei’a k’oneh would not work for reciting the parshah of bikurim. But why not?
The Torah explicitly says that a husband may divorce his wife if he so pleases. How can Rabbenu Gershom forbid this practice when the Torah seemingly permits it?
When I first encountered this explanation, I took issue with it. For even if a shul’s courtyard does not possess kedushah, planting in it could still be prohibited.
The Dovev Meisharim (chelek 1, 18:3) quotes the Divrei Chaim who says that writing all four letters of the name simultaneously is considered writing the name out of order.
They bentched nonetheless, though, because they were given a specific mitzvah to thank Hashem for the mon.
The halacha is that even if a person has already fulfilled a mitzvah he can still be motzi another who has not yet fulfilled it.
If a person will not be fasting on Sunday for whatever reason, he should say havdalah on a cup prior to eating.
The sefer Harirai Kedem suggests a different understanding of the machlokes.
Pinchas fulfilled the halacha of kana’im pogim bo whereby a kana’i (zealot) is granted permission to kill people performing specific aveiros.
June 26, 2026 
