יום חמישי, י״א חשוון תשפ״זThursday, October 22, 2026
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Suffer The Thief ‘One Stole And Another Stole It From Him …’ (Bava Kamma 68a)
These 3 weeks require us to remember the great events and those on the fringe of memory. Caring for the distant and the forgotten--people and memories--will bring the redemption and rebuilding of our Nation,
I have dealt with many teenagers who have been cast out of their homes and schools. I must emphasize that the most potent way to reach them is with berachos and love. I am not saying this is easy
Any judgment becomes a balance – how much rachamim and how much din?
By Ann Goldberg
After several sleepless days, the team had been able to speak with the Guamanian and United States funeral homes, the airline, and the widow.
Clearly, one’s liability for guarding the lost ring depends on the interpretation of the Talmudic dictum of osek bemitzvah.
The sefer Harirai Kedem suggests a different understanding of the machlokes.
The Torah is not just a list of laws and stories, So, how does the travel log in parshat Masei teach us some sort of timeless lesson?
Why did Moshe include part of Menashe together with Gad and Reuven in the Transjordanian settlement?
By Rachel Weiss
He implored the talmid to come up with a way he could return the money without implicating himself.
In politics as in business, the ability to deliver matters.
Being examined by a doctor was causing his patients to be nervous, and that was contributing to the rise in their blood pressure.
Question: I am very appreciative and, if I might add, flattered that you answer and publish many of my questions. Due to your superior knowledge, I am always confident when I send in a question that I will receive a proper response. I wonder if you could address whether one should say Birkat HaGomel after flying even though flying is statistically safer than driving. Also, do women say HaGomel as well or only men? Menachem
A Tale Of Two Cities ‘The Destructive Force Does Not Distinguish Between Good And Evil’ (Bava Kamma 60a)
According to Rav Moshe Feinstein, the First Period commences on the morning of the Seventeenth of Tammuz rather than the night following the Sixteenth of Tammuz.
In last week's parsha, it looks like the people finally began to trust in God. But now, suddenly, idolatry? What happened? How did the people fail so quickly?
Pinchas fulfilled the halacha of kana’im pogim bo whereby a kana’i (zealot) is granted permission to kill people performing specific aveiros.
By dvora
Somehow, though I loved being in Israel, I didn’t feel that way at all.
"Could you please take my wallet?" Menachem asked. "I have two thousand cash in it. Make sure to put it in the safe."
We want our children to have self-esteem. Can there be a greater generator of self-esteem in children than their knowing they were chosen to be the guarantors of the Torah?
Napoleon said referring to the Jews, "Certainly a people which has mourned the loss of their Temple for so long, will merit to see it rebuilt!"
The fact it was specifically Midianite and Moabite women involved with Jewish men {Moshe and men involved with Ba'al Peor) shows that an existential bond existed between these nations and Israel.
It is only G-d’s Hand in guarding our continued existence and our dedication to Torah that has allowed us to endure.
Question: I am very appreciative and, if I might add, flattered that you answer and publish many of my questions. Due to your superior knowledge, I am always confident when I send in a question that I will receive a proper response. I wonder if you could address whether one should say Birkat HaGomel after flying even though flying is statistically safer than driving. Also, do women say HaGomel as well or only men? Menachem
Who Permitted Eating Turkey? ‘Geese And Wild Geese Are Forbidden Together’ (Bava Kamma 55a)
For the first time in a while, the main characters of the parsha--Bilaam and Balak-- are NOT the people of Israel.
"That's makes him a rasha [transgressor] who is disqualified from testifying."
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
Pagan prophets like Bilam had not yet learned the lesson we must all one day learn: What matters is not that God does what we want, but that we do what He wants.
Our worst enemy convinces us that we can only be led from the top, rather than recognize that a real leader lifts up each individual so that he can stand with him in the heavens
How is it possible that anyone could see Pinchas as anything other than a hero?
By Naomi Gross
Although Har Hazeitim is traditionally considered one of the holy sites in Judaism, it’s also undeniably a hotbed of violence and vandalism, and consequently one of the most dangerous venues in all of Israel.
The Yiddishe neshamah can be likened to a computer. If you can’t find that pintele Yid, it’s only because you don’t know how to bring up the program – but, rest assured, the program is there
Bilaam not only doesn't appear to be great, he seems to be base as well as foolish (outsmarted by his own donkey!). So how can the midrash claim he was really at least as great a prophet as Moshe?
