Category: Parashah

  “I am not religious, but I try to be a very good person”. It is quite amazing how many people have given that sentiment to me about themselves. But I have a message for them. They might think that they are not religious and indeed they are not totally …

From Parshat Yitro we learn that the answer is, yes. Immediately after the Torah tells us about the extraordinary encounter that the nation had with Hashem at Mount Sinai, when the Ten Commandments were given: ‘Vechol-ha’am ro’im et-hakkolot’ – ‘the entire nation saw the sounds’. What can this mean? I …

Two very different reasons are given for keeping shabbat. In Parshat Yitro, in the Ten Commandments, the fourth commandment is to keep shabbat. And a reason is given (Shemot 20:11): “Ki sheshet yamim asah Hashem et hashamayim v’et haaretz.” – “For Hashem created the world in six days and then …

The Israelites had just experienced an extraordinary miracle, the parting of the waters of the sea. And upon reaching the other side, Moshe led the nation in the singing of Az Yashir, a jubilant song of thanks to Hashem. And then Miriam, his sister, led all the women and she …

In the beginning of Parshat Bo, Hashem gives him a command, ‘Bo el-par’oh’, which means ‘come to Pharaoh’. Hashem was actually instructing Moshe to go to Pharaoh. So why did he say ‘bo’? You will notice that the whole Sedra is named after this term. The Kotzker Rebbe gives a …

That is how Rashi describes the seventh of the ten plagues in Egypt. The plague of hail. And how was that the case? The Torah tells us ‘ve’esh mitlakkachat betoch habbarad’ – ‘there were sparks of fire within each and every hailstone.’ So, what was the miracle? Well, it is …

 In Parshat Shemot we are told how Moshe emerged from the palace of Pharoah in search of his brethren. What he saw was a tragic scene. An Egyptian task master was beating an Israelite and would have killed him if not for Moshe’s heroic intervention. On the second day, …

Jacob never died. This extraordinary statement is recorded in the Gemara, (Mashechet Ta’anit). There we are told how Rav Nachman and Rabbi Yitzchak were exchanging words of Torah, and when they came to Jacob our Patriarch, Rabbi Yitzchak declared, “Ya’akov Avinu lo met” – “Jacob, our Patriarch never died”. Rav …

This week, the Chief Rabbi identifies the crucial ingredient for Jewish survival over thousands of years. If you were building a new town or city what is the first structure that you would put up? You might be thinking that my answer would be a synagogue, but it is not. …