יום שלישי, ד׳ תשרי תשפ״זTuesday, September 15, 2026
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Lot and Avraham were related in their inner core, if not in what was open and visible to all.
Rashi tells us that because of this mistake, the Jewish people lost out on a great lesson.
Our portion is about lives in which we experience moments of greatness and moments of insignificance; accomplishments and failures; Torah is not only for the 'perfect' person; It guides and nurtures the rest of us as well.
The water supply in the wilderness had been dependent on Miriam’s presence. Hence, as soon as she dies, the Jews had no water. In turn, that lack brought about Moshe's disastrous interaction at the boulder.
Even the greatest of people must be wary of the dangers of their own passions and pursuits.
The entire group began laughing at Moshe, and with this Korach launched his revolt.
A father may not transfer the bechor’s right to a double portion to a younger son.
A nation lacking a consistent message will not flourish, and will ultimately lose its sense of safety and elevation. Even a beautifully motivated desire must be measured by its affect on the future.
In this week's video, Rabbi Fohrman points to two fascinating stories which force us to ask a theological question: what impact, if any, can we have on God? Is it possible for us to influence God?
Korach assembles the people against Moshe - but did they actually engage in, or threaten to engage in, disobedience? The text as we have it records NO active illegality.
By Rachel Weiss
Their heartache is unimaginable, yet they persevere with their life’s mission with a fervency and faith, seemingly fortified by the tragedy that rocked their world.
MacArthur was more than simply an expert in the writing and delivery of sound bites.
Clothes make the human: "Modesty is the conscience of the body." Honore de Balzac
Are pessimists just rationalists, and is hope just naivete?
I can empathize with the Children of Israel wanting to send spies to see the land they were to conquer. Once they could see with x-ray vision, "The entire people saw the thunder...the sound of the shofar" but now, no longer
Yehoshua and Calev's mistake was what they could have done earlier: They must have known their colleagues’ negative inclination. The Torah’s silence on whether they tried to change the mind of the other spies speaks to their own silence as well.
The case of yibum concerns the married man who dies without leaving any sons.
One reason commonly cited for anti-Semitism is simply jealousy.
Who are these twins and what are we supposed to learn from them? If we can answer this question, we will know our job for this time of the year.
Rabbi Fohrman delves deeper into the Priestly Blessing and its relevant lessons,
God wants us to complain about the spiritual things being denied to us, not about additional creature comforts.
Moses acted properly in his role of prophet but he failed in his role as a husband; he did not see Tziporah's suffering, her black cloud.
Did Moshe go to Ethiopia as an accepted Egyptian prince, or as part of his escape after killing the Egyptian? Was his marriage a genuine and consummated relationship, or a purely political alliance?
We must never forget that each person has his specific purpose...
The Even Ezra is teaching us a fundamental concept in growth: that we can shape our very reality.
One of the highlights of Parshas Naso is the Priestly Blessing. The text of this blessing, which the Kohanim bestow upon the Jewish people, concludes, "May God turn His face to you and give you peace" (Numbers 6:26). Our Sages speak very highly of the quality of peace. For example, we find the statement in […]
There are three very unique personalities we meet in this week's Parsha.
Three laws seemingly unconnected and out of place: theft from a convert; sotah; and nazir. Why are they here, in Parshat naso?
I look toward Shavuot as an opportunity to not only absorb the Torah's wisdom, but as a chance to apply its wisdom so well that God the Teacher will look at us say, "Yet more have I received from My students"
The Torah may be suggesting something different than we have ever expected: the way we ask God to treat us may also be the way we ourselves should treat our children.
One who teaches his friend's son Torah is analogous to the father himself.
The point is that they hold up a picture of that man. Not a picture of the Chasam Sofer.
Humility, as embodied by Hilel, should be among our community’s priorities as we develop the educational policies and personnel that will shape the next generation of halakhic leadership.