Faith is an oasis in the heart which will never be reached by the caravan of thinking. -Kahlil Gibran
This week, we get even more complaining from Israel - this time, about the lack of water. How can they continue to complain after everything God had done for them? Join us as we explore the baffling story of Israel’s complaints. Video: This video is from Rabbi David Block and Immanuel Shalev.
There didn’t seem any point in having the diamonds removed and each of us taking one; what would we do with it?
So even if their parnassah was dependent on their listening, how would they be motivated by something so mundane as earning their daily bread?
Question: I am very appreciative and, if I might add, flattered that you answer and publish many of my questions. Due to your superior knowledge, I am always confident when I send in a question that I will receive a proper response. I wonder if you could address whether one should say Birkat HaGomel after flying even though flying is statistically safer than driving. Also, do women say HaGomel as well or only men? Menachem
The Zohar says that only someone who dies of natural causes was killed by the malach hamaves. People who are killed by others were not killed by the malach hamaves.
"I have no way of paying you back in the near future," said Mr. Stein. "I have no more assets to sell."
All persons accused of murder were confined to the cities of refuge during their trial in the Sanhedrin.
It is well known that each month is aligned with one of the tribes of Israel, with Tammuz being aligned with Reuven. What is Reuven all about?
Staying Alive Underwater ‘She Has Already Ascended’ (Bava Kamma 50a)
For me the question that I was about to ask had value and I was always taught by my parents that one must ask questions to gain knowledge.
While the devastating effects of lashon hara have had much exposure through shiurim and literature, there has been little focus on the deleterious effects of onas devarim/verbal abuse
The essence of Torah is to guide us in mastering a life of back and forth, inside and out, up and down; a life riding on the hinges for those seeking to find their voice, courage and inner greatness.
Moshe was ideally suited to the role of an intermediary between God’s immanent presence and Israel but not so well suited to leadership in front of a hidden God
By Rabbi Dr. Nathan Lopes Cardozo
Faith means that we worship and praise God before we affirm His existence; we respond before we question
People who suffer from anxiety say that they simply do not have a moment of peace. They feel like they are locked in a prison and are terrified to be with themselves.
G-d is the only “force” that is completely sovereign and independent. The rest of creation, however, requires a dynamic giver-taker relationship.
Could it be that we, like the Indians of yesteryear, are attempting to banish the insanity in our society and have forgotten the sweet sounds of the music that was once reflective of our simchas?
Question: I am very appreciative and, if I might add, flattered that you answer and publish many of my questions. Due to your superior knowledge, I am always confident when I send in a question that I will receive a proper response. I wonder if you could address whether one should say Birkat HaGomel after flying even though flying is statistically safer than driving. Also, do women say HaGomel as well or only men? Menachem
Korach wasn’t approaching Moshe to seek the truth; his sole intention was to mock and discredit Moshe.
Honoring A Father’s Wishes ‘ He Shall Give It To Whom He Has Trespassed’ (Bava Kamma 40b)
The Vilna Gaon argues that that there is even more reason to permit doing pidyon haben via a shliach since pidyon haben is essentially repaying a debt.
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
If you seek to understand an accusation, look at the accuser, not the accused. That is the key to the Korach affair and to understanding anti-Semitism.
Yehuda hit the brakes – but they didn't respond. He veered into the shoulder and crashed into the barrier.
The communication gap here is really two-sided. It certainly starts with Korach and his group, but it subsequently infects Moshe as well.
To add to her distress, this close friend has a lifetime history of complications in her relationship with her mother, her only living parent. Thus, she struggles without the benefit of family support.
We’ve seen Israel complain over and over, but never before have they tried to undermine and dispose of their leaders. Join us as we make sense of Korach’s shocking complaints, this week on the Parsha Experiment. This video is from Rabbi David Block and Immanuel Shalev. Want More? Join our growing community: https://goo.gl/xv0UbG Help […]
I definitely don't want even those who hurt me to be swallowed up by the earth, but I do wish a different place for them, just enough displacement for them to able to objectively look at themselves.
