יום ראשון, ב׳ תשרי תשפ״זSunday, September 13, 2026
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Even at a time of such great danger, he forgot his own pain and suffering and only desired to be involved in a heavenly pursuit. It is that devotion that stirred the mercy of Heaven, saving him and all the passengers from certain death.
I just want to ask a simple question. Who said anything about tying Yitzchak up? Hashem certainly didn’t tell Avraham to tie Yitzchak up; He told him to offer Yitzchak as an olah.
On Rosh Hashana we blow the shofar, recite distinctive prayers, and perform Tashlich to recognize the Creator of the Universe as the source of all mercy and forgiveness.
Hakhel was not performed on the Shemittah year, but rather in the year that followed.
More than merely fostering personal piety among Jews, tshuva that begins with a reawakening of Hebrew identity will lead Israel to express kedusha in every sphere of national life.
This night proved that Judaism does not belong only to grandma, but also to her grandchildren.
Repentance is not the cause of tension in our lives; it is the soothing balm.
Although he had been raised in Pharaoh’s palace and had never in his life actually seen Eretz Yisrael, Moshe was held accountable for allowing himself to be referred to by others as “an Egyptian man.”
God pardons like a mother, who kisses the offense into everlasting forgiveness. -Henry Ward Beecher
It’s only the yeitzer hara that fools us and makes us think that we have so many better things to do.
An individual who seeks to be a baal teshuva, to return to Hashem, must recognize that he needs Hashem for every single nuance of his life.
Hashem performs a miracle of accounting because if He did not, none of us would survive the coming year.
Imagine a seventy-year-old man who is bringing Bikurim for 57th time...
The two friends have been studying together every day for 42 years and are completing the Talmud for the sixth time.
During our exile – and indeed our exile goes back to the original exile from the Garden of Eden – the forces of corruption that hold us back from realizing our true potential and separate us from our Creator suffuse the world of our experience.
Woe to that nation whose literature is cut short by the intrusion of force. This is not merely interference with freedom of the press but the sealing up of a nation's heart, the excision of its memory. -Alexandr Solzhenitsyn
When we make the mental calculation of whether we can improve, we tend to think only about our ability. Then, we might correctly assess that it’s beyond our ability.
When one contemplates all the misfortunes in our sedra, it is a cause for trepidation, yet the Torah states clearly that these adversities are because you did not serve Hashem, your G-d, amid gladness and goodness of heart, when everything was abundant (Devarim 28:47).
The performance of our Torah's ritual precepts must be contextualized & experienced within the larger meta-narrative of Israel's story & mission.
Actually, happiness is not necessarily the correct English translation for the word simcha.
Just as there are grieving parents and siblings after someone is killed, in this case there are grieving children – those who will start the school year without their beloved preschool teacher.
Israel’s Torah is not some man-made 'religion' but actually the Divine Ideal implanted into our world for the purpose of uplifting all Creation through sanctifying every area of human existence.
This is not a celebration and in no way does this indicate that what has happened is something good or desired.
On the one hand, the sentence is to be publicized, but on the other hand the publicity should be tempered.
Beautiful light is born of darkness, so the faith that springs from conflict is often the strongest and the best. -R. Turnbull
One consequence of the final redemption is that the nature of things themselves will be altered – their ability to receive and to reflect holiness will be enhanced.
Every good Jew should start their day with the declaration of, Modeh ani lifonecha... This praise deliberately omits Hashem’s Name so that we can proclaim it even before we wash negel vasser and our hands are yet still tomei.
His sole relief and comfort is his spiritual growth – the realization that he must develop his neshama to be able to perceive others in a better light.
When a person leaves pe'ah in the corner of his field, he does so knowingly and even willingly, wanting to give to the poor as Hashem commanded. But it is impossible that this mitzvah can be performed 100 percent altruistically.
"The hand of the witnesses shall be upon him first to put him to death, and the hand of the entire people afterward, and you shall destroy the evil from your midst" (Devarim 17:7) Why are the witnesses the ones who carry out the punishment against the criminal whom they testified against? Imagine witnesses who […]
A Hebrew leader must embody the aspirations of his people to the extent that he becomes a microcosm of the entire nation of Israel and his personal identity is absorbed into that of the national collective.
Have you ever thought about the hobby of the guy who cleans your street? Or his dreams? The city of Akko – as reported by journalist Yair Kraus – has put up new signs which make its sanitation workers into stars.
When Israel fled Egypt, our redemption was not complete and neither was the destruction of the evil that had enslaved us.
