יום ראשון, ט׳ תשרי תשפ״זSunday, September 20, 2026
Follow Us
To be fully saved means not only to come out physically unscathed but emotionally healthy as well.
Yishmael could claim to be a victim; he only prevails when he subordinates himself to Yitzchak.
People love their GPS; just type in the address and it tells you exactly how to get to where you want to go.
Bris Bein Habesarim affirmed that Hashem gave the land to Avraham’s children. It does not specify for how long. It did not guarantee the Jewish people eternal ownership of the land
According to the Raavad if one who is uncircumcised breaks something he will be exempt from paying for it since he was chayav kares at the same time as he was obligated to repay for the item he broke.
Having herself been victimized by Pharoah, Sarah should have been more sensitive to Hagar.
Avram’s father was not impressed with the cleverness of his son. In fact, he was so unimpressed that he took him to Nimrod the king, who pronounced him an enemy of the state and attempted to execute him.
How do the stories in Lech Lecha help us understand the central tension of Abraham's life, legacy?
Abraham did not govern society but instead was the representative of God’s kingdom on earth.
Hagar grossly miscalculated her own merits and demonstrated a serious lack of gratitude for Sarai.
Noach was the lonely man of faith living in a depraved world, full of wickedness.
Avraham became a great man during the 175 years of his life, while his predecessors became increasingly wicked, despite staggering knowledge, during their lifetimes of hundreds of years.
Shem realized that he owed his existence to his father who brought him into the world.
By Joseph Cox
The flood was not sent to destroy, but to restore the positive potential of the world.
Strict din demands perfection. There is no room for shortcomings and no place for excuses; you are responsible.
Noah and his wife could not fathom living together as husband and wife and continuing the human race
Our intentions are critical in raising children because they mimic everything we parents do & think
By Joseph Cox
The creation of the world is described twice. Each description serves a unique purpose.
I, the one who is housed inside this body, am completely and utterly spiritual.
If one hurts another human being, God is hurt; if one brings joy to another, God is more joyous.
Bereshit: Life includes hard choices that challenge our decisions, leaving lingering complications.
Rabbi Fohrman:" Great evils are often wrought by those who are blithely unaware of the power they wield."
Hashem created all human beings and it should sadden us when Hashem, their Father, does not see nachas from them.
When Hashem formed man, He gave him the keys to Creation. As the Midrash tells us, Hashem said to Adam, “This is your world now. You are in charge of it; take care that you don’t destroy it.”
Realizing that his death was immanent and he had only a few more moments, Moshe focuses on doing the most important thing: he runs to Bnei Yisrael and blesses them.
The Sukka: Even if you find it difficult to come to the synagogue, the synagogue will come to you.
The Shagas Aryeh leaves the matter somewhat unresolved, and posits that on the first night one is only obligated in simchah m’d’Rabanan.
The Jewish world today is a critical part of the timeline in Jewish history.
Often in life we become stuck – stuck in the morass of our habits and the rote of our comfort level.
There is one day of the year on which the Satan has no power: Yom Kippur.
What right do I, sinner, have to approach Hashem and request forgiveness?
Imagine a man who, after having a few too many drinks, gets into his car and begins driving. It takes a while before he is pulled over, but finally the police arrest him, and he stands trial for driving while intoxicated.
Others suggest that one cannot separate Shabbos from Yom Kippur by accepting Shabbos early.
Ba’al Shem Tov: “Hashem, too, is crying; as much as He is looking for us, we rarely look for Him.”
On Rosh Hashanah we are taught that true self-analysis involves the breaking down of walls
When we hear the words "Rosh Hashana is coming" it really means Hashem Himself is coming!
While women are exempt from actually learning Torah, they are obligated in a different aspect of the mitzvah.
Once we recognize that our separation from God is our fault, how do we repair it?
To choose life, you must examine your actions in the period preceding the Days of Awe as an unbiased stranger, and render your decision.
This world has its purpose; it has been ideally fashioned to allow man to grow.
Perhaps the most important leadership lesson Elkana taught us is to never underestimate the difference a single person can make.
The Torah notes that even when we are dispersed God will return us to Him.
Our understanding of what is and what is not possible creates imagined ceilings of opportunity for us.
The Chafetz Chaim answered that there are two forms of teshuvah; teshuvah m’ahava and teshuvah m’yirah.
In Parshas Re’eh the Torah tells us about the bechira to adhere to the commandments of Hashem and refrain from sin. In Parshas Nitzavim, the Torah tells us that we have the choice to repent after we have sinned.
As Moshe is about to die, why does God tell him about how the Israelites will ruin everything?
By Joseph Cox
This week's parsha offers a new covenant; a covenant that speaks to national life unlike any other
All Jews are inherently righteous and that is why we all have a portion in the World to Come.
Since it is a Rabbinic prohibition we may follow the more lenient opinion.
