Parsha Hashavuah
Hearing is Not Believing, and Other Loshon Hora Questions
Regarding Parshas Balak and the attempts to discredit the Jewish people, we present: May I Dangle the Receiver? Or Hearing is Not Believing, and other Loshon...
Parshas Chukas - Clouded Relationships
I As the beloved Aharon HaKohen takes leave of this world a floodgate of emotion erupts. ...ויבכו את אהרן שלשים יום כל בית ישראל ...
Parshas Chukas - Going Down as a Team
This week's parsha contains the unfortunate events of "Mei Merivah." The tragic outcome of that incident was that neither Moshe nor Aharon were allowed to ...
Parshas Chukas - Our Greatest Asset, Our Greatest Fault
Rabbi Yaacov Haber (www.torahlab.org) writes in reference to this week’s parshah that regarding the Jewish people, our greatest asset is also our greatest...
Parshas Chukas - The Mysterious Mitzva
The Mitzva of Para Aduma discussed in our Parsha is the quintessential chok; a Mitzva that to us doesn't make any sense. One aspect that clearly seems inco...
Parshas Chukas - Yiftach Hashem Lecha...
This week's Haftorah is from Shoftim. It tells us the story of how Yiftach rose to power. The reason that this Haftorah is chosen for parshas Chuka...
Parshas Chukas - Brush With Death
This week’s parsha lays out the laws of the purification process through the parah adumah, red heifer. On who contracted tumah, ritual impurity, through touch...
Parshas Chukas - Small Stands Tall
In this week's Parsha, we learn about the passing of Aharon Hakohein. The Torah relates how Hashem instructed Moshe and Aharon to ascend Har He'har, t...
Parshas Korach - That Old time Religion
Rabbi Shlomo Porter of the Etz Chaim Center in Baltimore writes about this week’s parshah: Moshe, our master teacher, the humblest of all men, stands up ...
Parshas Korach - Ride 'em Donkey!
I Despite Moshe’s generous efforts in reaching out to invite Dasan and Aviram and engage them in purposeful dialogue, it remained an exercise in fu...
Parshas Korach - Becoming a Leader
This week's Haftorah is read from Shmuel. Shmuel Hanavi rebuked Am-Yisroel for wanting to be like the other nations and have a king of flesh and blood. In ...
Parshas Korach - Unique, Not Equal
Korach argued that we are all holy, and therefore why was Moshe lifted up from amongst Klal Yisroel to be the leader. Ironically Korach’s argument th...
Parshas Korach -The Weekly WOW! ... The Candle Sticks
We have been given life in order to make decisions.The more we understand this, the more we can appreciate the gift of life. Each decision presented to us gives...
Parshas Korach - We Are ONE!
In this week's Parsha, we learn about Korach's rebellion against Moshe Rabbeinu. Korach attacks Moshe with the statement "Kol ha'eida kulam kedos...
Parshas Korach - Feet on the Ground
After Korach rebelled against Hashem and Moshe, there was a decree from Heaven that Korach, his followers and anyone else in the nation that lent support should...
Parshas Korach - Self Will Run Riot
Last week we learned about a deflated sense of self esteem that contributed to the tragic episode of the spies. In this week’s Torah portion, we see an op...
In Honor of Shabbos Rosh Chodesh: Ata Yatzarta - An Unusual Beracha
Question #1: An Unusual Blessing “Why does Shabbos Rosh Chodesh have a completely different middle beracha rather than simply having a Rosh Chodesh inser...
Parshas Sh'lach - Eretz Yisroel is a Must
This week's Haftorah is from Yehoshua and recounts how Yehoshua sent scouts to check out Eretz Yisroel before Klal-Yisroel was to begin its conquest. The p...
Parshas Sh'lach - Crossing the Line
Clearly, the most significant part of this week's parsha is the episode of the spies who were sent to Eretz Yisrael. As a result of their negative report, ...
Parshas Sh'lach - The Weekly WOW! ... Anxiety
People today live longer, have more, and consume more than ever before. We would expect them also be happier. The frightening statistic of the amoun...