This inability to understand others with whom we disagree underlies the polarization in Israel today
A powerful agent is the right word. Whenever we come upon one of those intensely right words... the resulting effect is physical as well as spiritual, and electrically prompt. -Mark Twain
It’s a great feeling to know that we’ve strived to reach this prized closeness to Hashem and spiritual protection.
The Talmud continues that if someone lengthens the word echad in his recitation of Shema, his days and years will be lengthened.
One would think that the Shulchan, a symbol of royalty and material wealth, is there to serve the Menorah, the light of the Torah. However, this is not what the Torah tells us.
The essence of Ahavat Yisrael is the willingness to take responsibility for Israel’s future. It is being prepared to sacrifice everything for the defense of the Jewish people and liberation of the homeland.
All of us can identify with one or more of the following scenarios: next to our bed, a pile of books that we began but didn't finish; a computer screen full of open web page tabs scrunched together at the top of the screen...
The gift of money that one usually associates with the word blessing (Rashi, Bamidbar 6:24) could in reality be a curse. Osher shamur leba’alav lera’aso, - wealth can be detrimental to its owner (Koheles 5:12).
We must do our business faithfully, without trouble or disquiet, recalling our mind to God mildly, and with tranquility, as often as we find it wandering from him. -Brother Lawrence
If you might wonder what the body of the star represents, Rav Yisroel Salanter famously said when you are busy appointing Hashem above, below, and in the four directions, don’t forget to appoint him boss over yourself as well.
In every exile, we are separated from our proper state of concurrence with Hashem, from our own true essence, and we are prevented from performing the tasks and observing the rituals that define our peoplehood.
This is the way Hashem wants us to serve Him, not just according to the letter of the law, but beyond that, out of love, and not only because we are obligated and commanded to.
Our sages argue that Menashe ultimately did earn a share in the World to Come because he repented for 33 years of his life and entreated Hashem. Hashem made a special secret pact in Heaven for him to be admitted.
Who has not been in an uncomfortable situation where everyone seems to know everyone else except for you?
The first to fulfill the mitzvah of Birkat HaMazon, according to our Sages, was Avraham Avinu.
When facing our enemies, it's often necessary to don a ruthlessness seemingly at odds with our inner nature. The 'hands of Esav' can sometimes be utilized to achieve the goals of 'Yaakov's voice.'
The Talmud asks: The people of the city were righteous – why were they punished? Rav Yosef says it was because they did not mourn the destruction of the Temple. In the Talmud Yerushalmi (Taanis 4:5), Rav Yose adds that the people lit lights, indicating unseemly festivities.
What if you find it difficult to forgive someone? Let’s say for example, someone caused you to lose an exciting job opportunity, or perhaps they wrecked your chances at a good shidduch. How could you sincerely forgive someone who hurt you in such a terrible way?
When Israel is redeemed from exile, Ramchal explains, the Divine Presence (Shechina) that was exiled with us rises up to be reunited with her counterpart above the physical universe.
Ironically, our elevated holiness leaves us vulnerable to Avoda Zara.
Memory is the cabinet of the imagination, the treasury of reason, the registry of conscience, and, the council chamber of thought. -Giambattista Basile
As characters participating in one of history’s most incredible chapters, we focus our efforts on the specific challenges facing our generation.
Rav Shach asks: Why did Moshe Rabbeinu wish to remain in the world like an animal or a bird? He answers that every living being has a specific mission in life through which the honor of Hashem is increased and spread.
The purpose of performing even the most basic mitzvot is in order that they should not be forgotten when we return to Eretz Yisrael.
After the many stages of return from exile and rectification of our spiritual and intellectual state, which we will hopefully encounter in the coming weeks, the last step is to repair the physical body.
It seems that Hashem could have lived in harmony with us and could have looked away from our indiscretions towards Him. He simply could not bear to ‘stick around’ and watch when His children weren’t getting along one with another...
Today’s political left and right share certain policies, but they inhabit a milieu of pain and conflict which forms a very substantive basis for feelings of hatred.
How might Moshe looked back upon his life? Ironically, the man unsurpassed in so many ways may actually have seen himself as a failure. Yet that is certainly the impression one gets from reading through most of this book.
It is fascinating to consider that, though He looks at us always, He does not seem too often to intervene, He does not punish or reward us in obvious ways.
An individual may bring a Mincha offering, but it may not be offered in partnership, yet it's a communal offering.
Our sages warn us of the possibility that great Torah scholars can lead Israel away from serving HaShem.
