Parshas Bo has four distinct sections. The beginning of the parsha is the description of the final makkos building up to makkas bechoros. The Rambam writes that the story of Moshe confronting Pharaoh is a historical fact and simultaneously, it illustrates the struggles all human beings have between their yetzer horo and yetzer tov.

Pharaoh sees everything in Egypt has crumbled. All ancient societies built their economy on agriculture and animal power to produce wealth. Makkas borod and arbeh destroyed all the crops. In borod, all the animals were killed (besides those who feared Hashem and hid their animals inside shelters). So the economy, the food supply, has totally collapsed.

Pharaoh says he is letting the Jews go, but be careful—there are evil powers of the midbor coming to oppose you. Pharaoh doesn’t really have a choice but to capitulate. But when people are desperate to hold on to their sense of control, they use any sliver of a possibility to deny the uncomfortable facts.

For instance, when Moshe predicts makkas bechoros to Pharaoh and his court, he is careful to make an imprecise prediction. “At around midnight.” Rashi explains that if the prediction would be precise, and the timekeeping methods of the Egyptians would be a little bit off, they would dismiss the makka as a coincidence and Moshe as a fraud! This is astounding. Rashi is teaching us a deep lesson in human psychology. People who are desperate to avoid changing how they look at the world will use anything to preserve their old way of life. Even though nine makkos have been predicted and came to pass exactly how Moshe said it would, it doesn’t matter. If all the bechoros drop dead—a second before or after Moshe said they would—they now have an excuse to block out the truth and carry on life as usual. It could be the flimsiest of pretexts. It doesn’t matter. The reality is too uncomfortable and nothing will budge them to make them change.

The most amazing example of this was the fact that on the night of makkas bechoros, Pharaoh goes to bed. He has been going to bed every night the entire year of the makkos! Just imagine: Moshe has not been wrong for nine makkos—the entire Egyptian infrastructure is in ruins. Moshe now warns Pharaoh that his own son will die. But it doesn’t matter. Pharaoh wants to go through life making believe there is nothing to worry about. Nothing will disturb his fantasy.

Then there is a total explosion in Egypt—everyone screaming—and now he wakes up and leaves his bed in the middle of the night. This is the human condition.

The next part of the parsha is the korbon Pesach. Where does this korban fit into the scheme of yetzias mitzraim?

Hashem has been giving Klal Yisroel a powerful education for an entire year about the reality of the world. There is no other power in the world. All the avodo zoros are false. There is only Hashem’s power which causes everything to exist and causes everything to happen. He showed it with the Nile and with the sun. But these are brand new concepts. For generations, Klal Yisroel had been completely integrated into Egyptian culture and are virtually indistinguishable from the Egyptians. Before they leave Egypt, they have to demonstrate that they are different, that they are worthy of leaving.

Before Yaakov went down to Egypt, he was very excited to see Yosef before he dies. But then Yaakov comes to Be’er Shevah. This place is like a hard line between civilization and total midbor all the way to Egypt. He gets nervous about how the golus would progress over the years—perhaps we will never come back? Maybe this is a one-way trip?

Hashem appears to Yaakov and reassures him: I will go down with you and guarantee that they will return. But there are no free lunches in this world. Klal Yisroel have to deserve redemption. So Hashem has to give Klal Yisroel a crash-course in the fundamentals of Yiddishkeit for an entire year in the hope that they can extricate themselves from the influence they’ve been under for so long. But despite all this, for 80% of Klal Yisroel, it doesn’t stick. They think that Egypt is their permanent home and somehow justify everything going on around them. It was too hard to go back to being the children of the ovos and they will have to die in makkas choshech. For the rest, those who were ready to leave, it also wasn’t so simple. They have to bring a korbon pesach and perform bris miloh. These were preconditions for being worthy of geuloh.

Miloh is one of the few mitzvos which are a bris between Hashem and Klal Yisroel. Like Shabbos, it is what makes Klal Yisroel unique and without it, we lose our core identity as Hashem’s special people. On Shabbos, we testify that Hashem created the world and we pull back from creative activity on Shabbos to show that this world is not ours. If we violate Shabbos, we are treated like a non-Jew.

In Kiddush we say the posuk “asher boroh Elokim la’asos.” What does la’asos mean? It means the world is really incomplete and needs to be made by us. Hashem created us with an orloh for us to remove. Turnus Rufus asked Rabbi Akiva—If Hashem despises the orloh, why did He create us with one? If He hates poverty, why did He create people who are poor?

Rabbi Akiva responded that these are good questions. But whose actions are better? Hashem’s or Man’s? Come back to me tomorrow with a handful of wheat kernels. Rabbi Akiva prepared for the meeting with a cake his wife made. He first told Turnus Rufus to eat the cake and then eat the kernels. He enjoyed the cake and then vomited from ingesting the kernels.

Rabbi Akiva shows him that man’s actions are better. Hashem created the world in its raw, unfinished state. Hashem wants us to complete it. Even Odom requires completion and perfection and the first step is through bris miloh. We have to make ourselves better people out of the raw material Hashem created. We can mold and form ourselves into someone who Hashem wants us to become. We don’t do “self-discovery”. Don’t accept yourself just the way you are. Push yourself to become more than who you started out to be.

This is bris miloh. Hashem created an imperfect world and expects us to finish the job. Sometimes it isn’t easy to raise ourselves up to levels that we aren’t used to being on. Hashem tells the novi that we survived Egypt through our blood. Nothing of any value happens in this world without sacrifice and pain of growth and elevation.

