Song, Hope and Salvation in Honor of the L’Chaim of Yaakov and Amanda

An elaboration of remarks made this week at the l’chaim for my son Yaakov and his kallah, Amanda: It’s especially fitting to celebrate an engagement this week, when we will observe Shabbos Shira. It’s difficult for us to imagine what it was like for the Jews of Egypt when, after watching the systematic and miraculous [...]

Parsha Vayetzei and Thanksgiving

From Sara Yoheved Rigler – Beyond Just Desserts: A Recipe of Thanksgiving: JUST DESSERTS Ten years later I was learning Torah in Jerusalem. The Rabbi was explaining why the matriarch Leah named her fourth son Yehuda, a name derived from the word “to thank.” Since the moniker “Jew” derives from the name “Yehuda,” thanking is [...]

Vayikra, Shnayim Mikra, Learning Chumash

The Gemara says in Brachos(8a – 8b) says: “A person should always complete his [study of the parsha] with the congregation – [by studying] shnayim mikra v’echad targum. Anyone who does this will have long days and years.” This obligation is codified in the halacha (Rambam Hilchos Tefilla 13,25; Shulchan Aruch O.C. 285,1). The Ramchal [...]

Mishkan and Mikdash – Joy and Awe

Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler – Michtav Mi Eliyahu – Strive for Truth Vol 5 – Page 220 The Desert Tabernacle, the details of whose construction take up the whole of parashat Terumah and much of the succeeding parshiyot, is sometimes called sanctuary” [mikdash] (“And they shall make Me a mikdash”)(1). More frequently, however, it is called [...]

Mishpatim Summary

Here’s Rabbi Rietti’s outline of Mishpatim. You can purchase the entire outline of the Chumash here. Mishpatim # 21 13 Mitzvot # 22 19 Mitzvot # 23 21 Mitzvot # 24 “We shall do and then understand” # 21 13 Mitzvot Laws of a Jewish Servant: * Works 6 years & is freed in the [...]

Yisro in a Nutshell

Here’s Rabbi Rietti’s outline of Yisro. You can purchase the entire outline of the Chumash here. Yitro # 18 Yitro Converts – Advice: 10-50-100-1000. # 19 Preparations for Divine Revelation # 20 The Ten Commandments # 18 Yitro Converts – Advice: 10-50-100-1000. * Yitro arrives at Jewish Camp in desert with Tsiporah, Gershom & Eliezer [...]

Ten Greatest Songs of All Time

This Shabbos is called Shabbos Shirah because of the song sung at the splitting of the Red Sea. Another song is read in the haftorah, the Song of Devora. The Medrash says there will be 10 great songs for Hashem. Nine have already been sung and the tenth in the the times of Moshiach. Here’s [...]

The Most Famous Ramban in Chumash – The End of Parshas Bo

The Ramban at the end of Bo is a classic work on Jewish philosophy and probably the most quoted Ramban in Chumash. It’s well worth seeing inside. Art Scroll has come out with the Ramban on Bereishis and Shemos, Bamidbar and Devarim, so if you won’t (or can’t) read it in Hebrew, consider picking up [...]

A Knowing Heart

And Moshe said so to the children of Israel, and they did not listen to Moshe because of “shortness of breath” and the difficulty of the work. (Shemos 6:9) Because of shortness of breath and the difficulty of the work: not because they didn’t believe in HASHEM and his prophecy, but they just couldn’t pay [...]

Vayishlach

Check out Steve Brizel’s Parsha Round Up. –The Ramban on Vayishlach (Translation From Parsha Parts) This Parsha was written to make known that HaKodosh Boruch Hu saved his servant Yaakov and redeemed him from a power mighter than he. Hashem sent an angel and saved him. We also learn from this Parsha that Yaakov did [...]

Parshat Vayetze Torah Thoughts

#28 Yaakov’s Dream With the Ladder In Chapter 28 it says 20) And Yaakov made a vow, saying: ‘If G-d (Elokim) will be with me, and will guard me on this path that I am going, and will give me bread to eat, and clothing to wear, 21) and if I return in peace to [...]

Parshas Toldos – FFB and BT Tzaddikim

Rabbi Yaacov Haber has an interesting piece on Parsha Toldos where he points out: – Rashi says that Yitzchak’s prayers were answered instead of Rifkas because he was a Tzaddik, who was a child of a Tzaddik, while Rivka was a Tzaddik who was the child of a Rasha. – This seems to contradict the [...]

The 60 Second Guide to the Book of Bereishes

In the beginning (Bereishes), G-d created the universe, but Adam and Chava and the next 9 generations failed in G-d’s plan of subjugating their physical to their spiritual side. Noach was the only righteous man of his corrupt generation, which was destroyed by the flood, and he restarted the spiritual mission, but after another 10 [...]

Parsha Lech Lecha

Lech Lecha is such a foundation parsha and probably the most popular one for BTs to start with when they start learning. Minimally you can read an Art Scroll translation to fulfill the mitzvah of Shneim Mikra V’Echad Targum and there’s so much available in English and Hebrew on the Parsha. Here’s a link to [...]

Noach was a good man, a good man, a good man…

Noach was a good man a good man, a good man Noach was a good man ….In his time – A Cheder Song Noach is described as a Tzaddik, but the first Rashi on the Parsha casts a shadow on his righteousness. Dig in to the parsha and rediscover Noach’s greatness. Update: Rabbi Nebenzhal has [...]

Learning the Parsha

Rabbi Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg has been quoted saying that a person can fulfill the Targum (translation) portion of Shnayim Mikra V’Echad Targum by reading the Art Scroll translation. (I’m assuming that a Metsudah translation would also suffice.) In addition the Mishna Berurah says one can fulfill one of the Shnayim Mikras (two readings) by following [...]

The Battle of Our Lives

When you go out to war against your enemy…(Devarim 21:10) The Torah only speaks versus the yetzer hara- the negative inclination(Rashi) While still an unmarried yeshiva man I started learning with a friend the classic ethical work Mesilas Yesharim- The Path of the Just by Moshe Chaim Luzzato. Right before the semester was to end [...]

Judgment or Feeling: Will the Real You Please Stand Up

An excerpt from Judgment or Feeling: Will the Real You Please Stand Up: Our existential situation as in-betweeners subjects us to the insistent call of two different voices that hammer away at us. The Yetzer Tov, one of our appointed judges, speaks to us with his voice – the voice of spirituality. The locus of [...]

Outline of Va’eschanan

Here’s Rabbi Rietti’s outline of Va’eschanan. You can purchase the entire outline of the Chumash here. Va’eschanan # 3 Moshe Pleads to Enter Promised Land # 4 Fundamentals of Emuna # 5 Review of Ten Commandments # 6 The Shema # 7 Warning Against Assimilation With The 7 Nations # 3 Moshe Pleads to Enter [...]

Parsha Resources

Internet Parsha Sheet YU Torah Aish Parsha Chabad Parsha Shema Yisroel Parsha Torah.org Parsha Please add any other favorites in the comments.

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