Parshas Sh'lach - Wise Counsel
The Jewish nation was poised to finally enter the “Promised Land”. Ten outstanding individuals were selected to “scout out” the land in ...
Parshas Sh'lach - Do You See the Good?
In this week's Parsha, Hashem instructs Moshe regarding sending spies to survey the future home of B'nei Yisroel. The word the Torah uses for spying i...
Parshas Sh'lach - Family Talents
When the twelve meraglim, spies, were chosen, the tribe of Yosef was broken into Efraim and Menashe as Levi did not send a spy. What is interesting is tha...
Separating Challah When the Owner is not Observant
This article originally appeared in BaltimoreJewishLife.com EXTRA Since the contemporary household no longer bakes its daily bread, every sizable Jewish commun...
Parshas B'ha'alos'cha - Sounds of War (Dedicated L'iluy Nishmas HaRav Efraim Eisenberg, zt'l)
Tomorrow, 16 Sivan, is the Yahrtzeit of R' Ephraim Eisenberg, zt"l, of Ner Yisroel. The shtikle is dedicated l'iluy nishmaso, Ephraim Zalman ben ...
Parshas B'ha'alos'cha - The Case of the Inverted Nuns
I’m sorry; technically, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with this title – but, of course, it is just a teeny bit misleading. I don’t me...
Parshas B'ha'alos'cha - The Meaning Of Seventy
In this week’s Parsha we have the story of the nation beginning to complain a lot in the Midbar. Hashem responds by giving Moshe the Seventy Elders to hel...
Parshas B'ha'alos'cha - The Weekly WOW! ... The Stolen Cloak.
We are ultimately all seeking the same thing - to find out the truth about life and then live it! Deep down we have a finely tuned detection device w...
Parshas B'ha'alos'cha - Protesting for Pure Light!
This week's Haftorah is a Nevuah from Zechariah. It takes us back to the beginning of Bayis Sheni. Zechariah prophesizes about Yehoshua the Cohen Gad...
Parshas B'ha'alos'cha - The Craze of Cravings
The mahn from Heaven wasn’t enough. They wanted meat! Elements among the Jewish People lodged complaints about the miraculous sustenance provided to them...
Parshas B'ha'alos'cha - Become a Member
This week’s parsha seems to have many different elements to it, yet we can discern a number of themes that run through the entire parsha. We start with t...
Parshas B'ha'alos'cha - What is Your Response Time?
Miriam is critical of her brother Moshe for having separated himself from family life with his wife Tzipporah. He did so as to remain in a constant state of pur...
Parshas Beha'aloscha - An Honor to Serve You
Our parsha begins with a discussion of the Menorah which was to be lit in the Beis Hamikdash. One of the most intriguing lessons here is that the Beis Hamikdas...
Parshas Naso - Polar Opposites
This week's parsha includes extensive discussions of the laws pertaining to the sotah and the nazir, one after the other. Their respective tractates of gem...
Parshas Naso - The Secret Power of Ashrei
Since we’ve just come through the holiday of Shavuos, where we celebrate our ‘marriage’ to G-d, receiving the Torah, and our special relations...
Parshas Naso - Real Blessing
This week’s Parsha contains the famous Birchas Kohanim, blessing that the Kohanim are instructed to give to the Jews. It is comprised of three short verse...
Parshas Naso - Stand Guard
This week's Haftorah tells the story of Shimshon. One of the important subjects in our Sedra is that of Nezirus. Becoming a Nazir entails tak...
Parshas Naso - The Weekly WOW! ... Well Done Eric!
I had an incredibly inspiring Shavuos. Here's the main reason why. The Talmud is written in a combination of non vowelized and non punctuated Bibli...
Preparing for Shavuos - Cholov Yisroel
The Rabbis give us a fascinating insight into one aspect of preparation that Moshe undertook to make himself fitting to speak with HaShem and stand on Har Sinai...
Shavuos - Triumph over the Angels
In the gemara (Pesachim 68) there is a discussion as to how one is to conduct himself on yom tov. One opinion is to either devote the whole day to HaShem (...