How can the Torah expect me today, thousands of years after the mitzvahs were given, to view each mitzvah as if I’m fulfilling it for the first time?
According to Ibn Ezra, the Torah was stressing through this covenant that hypocrisy was forbidden.
Simcha is total; sahs is God’s joy in protecting us even when we are most vulnerable.
They ask, how can Rabbeinu Gershom forbid marrying more than one wife, when the Torah explicitly permits it in this parshah?
the test of moral integrity truly presents itself when one faces difficult situations.
A replica reminds a person of the original. Granted it is in miniature, and granted no one would mistake it for the original, but it carries, almost in caricature form, some semblance of the original.
The inability of creation to violate Hashem’s natural law extends to inanimate object such as heaven and earth.
First, how could a beis din of 23 judges present a guilty verdict in a capital punishment case? After all, only a majority of the 23 judges ruled in favor of his verdict.
Of paramount importance is that both the king and his people realize that while he is the leader, he is still a subject of God.
When a person feels he can control the destiny of other people, he runs the risk of feeling self-important, significant, and mighty.
Shoftim: The Line Between Murder And Apathy
If there is a mitzvas minuy dayanim in the Diaspora, then why is there a difference between Israel and the Diaspora in the number of judges and their distribution?
Eisenhower understood that motivated men will fight much harder and longer than unmotivated men.
Who does not want to get close to Hashem? Yet, how do we do that?
According to Rabbi Yishmael one was not permitted to eat such an animal prior to entering Eretz Yisrael, while according to Rabbi Akiva one was permitted to eat animals if he would perform nechirah.
If a man sins and follows his inclinations, he will find comfort in this world – but when he dies, he will go to a place that is all thorns.
The first prayer of Moshe was Vayechal, where Moshe's petition was that no matter how bad bnei Yisrael were, the Egyptians were worse.
Rabbinic law is pivotal but it's important to understand which laws are rabbinic and which biblical.
We give slave gifts? If he wants to stay, we pierce his ear?!
“When a mother plays with her child there is an acute awareness of the child. But even when the mother works at a job or is distracted by some other activity, there is a natural, latent awareness of her child's existence.
While it’s clear to you and to me that a 14,000-pound creature can easily break away from the light ropes holding it, the reality is that it cannot.
Moses tells us what G-D wants from us...
Tosafos there takes issue with Rashi’s view that the letters that are formed in the knots of the tefillin are considered part of the name of Hashem.
Israel is the only place where we have the potential to fulfill our mandate as the chosen people.
The innkeeper smiled and replied, “Why do you think we are dancing? We are dancing because G-d destroyed the Bais HaMikdash!”
One of the manifestations of the immature person is a sense of entitlement.
The Rambam says that in order to honor Shabbos, one must wash his hands, face, and feet with warm water on Friday.
The 10 Commandments: So few words; so much meaning.
Rav Kook of blessed memory, who said that no matter where a Jew is born, he is born in Israel.
Moshe Rabbeinu's orations to Am Yisrael offer us the opportunity to be elevated and inspired in the weeks ahead.
Since the Children of Israel knew firsthand all the miracles God had done for them, how could lack faith?
Criticism is but one step below a verbal attack. It isn’t quite as pointed, not quite as aggressive – but not that far off.
The talmid is not allowed to speak up due to any fear. If he remains silent, he is in violation of this prohibition.
One must act as if everything depends on us and pray as if everything depends on God.
By Rachel Weiss
Just as the moon waxes, wanes and renews itself, so has the nation of Israel renewed itself through the millennia.
Parshat Masei: Rabbi Fohrman addresses the age-old question, are we our brother's keeper?
When Germany invaded neutral Belgium on August 4, England declared war on Germany. Thus, by the end of the first week of August all the major powers of Europe were at war.
The Talmud teaches that the Beis HaMikdash was destroyed because of baseless hatred.
When taking any major step in life it is a good idea to carefully re-evaluate one’s past.
When Hashem first thought (if it could be) about creating the world, the middah of din was in operation.
It is apparent from the Maharsha that he does not see galus as atoning for killing accidentally; otherwise, this Gemara would not bother him.
Will Your brothers go to war, while you sit (in peace) here? (Bamidbar 32:6)
Perhaps, just perhaps, we can relate to this: whenever we feel distant from Hashem, that is the Churban.
We may not recognize the adverse affect of eating forbidden foods, but they leave an indelible imprint.
There are several rules that one must adhere to when making a neder.
Important message for Jews in the Diaspora: In times of need run to Israel rather than from Israel.
Sometimes when Chazal say that two different people are really one, they do not mean it literally, but rather figuratively.
The midrash says that Pinchas, (this parsha), and Eliyahu, prophet of Kings, are one and the same.
We need to understand why Moshe Rabbeinu decided to ask that his sons inherit his position after this new halacha was introduced.
Moshe served dual major roles for bnei Yisrael. He was their teacher and their leader.
September 18, 2026 
