יום ראשון, י׳ אלול תשפ״וSunday, August 23, 2026
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Dayenu is not a song of complaint; it is rather a song of thanksgiving to God.
Our ability to teach is only successful if done by example.
Outside of the High Holidays, Pesach is probably the most celebrated biblical holiday for the majority of Jews.
So what type of praise is it that Aaron followed orders?
Yachatz is not mentioned in the Gemara. What is the foundation for yachatz?
Why is it necessary to invite people to eat from the korban Pesach?
Did you ever notice that immediately upon being granted our freedom from Egypt, the Jewish people accepted upon themselves the yoke of a new master – Hashem?
By Guest Author
Why does Torah make the priests go through a long and seemingly bizarre induction ceremony?
Often people in important positions separate from everyday people & tasks-NOT the Kohen Gadol
Rambam warns that a festival meal without taking care of the needy isn't fulfilling simchat yom tov
These four parshiyos are viewed as steps in a progression toward Pesach, the Yom Tov of teshuvah m’ahavah, of returning to Hashem out of love.
The obvious conclusion from this passage is that when the third Beis HaMikdash is built, since we, unlike the Jews who left Egypt, would not have the need for sacrifices, they would apparently not be part of the service.
If my garment is clean, then I will be careful about maintaining its beauty. If it is soiled, I will not be as careful.
The Ran asks why the Gemara concludes that since we are unsure which two of the four we must recline for, that we must recline for all four.
Though God can’t benefit from gifts to him the best way to create a relationship is by giving to Him
Judaism was so democratic that not only did it reject familial and economic aristocracy, it rejected intellectual aristocracy as well. We have many laws to honor Torah scholars.
"Adam" speaks to the universal dimension of the Temple. He is the parent of all humankind.
By Rachel Weiss
It is no coincidence that Nissan marks the start of spring, when nature comes alive in all its glory.
Before we embark on a major project or make a fateful decision we must get a wide-range of views and perspectives.
So we see that both in the Mishkan, and in the creation of the world, Hashem held back. That is what we do on Shabbos. We hold back our desire to be creative and restrict our activities.
Rabbi Fohrman considers what it mean to bring God into this world through space and through time.
Examples of the group of fundamental commandments are Sabbath, prayer and Jewish education.
Even if a certain halacha appears in the same Gemara as another, the Rambam is known to place it in the section that he felt it belonged.
Perhaps the greatest manifestation of human creativity in the Torah is the building of the Mishkan
Torah is written with a human bent; As the Talmud says, "The Torah speaks in the language of men."
The moment Moshe Rabbeinu was deemed by the mixed multitude to be an inept leader, it was Yosef who filled the void in people’s hearts.
Over and over, the text tells us about "keeping" Shabbat, about holiness, and a covenant - but why?
Aharon’s guilt with the golden calf is not clear-cut. What if Moshe were in his brother’s place?
When Hashem told Moshe of the option to destroy the people and make him and his descendants into a great nation, Hashem was telling Moshe that it is up to him.
Why would the exemption of women from donating the half shekel exempt them from davening Musaf?
This concept should be very relevant to us as we, too, should be happy beyond description.
Does Hashem ever go away and not pay attention to us?
In other words, the Torah is an expression of the Way that we must follow in order to live a divine-like life and to bond in the highest way possible with God or Being Itself.
The Chasam Sofer answers that one of only prohibited from wearing a garment that contains shatnez if he does so while wearing the garment for pleasure purposes.
The avodah (service) of the kohen gadol is vital and highly sensitive; the world’s very existence depends on it.
This was a spontaneous act of rest after the miracle of vanquishing their respective foes. The following year they celebrated on the same days as a minhag.
In holy places it's important to maintain a level of silence permitting people to dialogue with God
How the 3 partitions of the mishkan each relate to a layer of creation, aiding our connection to God
What about the Temple service required God to intervene commanding Aaron what he needed to wear?
An open miracle occurred before our very eyes… the scheduled demonstration turned into a resounding celebration.
The keruvim, or cherubs, appear in the tabernacle in three different places. What is their meaning?
While it may appear that man is in charge, Hashem orchestrates every activity on the planet
Man feels vulnerable, exposed, even when he considers himself a great being.
The Aruch Laner asks: How can Rashi say that the third Beis Hamikdash will descend as fire from heaven when every Jew prays several times a day for the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash?
The notion of duality is paradoxically a very important part of God’s unity.
The Torah presents us with a model of how to effect change in a sustainable way.
Just having basic emunah during these times of great spiritual challenges is inestimable in Hashem's eyes.
The month of Adar is the month of joy. It’s the time when we reaccepted the Torah.
Judaism's moral law, intended to give meaning to life, is violated most when the weak are abused
Hashem placed this world at man’s disposal. In a real sense, man is the steward of Creation.