Shavuos - The Desert? (Video)
Baltimore, MD - May 14 - Erev Shavuos 5773 - BaltimoreJewishLife.com is honored to add the Torah of HaRav Chaim Zvi Senter, Rosh HaYeshiva Aderes ...
Beis Hamikdash Topics - Immersing the Paroches Curtain
The Paroches curtain of the Sanctuary Building had considerable weight and, according to the Mishnah, three hundred Kohanim were needed to assist in immersing i...
Hilchos Uminhagei Shavuos
The following is meant as a convenient review of Halachos pertaining to Shavuos. The Piskei Din for the most part are based purely on the Sugyos, Shulchan Aruch...
Hilchos Yom Tov
The following is meant as a convenient review of Halachos pertaining to Yom Tov. The Piskei Din for the most part are based purely on the Sugyos, Shulchan Aruch...
Video & Audio: Shavuos 5773 - The Tolner Rebbe
The Tolner Rebbe speaking from YerushalayimA Message in English for Shavuos 5773 ...
Parshas Bamidbar/Shavuos - Can You Carry a Tune?
"אין לי כח!", “Ich hub nisht kein koach!”, “I have no strength!” So often we find ourselves frustrated in our desire to accompli...
Parshas Bamidbar - Those 40 Years...The Weekly WOW
Life is far more meaningful and pleasurable when not taken for granted. It takes an open heart to recognize life's gifts, and happy are the people that man...
Parshas Bamidbar - Unique Place
Rabbeinu Bechaya (d. 1340) points out the juxtaposition of parshas Bamidbar to its predecessor, Bechukosai. He quotes a Midrash (Which we do not have extant. It...
Parshas Bamidbar - One Plus One Equals One
In the beginning of this week's parsha, at the beginning of the second month of the second year since yetzias Mitzrayim, B'nei Yisrael are split into ...
Parshas Bamidbar - In the Desert, Fire and Water
“Vay’da’ber Hashem el Moshe ba’midbar see’nai – Hashem spoke to Moshe in the Wilderness of Sinai ” ...
Parshas Bamidbar - Big Things Start Small
In this week’s Parsha, the amount of men, age 20 and above in Shevet Binyamin, is listed right next to the amount of men in Shevet Dan. As with everything in ...
Parshas Bamidbar - Count on HaShem
This week's Haftorah is of an extremely moving nature. It is from Hoshea and depicts how far we were to eventually stray from Hashem and how the Galus and ...
Parshas Bamidbar/Shavuos - Kofo Aleihem Hahar K'gigis
Kofo Aleihem Hahar K’gigis “Vayisyatzvu b’tachtis hohor (and they [Yisroel] stood at the bottom of the mountain).”[1] [2] “This ...
Parshas Behar/Bechukosai - Rain & Sleep
This week’s Parsha discusses the Brachos that we get when we fulfill all the Mitzvos that we are able to. The first bracha the Torah mentions is that we w...
Parshas Behar/Bechukosai - Real Promises
Today marks the third Yahrtzeit of my great aunt, Lady Amélie Jakobovits, a"h. The shtikle is dedicated le'iluy nishmasah, Mayla bas Eliyahu This c...
Parshas Behar/Bechukosai - The Business of Learning Torah
“Eem b’chu’ko’sai tai’lai’chu v’es mit’vo’sai teesh’m’ru… If you follow My decrees and ...
Parshas Behar/Bechukosai - In G-D We Trust!
This week’s Haftorah is a Nevuah from Yirmiyahu. Yirmiyahu imparts to Klal-Yisroel an unfortunate Nevuah of klala (curse). It would se...
Parshas Behar/Bechukosai - Shavuos
The Seventh of Sivan See Mogen Avrohom and other poskim (deciders of Jewish law)[1] that according to Rabi Yosi, the Torah was not given on the sixth of Sivan[...
Parshas Behar/Bechukosai - The Weekly WOW! ....Seek Truth
This week I had a most unusual yet enjoyable experience. A young man met with me to discuss Judaism. Someone had recently told him that since his mother is of J...
Parshas Behar/Bechukosai - Count Them In!
This is the fifth week following Pesach, so we will be studying the fifth chapter of Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) this Shabbat. [In a previous post...
