Vaera 5785: The Beginning of Our Redemption

Vaera 5785: The Beginning of Our Redemption

In this week’s parshah, we encounter the yetzias Mitzrayim. Pharaoh will tell you, Moshe and Aharon, to show him some miraculous proof that you are agents of Hashem and you are not just saying it on your own. Say to Aharon, take your staff, throw it down before Pharaoh, and this stick will turn into a serpent, a type of a snake. Interesting, the choice of words that Hashem uses, tanin, a word that is also used to refer to sea serpent. This was similar to the miracle that Moshe performed for the Jewish nation when he first came to see them but over there the staff became a nachash. In front of Pharaoh it didn’t become a snake. It became a tanin.

Shemos 5785: Tackling Your Inner Pharaoh

Shemos 5785: Tackling Your Inner Pharaoh

This week’s parshah begins by discussing the galus Mitzrayim, followed by the yetzias Mitzrayim. Every time you learn a sugya, you have to know its essence. Yetzias Mitzrayim has so many lessons, but you have to understand what is the essence of yetzias Mitzrayim. If somebody would ask you, what does yetzias Mitzrayim mean to you, you’d first have to know what galus Mitzrayim means in order to answer that question.

Vayechi 5785: Bitachon: Our Only Hope

Vayechi 5785: Bitachon: Our Only Hope

There are a lot of hints that Yaakov Avinu foresaw the future of Klal Yisrael, and he mentioned them in the birchas Yaakov. Chazal tell us that Yaakov Avinu foresaw how Shimshon Hagibor will defeat the enemies of Klal Yisrael in an unbelievable way and Yakov thought that Shimshon was going to be the Moshiach, but since he saw that Shimshon was going to die, Yaakov Avinu realized he’s not going to be the Moshiach. So, what did Yaakov Avinu say next?

Vayigash 5785:   The Quickest Way Out of Your Challenge

Vayigash 5785:   The Quickest Way Out of Your Challenge

In this week’s parshah, we encounter a life challenge that many of us will face to some degree. Most people lose themselves completely when they face such a challenge. The Torah says that when Yosef finally meets his brothers and he tells them, “…don’t be angry at yourself that you sold me.” Could you imagine if you had a brother or brothers that sold you into slavery?! And then that sale ended you up in jail, in the papers? You’d be very, very upset. But Yosef tells his brother not to be sad…

Vayishlach 5785:  Influences of Universities

Vayishlach 5785:  Influences of Universities

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.

Vayeitzei 5785: The Power Of Yaakov Avinu’s Torah

Vayeitzei 5785: The Power Of Yaakov Avinu’s Torah

In this week’s parshah, the Torah tells us about Yaakov Avinu, who found himself in double jeopardy. Number one, he hadn’t yet gotten married. He was no youngster anymore. He was in his sixties. So he was an older gentleman already and he was not married. His father had gotten married at the age of 40. So Yaakov Avinu was way over the top. That was one situation he was facing. The second challenge that he was facing was that…

Toldos 5785: Beseeching Hashem For Children

Toldos 5785: Beseeching Hashem For Children

The parshah begins with a story out of the life of Yitzchok and Rivkah. It tells us that they – who had gotten married in such a wonderful and miraculous way through the hands of Hashem – had a difficulty with having children. At the time, Yitzchak was 40 years old, and his bride, Rivka, was a young girl. Yitzchak understood he wasn’t going to have children right away, but then “right away” became a longer period of time. The Torah tells us “Yitzchak pleaded with Hashem” because his wife was barren.

Chayei Sarah 5785: The Mechanics of Middos

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 Hashem to send him the right girl for Yitzchak. Now, Yitzchak was known for his tremendous and amazing yiras Shamayim. If you were to ask me to tell you what to look for when seeking a shidduch for Yitzchak, I would say you should find a girl who also possesses tremendous yiras shamayim. That would be a match.