Torah Thoughts on Parshas Ekev by Rabbi Ephraim Kletenik "וְשָׁמַרְתָּ אֶת מִצְוֹת ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ לָלֶכֶת בִּדְרָכָיו וּלְיִרְאָה אֹתוֹ" דְבָרִים ח':ו' “And you shall guard the commandments of God your Lord to go in His ways and to fear Him.” Devarim 8:6 There is a mitzvah of "וְהָלַכְתָּ בִּדְרָכָיו" – “And you shall follow in His ways.” We are obligated to emulate Hashem’s attribute of being kind and merciful. The Chafetz Chaim points out that this mitzvah is mentioned three times

Torah Thoughts on Parshas Ekev by Rabbi Gershon Schaffel "וְהָיָה עֵקֶב תִּשְׁמְעוּן אֵת הַמִשְׁפָּטִים הָאֵלֶה וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם וְשָׁמַר ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ לְךָ אֶת הַבְּרִית וְאֶת הַחֶסֶד אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ" דְבָרִים ז':י"ב “And it will be because of your listening to these ordinances, and your observing and performing them, then God, your Lord, will safeguard for you the covenant and the kindness that He swore to your forefathers.” Devarim 7:12 The parashah begins thi

Torah Thoughts on Parshas Pinchas by Rabbi Eli Kohananoo "לָכֵן אֱמֹר הִנְנִי נֹתֵן לוֹ אֶת בְּרִיתִי שָׁלוֹם" בְּמִדְבַּר כ''ה:י''ב “Therefore say: ‘Behold, I give him my covenant of peace.” BeMidbar 25:12 Parashas Pinchas begins by recapping Pinchas’s act of zealousness, which ended the terrible plague raging against Klal Yisrael. The Torah also emphasizes the eternal reward that Pinchas received for his act. Sforno, among others, interprets בְרִיתִי שָלוֹם as a covenant of peac

Torah Thoughts on Parshas Pinchas by Rabbi Leonard A. Matanky "צָרוֹר אֶת הַמִדְיָנִים וְהִכִּיתֶם אוֹתָם" בְּמִדְבַּר כ''ה:י''ז “Harass the Midianites and smite them.” BeMidbar 25:17 Last week, we read of Pinchas's extraordinary courage as he killed Zimri and the Midianite princess, Kozbi, ending a shameful episode in the desert. And this week, we read that Moshe Rabbeinu chose Pinchas to lead the battle against Midian because, as Rashi explained, מִי שֶהִתְחִיל בַּמִצְוָה...יִגְ

Torah Thoughts on Parshas Beha’aloscha by Rabbi Daniel Kanter, Rebbe and Director of Student Affairs, HTC "הֶאָנֹכִי הָרִיתִי אֵת כׇּל הָעָם הַזֶה אִם אָנֹכִי יְלִדְתִּיהוּ כִּי תֹאמַר אֵלַי שָׂאֵהוּ בְחֵיקֶךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר יִשָׂא הָאֹמֵן אֶת הַיֹנֵק עַל הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתָּ לַאֲבֹתָיו" בְּמִדְבַּר י''א:י''ב “Did I conceive all these people, did I give birth to them, that You should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom as a nurse carries an infant,’ to the Land that You swore to thei

Torah Thoughts on Parshas Beha’aloscha by Dr. Joshua Fox "וְנָסַע דֶגֶל מַחֲנֵה בְנֵי דָן מְאַסֵף לְכָל הַמַחֲנֹת לְצִבְאֹתָם" בְּמִדְבַּר י':כ''ה “Then journeyed the division of the camp of the children of Dan, the gatherer for all the camps, according to their legions.” BeMidbar 10:25 Rashi on this pasuk explains that the tribe of Dan, traveling in the rear, would return any lost objects to their owners. This is the important mitzvah of Hashavas Aveidah, which encompasses bo

