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...

Torah Thoughts on Parshas Ki Seitzei by Rabbi Jacob Roth "כִּי תֵצֵא לַמִלְחָמָה עַל אֹיְבֶיךָ וּנְתָנוֹ ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ בְּיָדֶךָ וְשָׁבִיתָ...

Torah Thoughts on Parshas Devarim by Rabbi Haim Pollock Parashas Devarim is always read on the Shabbos immediately preceding the Fast of...

Torah Thoughts on Parshas Devarim by Howard Karesh "אֵלֶה הַדְבָרִים אֲשֶׁר דִבֶּר מֹשֶׁה" דְבָרִים א':א' “These are the words that Moshe...

Torah Thoughts on Parshas Chukas by Rabbi Berish Cardash "זֹאת הַתּוֹרָה אָדָם כִּי יָמוּת בְּאֹהֶל כָּל הַבָּא אֶל הָאֹהֶל וְכָל אֲשֶׁר בָּאֹהֶל...

Torah Thoughts on Parshas Chukas by Rabbi Elie Starr "זֹאת חֻקַת הַתּוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר צִוָה ה' לֵאמֹר דַבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִקְחוּ אֵלֶיךָ...

Torah Thoughts on Parshas Bamidbar by Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Berger "וַיִקַח מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן אֵת הָאֲנָשִׁים הָאֵלֶה אֲשֶׁר נִקְבוּ...