Vayikra 5783: Seeing the Yad Hashem in Everything

Vayikra 5783: Seeing the Yad Hashem in Everything

The passuk opens by saying that Hashem called to Moshe – ויקרא אל משה (Vayikra 1:1). The Ba’al Haturim discusses why the last letter alef in the word ויקרא is written small. In a sefer Torah most letters are written uniformly, the same size. The alef in ויקרא is written smaller than the other letters. The Ba’al Haturim says that the reason for that is because Moshe Rabeinu was exceedingly humble. He was the ענו מכל אדם, the most humble of people. In spite of his immense brachos, in spite of all the greatness that Hashem bestowed upon him, Moshe was the humblest of all people.

Vayakhel/Pekudei 5783: Living a Life of Emes

Vayakhel/Pekudei 5783: Living a Life of Emes

Before I start the shiur, I want to pose a question. Maybe someone out there will have a good answer. I have noticed that they closed down all the yeshivos, talmud Torahs, the yeshivah ketanos, the batei midrashim and the kollelim. Baruch Hashem, an “amazing” accomplishment. Whose hachra’ah was that? Did it come from the rabbanim sitting together and thinking and planning? No. Most rabbanim understand that you don’t do this. But today, the Satan is very strong, so they brought police and medical people to

Ki Sisa 5783: How To Feel Shabbos

Ki Sisa 5783: How To Feel Shabbos

In this week’s Parsha, the Torah commands us regarding observance of Shabbos: ואתה דבר אל בני ישראל לאמר אך את שבתתי תשמרו כי אות הוא ביני וביניכם לדרתיכם לדעת כי אני ה’ מקדשכם – “Speak to the Bnei Yisroel and say, ‘You must keep My Shabbosos, for this is a sign between Me and you throughout the ages, that you may know that I sanctify you.” (Shemos 31:13)

Tetzaveh/Purim 5783: The Ultimate Purim!

Tetzaveh/Purim 5783: The Ultimate Purim!

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…

Terumah 5783: Bring the Shechina Into Your Home

Terumah 5783: Bring the Shechina Into Your Home

We find in many places in Chazal that building a home is compared to building a Beis Hamikdash. However, most people look at a home as the opposite of a Beis Hamikdash. Everybody is aware that when you go to a Beis Hamikdash you’re stepping up. You’re going for a visit with Hashem. You’re going to a place where Hashem’s presence is felt. You’re going to a place where Hakadosh Baruch Hu wants His presence to be felt. Many people view their home, on the other hand, as a place of escape, a place to relax, a place to let their hair down, a place to chill.

Mishpatim 5783: The Key to Life & Who Does Hashem Answer First

Mishpatim 5783: The Key to Life & Who Does Hashem Answer First

In this week’s parshah there is a moradige yesod with an interesting new twist. It’s something that a person can employ in every endeavor that he undertakes in his life. The passuk says, כל אלמנה ויתום לא תענון, “you should not afflict any widow or orphan,” אם ענה תענה אתו, “if you’re going to afflict them,” be careful, כי אם צעק יצעק אלי, “for if they will cry out to Me,” שמע אשמע צעקתו, “I will hear their cry”

Yisro 5783: Are You Aware That You Are Loved?

Yisro 5783: Are You Aware That You Are Loved?

The first passuk in this week’s parshah begins by telling us the following: וישמע יתרו כהן מדין חתן משה, Yisro (who was the priest of Midian, and the father-in-law of Moshe), heard, את כל אשר עשה אלקים למשה ולישראל עמו, everything that Hashem did for Moshe and for His Nation Israel כי הוציא ה’ את ישראל ממצרים, that Hashem had taken Bnei Yisrael out of Mitztrayim (Shemos 18:1).

Beshalach 5783: Krias Yam Suf: How To Get Out When You Are Stuck

Beshalach 5783: Krias Yam Suf: How To Get Out When You Are Stuck

Everybody who hears this shmuess, should express their hoda’ah to Hashem Yisbarach, that they’re able to go to the bathroom and vacuate without surgery or any other intervention.[i] Perhaps you don’t understand what it says in asher yatzar, and you don’t think about it, that if Hashem blocks one of a person’s openings אי אפשר להתקים, they can’t exist. A person should dance and sing after they go to the washroom.

Bo 5783: Developing Your Spiritual Health

Bo 5783: Developing Your Spiritual Health

In the gemara (Bava Kamma 92) there is a gantze sugya about the source for certain sayings that the world says. Mei heicha teisi you have to find a mekor in Torah for sayings that people say? הפך בה והפך בה דכולה בה – turn it over and over, for all is therein (Avos 5:22). So in the medical field, we find a concept of American Heart Awareness Month or American Heart Day.

Vaera 5783: Planting Seeds to Build Our Future with Bitachon in Tefillah

Vaera 5783: Planting Seeds to Build Our Future with Bitachon in Tefillah

We have to learn from our avos, Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov, that we need to develop in every area of our lives. The avos built the future of Klal Yisrael. Their whole outlook and their whole avodah was with an eye on the future. It’s not the pshat that the avos were great Jews, super Yidden, and therefore they got a present, and were blessed with good children. That’s how we may see it. When we see a guy has good kids, what do we say? “Oh, he got a brachah. He went to a rebbe. He went to a tzaddik. He went to some kever. Maybe he did a good deed.” You have to realize the avos were called avos. Do you know what avos means?