Parshas Behar/Bechukosai - Eating: Recipe for a Blessing or a Curse
“If you follow My decrees and observe My commandments and perform them; then I will provide your rains in their time, and the land will give its produce a...
Parshas Emor - Pesach Sheni - Yearning to Come Closer
“There were men who had been contaminated by a human corpse and could not make the pesach-offering on that day…” [Numbers 9:6] &ldquo...
Parshas Emor - Hands On!
This week's parsha ends off with the tragic episode of the megadeif, the blasphemer who cursed HaShem out of anger. When Moshe is taught how to proceed, he...
Parshas Emor/Lag BaOmer - Respect
According to the opinion that the 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva who died between Pesach and Shavuous had a brief respite on Lag Baomer, we can appreciate the r...
Parshas Emor - There Are Consequences
Sefiras Haomer is a period during the year when we prepare for Kabbolas HaTorah. To understand exactly how we prepare for Kabbolas HaTorah requires that we have...
The Laws of Yoshon
Reposted from BaltimoreJewishLife.com EXTRA Question #1: "When I was young, I do not think I ever heard about a prohibition called chodosh, or that something ...
Parshas Emor - Expressing Our HaKaras HaTov; An Improbable Journey to Orthodoxy
Wanted: A Means of Expression According to media reports, 1.5 million Israelis – a full quarter of the Israel's Jewish population -- were expected t...
Parshas Emor - I See the Light!
What defines a human is the ability to communicate through words. There are two words used primarily to describe “talking”: וידבר and ויאמ...
Parshas Emor - In honor of Lag B'Omer & R. Shimon Bar Yochai
The Sifri (a commentary on the Chumush compiled by Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai) speaks in no uncertain terms about the consequences of an unhealthy relationship wit...
Parshas Emor - Schar Mitzvah
S’char Mitzvah The Gemara (Talmud)[1] states that s’char mitzvah b’hai almoh leko (there is no reward for mitzvos in this world). There are t...
Parshas Emor - Unification
Parshas Emor discussed all of the Jewish holidays. It is important to understand that each holiday has a specific day or span upon which it is celebrated on the...
Updated: The Laws of Yoshon and New Seven Mile Ad Now in EXTRA
Baltimore, MD - Apr. 24 - Pesach Sheni - A fascinating article on The Laws of Yoshon now appears in the most updated version of BaltimoreJewishLife.com EXTRA. ...
Parshas Acharei Mos/Kedoshim - The Coach From Azazel
The power of Yom Kippur to atone for our sins is couched in much mystery. The most intriguing aspect of course is the “placing” of the collective s...
Parshas Acharei Mos-Too Close for Comfort / Kedoshim - Good Things Come in Small Packages
Acharei Mos: In Bemidbar 3 and 26 when Nadav and Avihu are mentioned, the pasuk recounts "vayamusu... bahikravam eish zara..." the pasuk recounts the specifics...
Parshas Acharei Mos/Kedoshim - Keeping Shabbos, Revering Parents, Being Holy
“Kedoshim teeh’yu kee kasosh ani Hashem Elo’kai’chem – You shall be holy, for I, Hashem, your G-d, am holy” [Leviticus 10:2...
Parshas Acharei Mos/Kedoshim - Proper Protesting & Respecful Rebuking
Parshas Acharei Mos: The Medrash says that when Iyov heard that the two sons of Aharon died he became very worried. Why? Chazal say that the reason Iyo...
Parshas Acharei Mos/Kedoshim - Torah's Protection
This week’s Haftorah, a short Nevuah by the Prophet Amos, reflects both of this week’s Sedros. In Achrei-Mos Hashem forbids all sorts of relationshi...
Parshas Acharei Mos/Kedoshim - The Weekly WOW! .... A Message from Boston
Monday's tragic bombing in Boston leaves us with just that much less security and stability. The reaction of the political leadership is correct. Justice m...
Parshas Acharei Mos/Kedoshim - Honoring Elders
It was a three-word message, it was clear, it was clever and it worked! One of the first experiences I ever had in Israel was observing a fascinating appr...
