Behukosai 5782 – Embracing the Yoke of Avodas Hashem
Consider sponsoring a shiur
Visit YTATorah.org
Shiur presented in 5778
Consider sponsoring a shiur
Visit YTATorah.org
Shiur presented in 5778
In the beginning of the Parshah, Hashem is talking to Moshe and tells him to come to Pharaoh “…For I have hardened his heart…” My Rebbi pointed out that this pasuk says that Hashem hardened Pharaoh’s heart in order to bring upon him all these miraculous blows. Based on this, if Hashem would not have hardened Pharaoh’s heart, He would not have been able to bring these miraculous blows on Pharaoh. My Rebbi said, “What’s the p’shat in that?”
The time period of the year that we now find ourselves is the most unique period of the entire year. There are no other days remotely like this. We’ll start with some words from the Rambam (Hilchos Teshuva 2:6) who writes the following: Even though teshuvah and davening are always yafeh (nice)…Now, let us pause for a moment and study those words. The Rambam says that teshuvah and davening, both teshuvah and crying out to Hashem, are yafeh all year long. What does that mean that it’s yafeh? What does that mean, it’s nice?
In this week’s parshah, Yaakov Avinu is encountering his brother Eisav. And Eisav was quite upset with Yaakov. Eisav came to kill him. And the emes is, you know, that Chazal tell us what really happened. The malachim that Yaakov sent to greet Eisav had to teach Eisav a lesson that he wouldn’t forget. It says they began to beat him up. Eisav wasn’t used to getting pushed around, and they pashut beat him up and he was pleading with them to stop and to have rachmanus.
I’d like to share with you today a mindset that one should have regarding the mitzvos of Purim. There is a mitzvah of mishloach manos איש לרעהו on Purim that the Yidden were mekabel upon themselves and it’s something that we still do with a great pump. People spend tremendous amounts of energy and money on this mitzvah today, as we see in all the ads, magazines and newspapers. The problem, however, is…
This week’s parshah is the parshah of zivugim. The gemara in Brachos (8a)says when a man married a woman, they would ask him the following: מָצָא או מוֹצֵא, as the passuk in Mishlei (18:22) says: מָצָא אישה מצא טוב – he who finds [motzo] a wife finds goodness, or [motzeh] מוֹצֵא, as the passuk in Koheles (7:26) says, מוֹצֵא אני מר ממות את האישה – I find [motzeh] the woman more bitter than death.[i] It could be the ultimate tov or it can be the ultimate ra.
Sponsored May We Be Zoche To See Moshiach B’Karov – The Rechanik Family Consider sponsoring a shiurVisit YTATorah.org Shiur presented in 5779 Credit Card Forgiveness Program Last time, we spoke about how easy it is to do teshuva. We explained that all you have to do is say, “Hashem, I became distanced from You, and…