Shemos 5783:  Get Out of Your Mitzrayim (Part 2): The Amazing Power of Hope

Shemos 5783:  Get Out of Your Mitzrayim (Part 2): The Amazing Power of Hope

We’d like to stay on the topic of ‘Getting out of Your Mitzrayim’ and today’s shmooze is on a Chazal we find in Parshas Vayechi on the passuk of ‘לישועתך קויתי ה – for Your salvation I long, Hashem (Bereishis 49:18). We mentioned before that Yaakov Avinu said this passuk in regards to Shimshon Hagibor, when he was at a moment of darkness. It was after Shimshon’s hair was cut, his gevurah was gone and he reached out to Hashem one more time. He asked the child holding his hand if he could take him over to the pillars. He wanted to lean on the pillars.

Vayechi 5783:  Understanding the Geulah and Bringing Moshiach

Vayechi 5783:  Understanding the Geulah and Bringing Moshiach

Yaakov Avinu was close to the end of his life. He called for his children and told them to gather around: האספו, gather together, “and I’m going to tell you what’s going to happen with you in the end of days” (Bereishis 49:1). I’m trying to imagine that. Yaakov Avinu, was the bechir ha’avos. Yaakov’s passing marked the end of the Avos era – the culmination and perfection of the foundation of Klal Yisrael.

Vayigash 5783:  Relating To the Unique Challenges of Yosef HaTzaddik

Vayigash 5783:  Relating To the Unique Challenges of Yosef HaTzaddik

In this week’s parshah, there are a lot of powerful lessons to be learned. Yosef comes face to face with his brothers, and he reveals himself to them. Now, the passuk (Bereishis 45:4) says, אני יוסף אחיכם, I am Yosef your brother, אשר מכרתם אותי מצרימה, whom you sold to Mitzrayim. My Rebbi (HaRav Meir Halevi Soloveichik, zt”l) asked the following question: what was Yosef coming to add when he said אני יוסף אחיכם?

Mikeitz 5783:  Chanukkah: The Inner Workings of Bitachon & My Daughter’s Accident

Mikeitz 5783:  Chanukkah: The Inner Workings of Bitachon & My Daughter’s Accident

We speak about the greatness of the Chashmonaim. But any time you talk about the greatness of someone, you always have to know, how do you translate that to your life? We talk about the Chafetz Chaim or the Vilna Gaon, and I can tell you how superb and how great they were and how committed they were. But then the question is, “How do I plug into that?”

Vayeishev 5783: How to Overcome the Most Extreme Challenges

Vayeishev 5783: How to Overcome the Most Extreme Challenges

Parshas Vayeshev is a unique parshah. It’s a parshah where you encounter strife. You encounter tzaros tzeruros in the life of Yaakov Avinu. You encounter tzaros tzeruros in the life of Yosef Hatzaddik. Each of them, Yaakov and Yosef, endured their own difficulties, and were not able to share it with each other as they were separated by distance and weren’t aware of each other’s experiences. This parshah, which deals with yesurim, teaches us something tremendous, because yesurim are part and parcel of our lives. It is something that is totally unavoidable.

Vayishlach 5783: How To Get Rid Of Anxieties

Vayishlach 5783: How To Get Rid Of Anxieties

The parshah begins with the episode of Yaakov preparing himself for his ultimate meeting with Eisav, and the Torah tells us about Yaakov Avinu’s emotional state. It is rare for the Torah to reveal the emotional states of our avos and our imahos. But on rare occasions, Hashem pulls back the curtain. You have to realize that if the Torah does that, it means it’s important for us to know about it. We could face the same situation and we can learn from the Torah how to deal with.

Vayeitzei 5783: Learn to be With Hashem in Every Situation!

Vayeitzei 5783: Learn to be With Hashem in Every Situation!

In the past, we mentioned a medrash (Bereishis Rabbah 68:2) that describes how Yakov Avinu was going to look for a shidduch, but was faced with a dilemma: he was penniless.[i] He had nothing at all because he had been robbed. He was accosted and lost everything. But he accepted it as a nisayon from Hashem. My Rebbi (Rav Meir Soloveitchik, zt”l) pointed out that Yakov Avinu faced very evil adversaries many times in his life, and situations where people usually stand up in their own defense.

Toldos 5783: Which Way Are You Getting Pulled?

Toldos 5783: Which Way Are You Getting Pulled?

In the Torah, we see statements or episodes that to the simple mind and eye might seem insignificant. The Torah tells us that Rivka, the wife of Yitzchak, finally becomes pregnant, and the Torah states, ויתרוצצו הבנים בקרבה – and the children struggled in her womb (Bereishis 25:22). Onkelos teitches (translates) this to mean ודחקין בניא – her children were pushing within her womb.

Chayei Sarah 5783: The Foundation That’s Chessed

Chayei Sarah 5783: The Foundation That’s Chessed

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.

Vayeira 5783: The Foundation That’s Chessed

Vayeira 5783: The Foundation That’s Chessed

Sponsored In Honor of Hashem’s Great Kindness and Boundless BrochoThe Rechanik Family Consider sponsoring a shiurVisit YTATorah.org Shiur presented in 5782 Only One Pillar Still Remains וירא אליו ה’ באלני ממרא והוא ישב פתח האהל כחם היום (רש”י ד”ה פתח האהל: לִרְאוֹת אִם יֵשׁ עוֹבֵר וָשָׁב וְיַכְנִיסֵם בְּבֵיתוֹ) We all know that the world stands…