I heard a beautiful dvar torah at the Chabad center in Eilat on parshat Terumah, in the name of the Lubavitcher Rebbe ZT”L, that I’d like to share. Why does the Torah spend so much time discussing the building of a mishkan that would only be relevant in the wilderness? The Torah is teaching us that it is possible for man to create holiness out of nothing, in a place totally devoid of holiness, by contributing his time, talent, and wealth. Wherever we find ourselves, no matter how desolate of spirituality and holiness the place is, we have the...
Parsha
Parshat Yitro – Making of a Leader
I’ve often wondered, why didn’t Moshe’s children play a role in the leadership of the Jewish People? I think the answer can be found in this parsha, which begins with the words, “And Yitro heard.” According to the Midrash, cited by Rashi, Yitro heard about the miracle of the splitting of the sea, and the victory over Amalek. According to other commentators, the entire portion relating to him actually took place after the Jews received the Torah, making that one of the things he heard. Yitro brought with him Moshe’s wife and two sons, who had been sent back...
Parshat Bo – The Big Difference
The Torah and the Sages teach that the Jews were spared the hardships of the plagues. For example, while the Egyptian was stricken with boils the Jew standing beside him was completely healthy. The final plague, however, presented a different scenario. God tells Moses to tell the Jews to place the blood of the slaughtered paschal lamb on the doorposts of their homes as a sign for Him to pass over them when smiting the first born of Egypt. It follows that those Jews who chose not to place this sign upon their doors were smitten along with the...
Shabbat Bo
In this week’s parsha, Bo, Moshe demands that Pharaoh let the Jews out to worship God. When Pharaoh asks who would go, Moshe tells him everyone, men women, children, and even their animals. Pharaoh accuses Moshe of trying to “pull a fast one”, and agrees to release only the men, for only they worship. Was Moshe, in fact, trying to trick Pharaoh? Not at all. Moshe was teaching Pharoah that everyone can connect with, and serve, the Divine, each in their own unique way. Yes, even animals serve God, usually with the help of man. This is a fundamental...
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