Vayigash 5784: Torah Conversations
One of the great tovos that Hashem did with me is that He guided me to learn by my great rebbi, Rav Meir Halevi Soloveitchik, the son of none other than Rav Yitzchak Ze’ev Halevi Soloveitchik, the last Brisker Rav.
Mikeitz 5784: Beis Haleivi on Bitachon vs. Hishtadlus
Rabosai, what we’re about to share with you today is a subject which is a subject that sits in darkness. It’s shrouded in a lot of obscurity. Everybody feels he’s entitled to weigh in on this subject based on his emotions or based on what he heard from his mother’s emotions or his grandmother’s emotions.
Vayeishev 5784: A Life of Facing Challenges
here’s a famous medrash that Rashi brings on the meaning of the word וַיֵּשֶׁב יַעֲקֹב, namely, that the term vayeishev insinuates that Yaakov Avinu wanted rest (Bereishis 37:2). He wanted מרגוע (restfulness). He had been in galus for many years, and was coming back to settle in Eretz Yisrael, the land of his forefathers. The medrash says…
Vayishlach 5784: Acquiring a Torah Worldview
We live in a generation where the darkness is such a darkness and people have accustomed themselves to the darkness that they actually perceive as light. The passuk says, “Hashem placed the world under choshech and it became night” (Tehillim 104:20).
Vayeitzei 5784: The Importance of Being Mevater
In this week’s parshah we encounter an episode of unimaginable proportions. It’s a ma’aseh that we can’t imagine doing. We can’t even fathom it. But we all descend from the person who is the ba’alas hama’aseh.
Toldos 5784: The Danger of Leitzanus
“These are the children of Yitzchak ben Avraham. Avraham fathered Yitzchak” (Bereishis 25:19). The question is, after the Torah mentions that Yitzchak was ben Avraham, why does it need to say after that Avraham fathered Yitzchak? If I tell you Yitzchak is ben Avraham, most geniuses, even simple folks like me and you, could figure out that Avraham fathered Yitzchak.
Chayei Sarah 5784: 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.
Vayeira 5784: Bitachon in any Situation!
These parshiyos of the Torah teach us the foundation of our lives. A foundation is something upon which other things are built. If you have a small foundation, you can build a small binyan. If you have a large foundation, you can build a large binyan.
Lech Lecha 5784: Parnassa & Hishtadlus
These parshiyos deal with the development of our Avos, and the common theme between all the challenges that Hashem put our Avos through is Emunah. Throughout our lifetime, challenges never cease. You should know that each one of us, in some form or fashion, endures the ten nisyonos of Avraham Avinu.
Noach 5784: What Destroyed Noach’s Generation?
We have previously discussed the sin of the dor hamabul and we showed you the words of Rabeinu Tam, who says that if a person starts with a little bit of ta’avah and he allows himself to do whatever he wants, there’s no end to it.
I wanted to just point out that this was clearly demonstrated in the generation of the mabul.