Revelation both Divine and self. Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach
By Rachel Weiss
The lush greens nourished by the healing rains of Iyar heighten our anticipation of the approaching Yom Tov that established us for all time as a holy nation, beholden to and beloved by our Creator.
True repentance requires a confession that enables the sinner to focus totally on his own errors.
This may sound myopic and cloistered, but it is based on a fundamental understanding of the human. To remain pure in an impure world, we need to create our own world.
In this week's video, we look at Pesach, Shmita and Yovel and ask, where do we see Shabbat, and why does it matter?
The laws of the Sabbatical year allow for some questioning even while demanding faith. How can one believe even while questioning?
Behar is primarily about ways to prevent Jews from descending into cycles of poverty; Bechukotai reinforces the laws of Vayikra by spelling out the consequences of following or not following the laws
Thoughts on Emor, Omer, and becoming a better you!
What is it that makes an ox special? In what way should we emulate it?
The lives of Jews in Mitzrayim were defined by misery and suffering. They had no rights. They had no life.
In this video, Rabbi Fohrman makes a fascinating argument about how Shabbat works and shows that there ARE Shabbatot in different realms.
This nameless man, born in scandal to a Jewish mother and Egyptian father not a member of any tribe, brought his claim to Moses who ruled against him. He was Jewish, but he had no place in camp or the world
Granting that bodies and souls are sometimes mismatched, are we comfortable saying in absolute terms that sheker hachein v’hevel hayofi (grace is falsehood and beauty is meaningless)? Are bodies and souls assigned to one another at random?
When we improve our shemiras Shabbos, we are taking steps to bring redemption and Moshiach closer.
Hashem imprinted into the essence of each animal all the instincts necessary for its survival as well as for the continuation of its species.
With the 10 Commandments, G-d is described as the One who took the Jews out of Egypt. In Parshat Kedoshim, He is described simply as being "holy." Both phrases set the tone for the list that follows.
Shabbat, when we separate ourselves from so much of our earthly concerns and focus on our highest aspirations, we find the holiness that allows our earth to rise so high as to kiss the heavens.
It was not enough for the Kohen to offer his ruling; he also had to instruct and guide.
As great as he was, and as much as he accepted every word of the Torah as completely true, on some level it wasn’t 100 percent real to him.
Use of the hall on Motzaei Shabbos is a separate rental that carries an additional $250 payment. You were supposed to notify me if you wanted to use the hall also on Motzaei Shabbos.
We approach Yom Ha'atzmaut, celebrating a generation that experienced absolute evil yet was still able to join together without distinctions and build a vibrant country, thriving because it welcomes others who live betwixt and between, politically, spiritually and religiously
. . Few texts seem less philosophically promising at first glance than a pasuk in this week's parsha “anything that a zav lies on becomes tamei” (Vayikra 15:4)
In this week's parsha, we are introduced to a strange set of laws related to the metzora, one afflicted with tzara'at. How do we relate to such laws?
Leaders have to make many difficult decisions - decisions that affect, often negatively, other people.
Commentators differ as to what exactly was the sin of Nadav and Avihu and why they deserved what on the surface appears to be a wildly disproportional punishment for their 'minor' infraction
The nefesh habahami on the other hand is comprised of the base instincts necessary for survival.
The Meshech Chochmah states that had Israel not sinned with the golden calf, God would not have punished Aharon’s sons so severely.
This week's parsha discusses the sudden and disturbing death of two of Aharon's sons, Nadav and Avihu
He didn’t choose to be kind. He didn’t want to feel the pain of others. In fact, he tried his best to squelch this sensitivity.
In commenting on the story of Nadav and Avihu, Aharon’s two sons who died while presenting a fire offering to God, Rashi does something very unusual. The famous exegete extraordinaire seems to contradict himself in very close proximity. First he tells us that Aharon’s sons were either guilty of being drunk while in the Temple […]
The mitzvah is called sippur yetzias Mitzrayim – telling the story of how Hashem took us out of Egypt. Why is there an emphasis on the telling?