Perhaps Hillel based his opinion on the original conversion that took place at Mount Sinai and described in Mishpatim.
The Ohr Hachayim rules that one may not manipulate the system; rather he must state his opinion as he see the ruling in the case; not as he would like the outcome of the verdict to become.
A 3rd option: No demarcation between bein adam laMakom & bein adam lechaveiro; they're complementary
Be Forewarned: Rabbi Fohrman on our forefathers and foremothers forming the law.
"Hamas" means "violent," via undue human pressure on a process not meant to be controlled by humans
Matan Torah is when, as Rashi puts it, Heavens and Heavens of Heavens came down to earth, when Hashem revealed himself “panim el panim, face to face” to forge an intimate connection with His chosen people, and through them the entire world.
He suggests that the general admonition only dictates that a father may not actively enable his son to perform an aveirah.
The truth is that a mitzvah may not be the result of belief but rather the means to come to believe.
Halachah is not bound to one geographical location. It is obligatory all over the world.
Connecting the Ten Commandments to the story of Moses and the Burning Bush.
He is fully aware that who he will be for eternity is in his hands.
Shemot relates the transition from the story of one family-Yaakov’s-to the story of a nation-Israel
People often think that all they are missing is "just a little more" and then they can be truly happy.
The Midrash is teaching a fundamental message of what it means to be a religious person.
"Where is God?" asked the Kotzker Rebbe "God is not everywhere but only where you let Him enter"
When a miracle occurs that transcends nature, Hashem has broken the laws of nature to create the miracle.
Rather than submit to this fate and suffer torture and humiliation, Shaul decided to fall on his sword.
How can the Da’as Zekeinim say this was Hashem’s plan to allow them to become the Torah Nation? We know it was actually a punishment.
A strange midrash of fruit trees surrounding the Nation of Israel as they walked to freedom
Leading by example must be visible, regarding where, when and how-like Nachshon entering the Red Sea
Rabbi Yaakov Nagen, a Ram at Yeshivat Otniel, notes that the verse is suggesting that retelling the story of the Exodus is so important that Hashem is performing ever-greater miracles specifically so that parents can tell their stories to future generations.
Before performing the 10th plague God makes a fundamental argument about the ultimate nature of justice.
How is it possible that the clothing was more valuable to them than gold or silver?
Property ownership is an extremely important and fundamental right and principle according to the Torah.
And if a person can take steps to perform the mitzvah, he should do so (even if he won’t be held accountable for not performing it due to circumstances beyond his control).
Pesach is called "zikaron," a Biblical term used describing an object eliciting a certain memory
Recouping $ and assets from Germans and Swiss for their Holocaust actions is rooted in the Exodus
Three years of war and the loss of one-tenth of Britain's men is not too great a price to pay.
"I put to death and I bring to life, I strike down and I will heal."
It is exactly like that of an animal, with all of the passions and desires necessary to drive man though his daily existence.
The Brisker Rav suggests that the barad, in fact, only fell on people, animals, and vegetation.
The American Jew has forgotten his history. Not the simple stories of life in Europe. Rather, he lost the ability to relive time as part of his own I-awareness, that the past is a relevant part of me.
The plagues don't reveal a God of vengeance but of compassion; after each triplet Egypt can repent
Rabbi Fohrman asks about an interesting name of God and leads a whirlwind tour of modern cosmology
Moshe viewed his speech impediment as part of his core identity and his intrinsic human imperfection
By Joseph Cox
But a rally has no effect on the terrorists themselves. In truth, it validates what they have done.
The midwifes rejecting Pharoah's command is the first recorded incident of civil disobedience
You know that you are strangers in a foreign land. You recognize that you stem from a different culture.
In reality, there is no such thing as an unimportant detail, an unimportant mitzvah.
Why is it necessary to perform an aveirah punishable by lashes in order to be deemed a legal rashah and be pasul l’eidus m’d’Oraisa?
You are up to the task of being the emissary of Hashem, if you choose to. However, the choice is yours.
How did their hatred toward the Jews make their own lives disgusting? It’s the Jews they hated, not themselves.
"He looked this way and that way" means Moses looked within to see whether he was Egyptian or Jewish
God wants man to maximize benefit from Creation only in ways that don’t compromise spiritual health
Rabbi Fohrman explores a midrash about God's names in this week's parsha
Each individual has a unique set of qualities and skills. Some have more abilities and some less.
When Hashem made man, He created two worlds – this world and the World to Come. Each has its purpose.
Why was Yaakov not afraid that granting Yosef’s sons the status of shevatim would cause jealousy among his children?
Rabbi Fohrman addresses the question, "Do we ever feel God's tap on our shoulder?"
August 21, 2026 
