Like Shabbat, the shmittah year is a reminder that G-d created the universe in six days and rested on the seventh, that all produce is from Hashem, and that our mission is to bring spirituality into the material world.
At this end of history, a spiritual holocaust is occurring because we do not take the Torah's blessings and curses seriously - as if there is a "statute of limitations".
Nadav and Avihu were fueled by an intense spiritual passion. Yet, their 'unauthorized fire' serves as a timeless paradox: pure intentions cannot override the boundaries of Halacha. Their story stands as a stark reminder that while Hashem desires the heart, the heart must still operate within the Divine framework.
What is the big deal about Moshe not being permitted to enter Eretz Yisrael? Being kept away indicates a broken relationship between the Jew and Hashem.
If so, then beginning with the mitzvah to build the Mishkan just after returning from G-d with atonement for the golden calf would have hammered...
Everyone's eyebrows go up over the emphasis on Moshe's gathering of the people to hear G-d's command, asking, "Why is this night different from all others?"
The sin of the golden calf remains to be a blemish on the "score card" of the Jewish nation that won't go away. Indeed, as Rashi points out...
It is so bizarre! A golden calf? There are so many symbols of reckless fun. Why would the organizers decide to make something as strange as this? Read this true story from 2004 that eerily resembles the Supernova music festival and its choices almost 20 years later.
For Baalei Teshuva, something always remains behind. Often, they are unconscious memories that surface when an event triggers the memory. Nonetheless, there is plenty for the baal teshuvah to smile about!
The wicked Haman and Achashverosh wanted to convince the Jews that Hashem had abandoned them, but the month of Adar brought a 180...
After the Torah was given, those who received it pass it on to the next generation of Jews. Therefore, the first issue is "chinuch" - Torah education.
We are living in very dramatic times. Never before has achdut been more crucial. When the Jewish People are splintered, it destroys all that we were redeemed from Egypt to create and maintain.
Oh, the drama of it all. There were the Jewish people, fleeing the mightiest empire in the world at that time into… into what? Into a deadly desert with only…
EVERYTHING is within it, INCLUDING us, and even those yet to be born. If you know how, you can find out exactly where your life is hinted to within the Torah…
Did you believe the Exodus story as told in the Torah? A bit of doubt can be healthy if it forces you to pursue deeper levels of truth.
Rabbi Pinchas Winston elaborates on the “Nazir” with a beautiful explanation according to Jewish esoteric thought why a married woman must cover her hair.
We have to care about the “pieces,” and put all of our love and concern into their development. Then, when the moment is right, G-d will take those pieces, and build a Mishkan of which we never dreamed of being a part of.
How do we know that one's fear of sin and service of Hashem is the real deal? It should be exhilarating, not debilitating...