Here is some practical advice regarding our current period of mourning as we approach Tisha B'Av.
Perhaps we still call our silent devotion Shemoneh Esrei, or Eighteen, even though in reality it is now nineteen, out of respect for the Anshei K’nesses HaGedolah, or because eighteen is the gematria of chai, life, emphasizing that we are actually praying for our lives and our livelihoods.
In general, in Jewish literature, association with animals is seen in a pejorative light. While certainly not anti-animal, classical Judaism sees humanity unequivocally as superior to the animals, following the account of Creation in the Torah.
Normally choose a Haftara that corresponds to Parshat Hashavua, but not during the Three Weeks.
Indeed, we know what is of primary and what is of secondary importance in life, yet this understanding is not always easy to apply.
By waging war on Israel, even if not consciously aware of its inner motivation, a person or group is declaring war against the Source of all Creation.
Nothing is more dangerous than a friend without discretion; even a prudent enemy is preferable. -Jean de La Fontaine
The Ran expounds that one who builds a personal altar could mistakenly believe that he is actually doing a mitzvah by being extraordinarily scrupulous in offering sacrifices to Hashem. He doesn’t realize, though, that he is in fact committing a grave sin.
The Malbim defines Judges as those who govern the laws of jurisprudence between man and his fellow, while the Advisors are those who give us counsel to succeed in our relationship with Hashem.
According to Rashi, it is the will of Hashem that the nations residing in the land of Israel when the people of Israel cross the river be banished and eradicated.
At each stop the Jews learned another lesson about how to rid themselves of their Egyptian ways.
Although men are also obligated to do so, this mitzvah is primarily incumbent on women and they are given preference in performing it. Sarah was the first woman in history to perform this mitzvah.
Sinning, while purporting to do something positive, is hypocrisy par excellence.
In fact, our sages tell us that Pinchas did not concern himself at all with his physical needs. Rather he served Hashem with truth and sincerity, only heeding the spiritual benefit in his life.
The very substance of the ambitious is merely the shadow of a dream. -William Shakespeare
How surprised I was when he answered with a flourish that the most important blessing of the Shemoneh Esrei is T’kah b’shofar gadol l’cheiruseinu, our bracha that we beseech Hashem to initiate the final Redemption!
A true pursuer of peace/completeness is one who identifies the obstacles to HaShem’s Ideal for this world and works passionately to remove them.
The Korban Sotah in Marah removed all doubts from the minds of Bnei Yisrael regarding the integrity of their families.
It is of interest, say the Sages, that Moshe’s request for a new leader immediately follows the inheritance of the daughters of Tzlofchad.
When our own spiritual striving is met by the support of Hashem through His love for us, then we enter into His house.
The connection between Bilaam and the Shema Yisrael prayer.
While Moav & Midian championed a separation of 'religion' & state, Israel’s mission demands that spiritual ideals be materialized on a national level so that our Torah’s values be fully expressed on earth.
The concept of “Beshert" in life
With this in mind, let us contrast two iconic figures in the Torah, both with donkey-related incidents.
We start the blessing asking Hashem to bless us with a profitable good year... Why are we praying for this every day when the Gemara teaches us -Mezonasov shel adam kitzuvin lo mei’Rosh Hashana – The livelihood of the person is fixed on the New Year and sealed on Yom Kippur.
There are many other halachos in Shulchan Aruch concerning the Evil Eye. We do not count people for a minyan, for example; and two brothers, or a son and a father, should not be called up consecutively to the Torah for an aliyah.
People can be cruel to people they perceive as different. A sense of difference can be easily translated into a malignant moral hierarchy.
Perhaps you are familiar with this question: “If a tree fell in the forest and no one heard it, did it make a sound?” Or, in today’s terms: “If two girls went to the mall but didn’t take a selfie, did they really go? ״ In other words, did something that was never publicized nor […]
The coal pans of the rebels were used for the altar.
It would seem that this is an appropriate week to distance ourselves from Korach's path and put an end to all lingering controversy and strife.
Communicating the Jewish people's deepest aspirations can often serve to raise morale & strengthen Israel’s position on the battlefield.
Korach and his group may be cynical, but they make good claims. Indeed, every member of the Jewish people is holy! Is that not so?
It is the presence of humility that determines whether one merits leadership of the Jewish Nation; and, if one becomes arrogant after he assumes leadership, Hashem removes him from that position.
Remember, every time you open your mouth to talk, your mind walks out and parades up and down the words. -Edwin H. Stuart
September 11, 2026 