Torah Thoughts on Parshas Emor by Rabbi Yaakov Silverman "וּסְפַרְתֶּם לָכֶם מִמָחֳרַת הַשַׁבָּת מִיוֹם הֲבִיאֲכֶם אֶת עֹמֶר הַתְּנוּפָה שֶׁבַע שַׁבָּתוֹת תְּמִימֹת תִּהְיֶינָה" וַיִקְרָא כ''ג:ט''ו “And you shall count for yourselves, from the morrow of the Shabbos, from the day when you bring the omer of the waving, seven weeks; they shall be complete.” Vayikra 23:15 The mitzvah of Sefiras Ha’Omer is discussed in our parashah and starts " מִמָחֳרַת הַשַׁבָּת " – “from the day following S

Torah Thoughts on Parshas Emor by Aryeh Zev Kutner "וְהַכֹּהֵן הַגָדוֹל מֵאֶחָיו אֲשֶׁר יוּצַק עַל רֹאשׁוֹ שֶׁמֶן הַמִשְׁחָה וּמִלֵא אֶת יָדוֹ לִלְבֹּשׁ אֶת הַבְּגָדִים אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ לֹא יִפְרָע וּבְגָדָיו לֹא יִפְרֹם וְעַל כָּל נַפְשֹׁת מֵת לֹא יָבֹא לְאָבִיו וּלְאִמוֹ לֹא יִטַמָּא" וַיִקְרָא כ''א:י'-י''א “And the Kohen who is exalted above his brethren – upon whose head the anointment oil has been poured or who has been inaugurated to don the vestments – he shall not leave his head unshorn and s

Torah Thoughts on Parshas Shemini by Rabbi Yosef Polstein "הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶה לָכֶם רֹאשׁ חֳדָשִׁים רִאשׁוֹן הוּא לָכֶם לְחָדְשֵׁי הַשָׁנָה" שְׁמוֹת י''ב:ב' “This month shall be for you the beginning of the months; it shall be for you the first of the months of the year.” Shemos 12:2 Once a year, on Parashas HaCHodesh, Chazal saw fit that we reflect upon the meaning of time and its significance in our Avodas Hashem. Time is certainly a critical element throughout Pesach. We left Mitzray

Torah Thoughts on Parshas Shemini by Alan Gershman "וַיֹאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל אַהֲרֹן הוּא אֲשֶׁר דִבֶּר ה' לֵאמֹר בִּקְרֹבַי אֶקָדֵשׁ וְעַל פְּנֵי כָל הָעָם אֶכָּבֵד וַיִדֹם אַהֲרֹן" וַיִקְרָא י':ג' “And Moshe said to Aharon, ‘Of this did God speak, saying: I will be sanctified through those who are close to Me, thus I will be honored before the entire people.’ And Aharon was silent.” Vayikra 10:3 After the death of Nadav and Avihu, the Torah tells us " וַיִדֹם אַהֲרֹן ", that Aharon r

Torah Thoughts on Parshas Ki Sisa by Rabbi Lance Taxer "אַךְ אֶת שַׁבְּתֹתַי תִּשְׁמֹרוּ כִּי אוֹת הִוא בֵּינִי וּבֵינֵיכֶם לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם לָדַעַת כִּי אֲנִי ה' מְקַדִשְׁכֶם...בֵּינִי וּבֵין בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אוֹת הִוא לְעֹלָם" שְׁמוֹת ל''א:י''ג,י''ז “Just observe my Sabbaths, for it is a sign between Me and you for your generations, to know that I am God, Who sanctifies you...Between Me and Bnei Yisrael it is a sign forever.” Shemos 31:13, 17 In both the pesukim referenced above, the Torah say

Torah Thoughts on Parshas Yisro by Rabbi Moshe Revah, Rosh HaYeshiva, HTC "לֹא תַחְמֹד בֵּית רֵעֶךָ לֹא תַחְמֹד אֵשֶׁת רֵעֶךָ וְעַבְדוֹ וַאֲמָתוֹ וְשׁוֹרוֹ וַחֲמֹרוֹ וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר לְרֵעֶךָ" שְׁמוֹת כ':י''ד “You shall not covet your fellow’s house. You shall not covet your fellow’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that belongs to your fellow.” Shemos 20:14 In this week’s parashah we have the Aseres HaDibros. The final commandment

