Chayei Sarah 5785: The Mechanics of Middos
In this week’s parshah, we see a very interesting criterion for a shidduch. Eliezer is sent by Avraham Avinu as a shaliach to bring about one of the biggest shidduchim in history. The Torah tells us that Eliezer davened to…
Vayeira 5785: The Most Powerful Kapparah
We recently spoke about the chashivus and chiyuv of chessed. But the problem is you can talk and talk, and for some reason, very few people actually fulfill this chiyuv, which Rabeinu Yonah calls min hachamuros, from the stringent mitzvos…
Lech Lecha: Breaking Free From Your Surroundings
The Ramban comments on when the command of lech lecha was initially said to Avraham Avinu. He says that initially Avraham was in Ur Kasdim – that’s where they tried to burn him at the stake, and that’s where Hakodosh…
Parshas Noach: Using Opportunities For Avodas Hashem
What we’re going to discuss today is the sugya of the mabul. Now, if you want to study the mabul, the source of studying the mabul is the gemara in Sanhedrin.
The first thing we’re going to discuss today is what…
Sukkos 5785: The Dual Nature of Sukkos
Let us take a look at the end of Parshas Emor where the Torah discusses the Yom Tov of Sukkos. The pasuk says: On the 15th day of this 7th month, it is Chag Hasukkos Lahem. A few pesukim later…
Yom Kippur 5785: Yearning for Real Change and Chiyus
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…
Parshas Haazinu 5785: The Easy Way to Become a Tzaddik!
We are in the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah, and most people are challenged by the yetzer hara about what teshuvah is, and how it works. You realize that the greatest challenge to the yetzer hara is teshuvah. To the yetzer hara,…
Parshas Nitzavim-Vayeilech: Know What to Ask For on Yom HaDin
Somebody did a big avlah to the Brisker Rav. The Brisker Rav was upset. This fellow considered himself the Brisker Rav’s talmid. My rebbi told me, “My father, the Brisker Rav, sent him a message: ‘I won’t have a shaychus…
Parshas Ki Savo: Rosh Hashanah: Accept Your Mission and Break Free
Let’s say a person had challenges this year which were sent to enable him or her to fulfill the mission for which they came to this world. But instead of utilizing them to fulfill their mission they did the opposite…
Parshas Ki Seitzei: The Power of a Kind Word
In this week’s parshah, it says that somebody from the nation of Amon or Moav cannot become part of the Jewish nation. Even after ten generations they can’t come bekahal Hashem forever. Why not? Because of the matter that they…
Parshas Shoftim: Making Elul Great Again!
Today is the first day of Rosh Chodesh Elul. A person has to be aware that when Elul comes, he has to get his mind ready. He has to prepare himself for Elul. If you just let Elul come and…
Parshas Re’eh: Bring a Brachah Into Your Life
Moshe Rabbeinu is talking, and he’s says, “See, I am placing before you today a blessing and a curse…” Rashi translates “asher” to mean al manas, on condition. Rashi says it’s a brachah al manas asher tishmau. Now, you have…
Parshas Eikev: Parnasah Without Worries
In this week’s parshah, we have the Parshas HaMann. Most people have heard about the mann, but they think that the mann only fell when the Yidden were in the desert and that really doesn’t have any shaychus to us…
Parshas Vaeschanan: How To Break Through With Tefillah
We learned about the koach habitachon that Yitzchak Avinu needed to have in order to daven to Hashem. We also mentioned a yesod from Rav Tzadok that a person could have bitachon for anything that’s al pi teva. That’s…
Parshas Devarim/Special Topics 5784: Don’t Let Your Hishtadlus Mess You Up
Now, when Hashem told him that “I will be with you, like I was with Moshe,” it meant, I will be with you for as long as I was with Moshe. But we know it’s not like that. Yehoshua lived…
Matos-Masei 5784: How to Correct Baseless Hatred
We are in the Three Weeks now, together with the whole world, and we are trying to think about this period. Today’s shiur is going to focus a bit on understanding the three weeks from a psychological standpoint. The Chafetz…
Pinchas 5784: Doing Chessed to Get Chessed
Pinchas rose to the occasion and performed an act of zealotry to stand up for the honor of Hashem. Because of this great action of his, he was zocheh to be gebentched with the greatest of brachos. The passuk says:…
Balak 5784: The Lesson of Bilam
I once met an outstanding, interesting person. He was my driver. He told me an amazing ma’aseh. He got very angry one time. His anger built up over a couple of days, until his blood pressure boiled over and he…
Chukas 5784: How to Deal With Fears
Today, we’re going to discuss how to deal with certain fears. I’m going to introduce the topic with a story first.
There was a fellow named Rav Tuvia. Rav Tuvia used to come to a mosad once a week. The rebbe’im…
Korach 5784: Realizing the Impact of Those We See
The story of Korach is an amazing story of how an individual who was of the greatest of the great fell. To say someone is great is nice, but to be great among greats is a much more difficult challenge…
Shelach Lecha 5784: How to do Kiruv and Inspire Others
Today, we’re going to discuss one of the most powerful tools for reaching out and inspiring others. In the world of sales, it’s all about marketing. If you want to sell a product, you have to know what the customer…
Beha’aloscha 5784: Understanding the Ways of Hashem (II)
The Ramchal writes, in Derech Hashem, about the concept of gilgulei neshamos, how a person could come back in different forms. As a matter of fact, one person can even have a number of neshamos. There are many people who…
Bamidbar 5784: Are You Ready for Kabalas HaTorah?
Since the Torah on Har Sinai required a kabalas haTorah, it’s important for us to think about whether we are ready for a kabalas haTorah. Rav Chaim Volozhiner writes that kabalas haTorah is not something you do once a year…
Bechukosai 5784: Toiling in Torah
In the parshah it says, “if you walk in my statutes” (Vayikra 26:3). Rashi says when it says “and you should be shomer all My mitzvos,” so fulfillment of all the other mitzvos is covered with these words. That covers…