He feels joy in his heart as he revels in the abundance of his bumper crop. And then he looks out at his neighbor’s field. Meager. Undergrown. Spotty.
In this week's video, we explore a section of Talmud that teaches about the 4 individuals who would bring a Thanksgiving sacrifice - but one of these four doesn't belong. Who is it?
Appreciate that Pesach is NOT meant to end on the seventh day, but at Shavuot. With that in mind, we need to work harder to accept making the days of sefirat ha-omer into days akin to chol ha-moed
We have lost the idea of what it is to give ourselves to Hashem with totality and completeness.
So am I deserving of honor? The body I occupy sure is; just look at what it can do. But I am that little guy inside – small, insignificant, unimportant.
Vayikra, "He called," ends with a mini-Aleph, teaching us that Moses could hear the Call because he learned at Sinai to listen to the other side of silence, the world's smaller sounds and the people he led
In this video, Rabbi Fohrman contrasts the Torah's perspective of power and justice to the philosophy of Richard Nixon's famous line - "When the president does it, it is not illegal."
There is likely some connection between the prohibition of chametz on the altar and the chametz which is more likely on our minds as we rid our homes of this most challenging foodstuff.
On Shabbat we will read of two events that took place on the first of Nisan.
By Rachel Weiss
The comfort and chizuk these wives offered their husbands, uplifting their morale, did not escape our all-seeing Father in heaven.
Anyone from any tribe can rise to greatness so long as he or she has the vision, drive, and talent.
While this is a beautiful illustration of the giving nature of a tzaddik, there is as subtle message here: the man stole a spoon from the Chofetz Chaim. How was that possible?
Both the mishkan and Shabbat are in this week's parsha. What is the thematic, conceptual connection between the two?
From the beginning of the building project, the financial and physical contribution of all Jews was sought. There was a need to show that the Torah’s tabernacle was where all Jews stand equal before God
The Red Cow which was completely burnes symbolizes the eradication of one's past.
It is difficult to begin to do teshuvah as if the geula is imminent when we do not really think that it will happen.
In this video, Rabbi Fohrman focuses on a bizarre question that Moshe asks God, "Why God, should you be angry at your people?" and reminds us that God and the nation of Israel are attached by destiny
Klal Yisrael was living in the desert. They neither worked for a living nor had any use for money. All their needs were taken care of.
Paradoxically, the sin of the calf ended up strengthening Moshe and the Jewish people with a new consciousness.
The whole purpose of any holiday is for one to separate from the vanities of the world and [cling] to Hashem and His Torah.
Granted, these might be additional reasons to celebrate, but isn’t life a much greater reason?
Whether it's cabbage or Kohenic clothing,the recipe of colors Scarlet, Purple, and Turquoise render impressive results.
Man is attracted to the short cut that the supernatural road provides; there is a place for the supernatural in God’s world. It is tucked away under lock and key not for us to use.
Rabbi Aba Wagensberg on Parshas Terumah-Have a wonderful Shabbos!
There was a subtlety in which Shlomo was lacking.
The instruction to place the Testimony in the ark seems repetitive,
It must be difficult. You have that precious gem, that beautiful gold. I feel badly even asking.
In fact, loudness and brightness are not intrinsically Godly at all. On the contrary, the truer place to find God is in the still-small voices all around us.
The importance of working hard in advance to prevent problems can be seen in this week's parsha.
Dvar Torah for Parshas Shekalim by well known author, teacher and lecturer, Rabbi Aba Wagensberg.
By Rachel Weiss
Those born in Adar are charitable, great listeners and good companions.
At a certain point, he returned home, and his uncle noticed that his appearance had changed.
Towards the end of this week’s parsha, God speaks about a malach that he will send in front of the Jewish people but it is not clear what He is referring to. We will consider one understanding
In this video, Rabbi Fohrman shows us that the Torah argues that to create a better society, we must be proactive about addressing social and economic inequality.
Hashem custom-designed this world and our current existence specifically so that we can grow.
September 11, 2026 
