Parshas Ki Sisa
Rabbi Berel Wein Even after millennia of analysis, commentary and sagacious insights, the story of the Jewish people creating and worshiping the Golden Calf, as recorded for us in this week’s Torah reading, remains an enigma and a mystery. After all of the miracles of Egypt and the splitting of Yam Suf, manna from heaven […]
Thinking Inside the Box
Rabbi Zvi Teichman The eight vestments of the Kohen Gadol, we are taught, had the power to atone for various sins. The כתונת תשבץ — the Tunic of a box-like knit, atones for the sin of bloodshed. Although the brothers originally intended to murder Yosef, when they deferred to Yehuda’s suggestion to sell him instead, […]
Parshas Terumah
Rabbi Berel Wein The initial and most successful building campaign in Jewish history is recorded for us in this week’s Torah reading. The Torah, in recounting the event, teaches us that Moshe was to accept offerings of gold, silver, copper, precious stones, weaving materials, acacia wood, artistic talent and everything else that would be necessary […]
Parshas Mishpatim
Rabbi Berel Wein The Torah does not allow us to have illusions about how people will behave when money, emotions, negligence and spite are present in society and in the lives of people. The Torah reading of this week deals with the difficulties and pettiness of human life. I find this to be extraordinary since […]
Parshas Yisro
Rabbi Berel Wein There are two different viewpoints as to the timing and to the nature of the visit of Yisro to the Jewish encampment in the desert of Sinai. One opinion is that he came before the revelation of G-d to the Jews and the granting of the Torah to them. The other opinion […]
Parshas Beshalach
Rabbi Berel Wein The centerpiece of this week’s parsha is naturally the great song of Moshe and of the Jewish people after their moment of deliverance from Pharaoh and the flooding sea. This song of Moshe and of Israel is repeated daily throughout the centuries of Jewish life in our morning prayer service. The exultation […]
Land Ahoy!
Rabbi Zvi Teichman It is Shabbos Shirah, the Shabbos we recall the greatest of all miracles, the Splitting of the Sea and the joyous outburst of song that erupted from that experience. It also contains within it the secret to overpowering our enemies, as the marauding Egyptian army found their demise. Might there be a […]
Parshas Bo
Rabbi Berel Wein In this week’s parsha, the narrative of the Exodus from Egypt reaches one of its most climactic moments. Pharaoh finally succumbs to the pressures of the plagues and to the demands of Moshe and of the G-d of Israel. The last three plagues that are discussed in detail in this week’s parsha […]
Parshas Vaeira
Rabbi Berel Wein The L-rd, so to speak, bemoans to Moshe the lack of faith exhibited by him and the Jewish people during the moments of crisis in their encounter with Pharaoh and their Egyptian taskmasters. G-d points out that the previous generations of the founders of the Jewish people never wavered in their faith […]
Beware of Crocodiles!
Rabbi Zvi Teichman Moshe and Aharon are told by G-d to confront Pharaoh once again, warning him to release the Children of Israel or face the consequences of the plagues. In their first attempt to impress upon Pharaoh the power of their message, G-d instructs them that when Pharaoh will request of them to “provide […]