Parshas Tazria/Metzorah - Connections Between Parshas Shemini and Parshas Tazria
Permitted and forbidden foods…lashon hara…circumcision…and the home environment These divrei Torah are from the Artscroll Torah Treasury, ...
Parshas Tazria/Metzorah - Shalom Is Greater Than Emes
Why is it that for a diagnosis of Tzaraas one goes to a Kohen, and not to a Talmid Chacham regardless of whether or not he is a Kohen? One of the commentators ...
Parshas Tazria/Metzorah - Two Birds in the Hand, One in the Bush
The chief topic of this week's parshios, Tazria and Metzora is the sickness known as tzara'as. Tazria deals mainly with the assessment of tzara'a...
The Basics of Birchas Hagomeil
Reposted from BaltimoreJewishLife.com EXTRA Among the many topics covered in this week’s reading are the mitzvos of the woman who just gave birth. This p...
Parshas Tazria/Metzorah - From Low to High
This week’s Haftorah is named “the Four Metzoraim”. It is obvious that this Haftorah was chosen to be read because it discusses Metzor...
Parshas Tazria Metzorah: Diagnosing Sin
The main bulk of the parsha discusses the issue of tzaras, a spiritual malady with leprosy-like symptoms. One of the main causes of the illness was on account o...
Parshas Tazria/Metzora - It's all in the Aleph Beis
“Reish Lakish said, What is the meaning of the verse: ‘This shall be the law of the Metzora,’ (Vayikra 14:2)? It means: This shall be the law ...
Parshas Tazria/Metzora ' Yemei Ha'omer
Rabi Akiva We once touched upon the death of Rabi Akiva who was killed by the Romans for teaching Torah. The following goes into the well-known background of ...
Parshas Shmini - If Not Now, When?
There is a long-standing tradition to study Pirkei Avot, the Chapters of the Fathers, every Shabbat between Pesach and Shavuot. We review ...
Parshas Shmini - Don't Let Life De'Feet' You!
Traditionally at the end of each of the Shalosh Regalim, we conclude the marvelous Yom Tov experience with a gathering of family and friends and celebrate one &...
Parshas Shmini - Do Mitzvos, Be Happy
This week's Haftorah (Shmuel II, 6) contains many lessons. The Haftorah recounts the Aron HaKodesh's (Holy Ark’s) long journey back from the Pli...
Parshas Shmini - Alle Gutte Mailos
At the end of the parsha, summarizing the commandments relating to forbidden foods, the pasuk (11:45) says "Ki ani HaShem hamaale eschem..." Rashi comments that...
Parshas Shmini - The Weekly WOW! .... Freedom and Restrictions
Freedom through Discipline. Most Jews, observant or not, are challenged by the restrictive nature of observant Judaism. The very definition of someone who ...
Our Legacy Passed Along...A Passover Letter to My Child
My dear child, It is now a quiet moment late at night. After an exhausting day of Passover cleaning, you have sunk into the sweetest of sleep...
Parshas Tzav/Shabbos HaGadol - Broadcasting His Praise
In this week's parsha, the korban todah is discussed. The todah is brought as a thanks to HaShem for one of four reasons discussed by Chaza"l. The todah co...
Making Our Days Count - A Review of the Halachos of Sefiras HaOmer
In Parshas Emor, the Torah teaches us: Hashem spoke to Moshe saying, Speak to the Children of Israel and say to them: “When you enter the land that I am g...
Parshas Tzav/Shabbos HaGadol - The Weekly WOW! .... Unconditional Love
Unconditional love might be the highest of all human capabilities. On Monday night we will celebrate Pesach, the birth of our nation, from lowly slaves of the m...
Parshas Tzav/Pesach - Thanks for the Pain
In this week’s Parsha we have the halachos of the Korban Todah; an offering of Thanksgiving that four groups of people are obligated to bring, after being...
Sheva Brachos at the Seder!!
Although most people would grimace at the thought of attending a wedding the week before Pesach, much less making one, scheduling a wedding that week also inclu...
Pesach - True Freedom
The Yom Tov of Pesach is the quintessential symbol of freedom. Pesach commemorates the redemption of Klal Yisroel from Mitzrayim after 210 long years of enslave...