One of the most powerful questions that arises from the story of the Exodus is how could God harden Pharaoh’s heart without stripping him of his free will to decide between good and evil? I’d like to convey two answers offered by one of the greatest Torah scholars of the early twentieth century, Rav...
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At the beginning of Parshat Vaera, God tells Moshe that His name is Hashem – the four letter name that is unpronounceable. God then says that He never revealed this name to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Why not? Were they not worthy enough to hear that name? Rashi explains that the “name” represents absolute...
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I’ve been getting requests from people who ride the public transport system and like to listen to Torah on their ipods, so here you go! Listen to a podcast on Parshat Vayigash-Vayehi right here. Just right-click and hit “save link as” to download.
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The first word God spoke to our forefather Abraham was “go!” Move. Leave your comfort zone, where you feel in control of your fate. Go to a place that is foreign, unfamiliar, a total mystery to you. Face new challenges. Form new alliances, teach new students, make new friends. Create a legacy for yourself...
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The Rambam, in his Guide to the Perplexed, cites the following question relating to the verse in Genesis that warns Man not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge lest he become like a god, able to differentiate between good and bad. This ability to know good from bad is what makes Man unique,...
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Many Jewish ceremonies can only be performed in the presence of a Minyan — a quorum of ten adult Jewish males. The same is true of certain prayers, such as Kaddish, as well as the reading of the Torah. The Minyan represents a core cummunity. The source in the Torah that teaches us that...
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The command to observe the Shabbat is almost always prefaced by the statement, “you shall do your work for six days etc.” Why the need for this prologue related to the regular week? Why doesn’t the Torah just tell us about the actual day of Shabbat? One possible reason is that the Torah is...
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On the Shabbat preceding Purim (tomorrow morning) we read a special portion of the Torah called “Parshat Zachor”, which speaks about the obligation to wipe out the memory of Amalek. It is a Torah commandment to hear this portion read in the synagogue every year. Our Sages teach that the numerical value of “Amalek”...
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