Torah Thoughts on Parshas Yisro by Rabbi Dovy Reich "וַיִשְׁמַע יִתְרוֹ כֹהֵן מִדְיָן חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אֱלֹקִים לְמֹשֶׁה וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַמוֹ כִּי הוֹצִיא ה' אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִצְרָיִם" שְׁמוֹת י''ח:א' “And Yisro, the minister of Midian, the father-in-law of Moshe, heard all that God did to Moshe and to Yisrael, His people – that God took Yisrael out of Egypt.” Shemos 18:1 " וַיִשְׁמַע יִתְרוֹ " – “And Yisro heard.” What was the particular report which Yisro heard so that

Torah Thoughts on Parshas Vayechi by Rabbi Yosef Polstein "וַיִקַח יוֹסֵף אֶת שְׁנֵיהֶם אֶת אֶפְרַיִם בִּימִינוֹ מִשְׂמֹאל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֶת מְנַשֶׁה בִשְׂמֹאלוֹ מִימִין יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַגֵשׁ אֵלָיו" בְּרֵאשִׁית מ''ח:י''ג “And Yosef took the two of them – Ephraim with his right [hand], to Yisrael’s left, and Menashe with his left, to Yisrael’s right – and he drew close to him.” Bereshis 48:13 The following questions have bothered me for years. 1. Why did Yosef present both sons to Yaakov t

Torah Thoughts on Parshas Vayechi by Dr. Avraham Bogachkov "וַיִרְאוּ אֲחֵי יוֹסֵף כִּי מֵת אֲבִיהֶם וַיֹאמְרוּ לוּ יִשְׂטְמֵנוּ יוֹסֵף וְהָשֵׁב יָשִׁיב לָנוּ אֵת כָּל הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר גָמַלְנוּ אֹתוֹ...אָנָא שָׂא נָא פֶּשַׁע אַחֶיךָ וְחַטָאתָם כִּי רָעָה גְמָלוּךָ וְעַתָּה שָׂא נָא לְפֶשַׁע עַבְדֵי אֱלֹקֵי אָבִיךָ וַיֵבְךְּ יוֹסֵף בְּדַבְּרָם אֵלָיו...וַיֹאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם יוֹסֵף אַל תִּירָאוּ כִּי הֲתַחַת אֱלֹקִים אָנִי" בְּרֵאשִׁית נ':ט''ו-י''ט “And Yosef’s brothers saw that their father had died, and they

Torah Thoughts on Parshas Lech Lecha by Rabbi Chaim Twerski "וְשָׂרַי אֵשֶׁת אַבְרָם לֹא יָלְדָה לוֹ וְלָהּ שִׁפְחָה מִצְרִית וּשְׁמָהּ הָגָר: וַתֹּאמֶר שָׂרַי אֶל אַבְרָם הִנֵה נָא עֲצָרַנִי ה' מִלֶדֶת בֹּא נָא אֶל שִׁפְחָתִי אוּלַי אִבָּנֶה מִמֶנָה וַיִשְׁמַע אַבְרָם לְקוֹל שָׂרָי" בְּרֵאשִׁית ט''ז:א'-ב' “And Sarai, Avram’s wife, had not borne him a child. She had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar. Sarai said to Avram, “Behold, God has withheld from me the ability to give birth

Torah Thoughts on Parshas Lech Lecha by Reuven Kirshner "וַיֹאמֶר ה' אֶל אַבְרָם לֶךְ לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ" בְּרֵאשִׁית י''ב:א' “And God said to Avram: ‘go for yourself from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” Bereshis 12:1 Adam failed to listen to Hashem and was banished from Gan Eden. Noach was a tzaddik but failed to help other people find Hashem. He was saved d

Torah Thoughts on Parshas Haazinu by Rabbi Dovid Sukenik The lofty nature of these days between Yom Kippur and Sukkos is well-known. The...

Torah Thoughts on Parshas Haazinu by Rabbi Joshua Zisook "וַיָבֹא מֹשֶׁה וַיְדַבֵּר אֶת כָּל דִבְרֵי הַשִׁירָה הַזֹאת בְּאָזְנֵי הָעָם הוּא...

Torah Thoughts on Parshas Ki Seitzei by Sheldon Sussi Stern "לֹא יָבֹא עַמוֹנִי וּמוֹאָבִי בִּקְהַל ה' גַּם דוֹר עֲשִׂירִי לֹא יָבֹא לָהֶם...