By Rabbi Dr. Nathan Lopes Cardozo
Originally, Judaism was highly unorthodox. While it always believed in God and Torah, it never offered any specifics of what God meant or what Torah consisted of.
Mitchell Geller was inducted as a Jewish chaplain; a rabbi and a beard go hand in hand. To tell a rabbi to take off his beard would be akin to telling a Catholic Father to remove his collar.
How could the spies have doubted God? How could they have sinned so egregiously?
There were far too many consequences of their rejection of "super" vision, and they understood the price of choosing to not see, epitomized by the spies "not seeing" their destiny in Israel.
Clearly, they were lacking in bitachon. Their faith in Hashem was deficient. But they weren’t guilty of speaking lashon hara.
Question: I am very appreciative and, if I might add, flattered that you answer and publish many of my questions. Due to your superior knowledge, I am always confident when I send in a question that I will receive a proper response. I wonder if you could address whether one should say Birkat HaGomel after flying even though flying is statistically safer than driving. Also, do women say HaGomel as well or only men? Menachem
A Matter of Anticipation ‘A Stone Flew From His Hand, And Another Put Out His Head From A Window …’ (Bava Kamma 33a)
If that is the case, though – if a mechallel Shabbos is toned because he is like one who is ovdei avodah zarah – why, Rav Akiva Eiger asks, is a person who desecrates Shabbos in private stoned?
When an illegal act incurs corporal punishment or lashes (malkot) and monetary liability, the rule of kam lei also applies.
By Naama Klein
We were fortunate enough to have our brother-in-law, sister-in-law and their children fly out from the east coast and join us for one such summer expedition. And it subsequently turned out to be by far the most memorable of all.
After Mr. Weiser left, Mr. Lander opened the envelope. He counted the money and found $600. There were five one-hundred dollar bills and five twenties. "That's strange," Mr. Lander said. "He only owed $480."
Since our faith teaches that every person has a soul mate – bashert – designated by Heaven, how is it that so many cannot find their partners?
By Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z"l
Despite the Divine anger, the people were not condemned to permanent exile. They simply had to face the fact that their children would achieve what they themselves were not ready for.
The incident of the spies was a completely new and problematic transgression, it was not toward the rarified wilderness, but rather toward the earthly existence promised in the Land of Israel.
By Rabbi Dr. Nathan Lopes Cardozo
My suggestion: Restore the Kotel to its former state, a place where all are welcome and used solely for individual prayer and meditation, just as our ancestors treated it throughout our long history.
No matter how bleak things seem to be, Hashem never give up on us.
We are bound by G-d’s laws when we are in yeshiva, at home, in the synagogue, in the office, at a social event, or on vacation.
Taking The Law Into One’s Own Hands ‘Break His Teeth And Tell Him I Am Taking Mine’ (Bava Kamma 27b)
Question: I am very appreciative and, if I might add, flattered that you answer and publish many of my questions. Due to your superior knowledge, I am always confident when I send in a question that I will receive a proper response. I wonder if you could address whether one should say Birkat HaGomel after flying even though flying is statistically safer than driving. Also, do women say HaGomel as well or only men? Menachem
To gain power or distract the population from their suffering, a monarch would look for a place to put the blame.
But even after one follows all of the rules and performs the mitzvah correctly, the essential part is that we adhered to Hashem’s command and performed His will.
Are all dogs inherently vicious? Is there such a thing as a tame dog?
How can we understand, and relate, to the Children of Israel, a seemingly ungrateful, chutzpadik nation as it crosses the desert?
After some deliberation, the judge dismissed the case. Mr. Braun walked out feeling great.
While Orthodox singles are more insulated from cultural influences, it has had an impact. The questions remain: Why can’t singles get married? What went wrong? Is it 'external influences'?
Moses acted properly in his role of prophet. He failed in his role as a husband; he did not see Tziporah's suffering, her black cloud.
If Moshe was the greatest man that ever lived, his silent partner Tzipporah deserves much of the credit for it.
The Malbim explains that when G-d asked Moshe what was in his hand he was testing him. He was essentially asking Moshe to define how he viewed his role as leader.
What has become clear from modern studies of the brain is that we can control our emotions and our thoughts.
Every generation has its own daunting shidduch challenges. Unfortunately, finding the right shidduch is not a new phenomenon, nor is it limited to our contemporary world.
October 16, 2026 