All this was a precondition to becoming Jewish. A bris miloh means we testify with our very bodies that we are Hashem’s representatives in the world—different from all other nationalities.

Chazal tell us how Dovid Hamelech labeled a mizmor of Tehillim. He was in a bath house and was mortified that he didn’t have any mitzvos on him—no tallis, no tefillin—to remind him that he is a Jew who serves Hashem. Then he was put at ease when he realized he still had bris miloh—an indelible sign that he is a servant of Hashem which can never be removed from him—on his very flesh.

Some people can subject everything they have to Hashem besides their very selves. Bris Miloh is who we are. This Mizmor doesn’t talk about miloh at all! It talks about loshon horo. Why? Because once we subject our very selves, we realize that even our speech and our mannerisms are subject to Hashem’s command.

Hashem told us to put the blood of the korbon on the doorposts. Why was this necessary? Hashem needs some blood to figure out which house is Jewish and which isn’t?

The answer is that this was a part of our demonstration that we are worthy of being redeemed. We had to take the avodo zoro of the Mitzrim in public, make it a sacrifice and put it on display on the doorpost for everyone to see. We had to make a total rejection of our previous identity. We are not subject to our human masters, we don’t fear their disapproval. We only fear Hashem.

This was the zechus that made us worthy of geuloh. We became spiritually mature and developed. But we had to take that maturity and put it into practice—make a public demonstration of our devotion to avodas Hashem. These are the two mitzvos asei which are chayav koreis. Without them, we are lacking the conviction that we are Jews whose very identity is that we are avdei Hashem.

In every generation, there are avodo zoros without number. We need to take the prevalent avodo zoro and culture and reject it publically. We don’t care if the world goes crazy and threatens to harm us.

When Klal Yisroel leave, the eirev rav leave with them. These are a very dangerous group of people. They were the source of Klal Yisroel’s downfall throughout their journey in the midbor and throughout the generations.

What is so dangerous about them? They were so taken by Klal Yisroel’s meteoric rise to greatness that they wanted to follow them. They saw all the wealth and majesty of Klal Yisroel when they left Egypt that they wanted to be a part of it too and jump on the bandwagon. But Klal Yisroel had to earn it first with painful lessons and mitzvos involving their own blood. The eirev rav wanted to enjoy all the benefits without making any sacrifices. But then, when things get hard, they were the first ones to complain.

Of course Torah and Mitzvos are the most uplifting and inspiring things in the world. But it takes effort and struggle of climbing a mountain, in slow, careful steps. There is no instant ruchniyus where you press a button and you gain sheleimus. You can’t expect real growth to come easy.

My rebbe once pointed out that we say in the beginning of the haggodoh—hoh lachmoh anyoh—a poor man’s bread. But at the end of the haggodoh, the matzoh becomes a symbol of freedom and geuloh. Once you go through a yetzias Mitzrayim, then the same matzoh you ate as a slave becomes transformed into a food of freedom.

We need to review yetzias Mitzrayim in the many mitzvos we repeat daily, because the lessons are so vital and so fundamental. The idea of subjecting ourselves entirely to Hashem without holding back, to denounce the avodo zoros being worshiped around us, to go through pain and hardship in order to achieve something worthwhile—in order to raise our level and be worthy of geuloh. That is what it means to be Jewish.

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Baltimore, MD - Oct. 18, 2025: Family of Rav Moshe Hauer, ZTV'L,  shiva update:Sunday 10/19Mrs. Batsheva Neuberger and Mrs. Chana Schneeweiss will be sitting shiva at 6707 Western Run Drive from 10am until 5:00pm. As Rebbetzin Hauer and the rest of the family will be returning from E"Y on Sunday afternoon, they respectfully request no visitors after 5:00pm on Sunday.Monday & Tuesday 10/20-10/21 Shiva will be until 10pm. Minyanim: Shacharis 7:30 am (Mon/Tues/Wed)Mincha 6:00pm (Mon/Tues)Maariv 9:45pm (Mon/Tues)Shiva will end Wednesday morning after Shacharis. However, the family will continue accepting visitors until 10pm Wednesday night.To sign up to learn Mishnayos for Rabbi Hauer’s shloshim, please click here.
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Baltimore, MD – Oct. 16, 2025 - The email address Rabbihauermemories@gmail.com  has been established to allow the community, near and far, to send memories, letters of tanchumin, and stories to be shared directly with the family of Rabbi Moshe Hauer, ZTV”L.
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Baltimore, MD - Oct. 16, 2025  - On Shemini Atzeres night, my wife and I were blessed with a newborn son. Little did I realize that on that same night, my Rebbi – one of the most impactful people in my life – would be taken from us without warning. I am in complete shock and cannot find the words at this moment to eulogize him in any way. But in truth, I don’t know if I ever will. Rabbi Hauer’s influence on me runs much deeper than words. As I sit here at my desk at 1:00 am with my shirt torn, the few words of eulogy - which we read just this morning - written by Hashem Himself over the death of his most trusted servant, Moshe - will have to suffice: וימת משה עבד ה'.Moshe Rabbeinu’s life was summed up in those two words, Eved Hashem. ...
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Baltimore, MD - Oct. 5, 2025  - Mizmor L’Dovid – Help Finish His Sefer Torah Dovid Steingroot saved for a Sefer Torah - now we can complete it his memory Reb Dovid — oh, how we miss you. Your warmth, your sincerity, your constant growth in Torah and avodas Hashem — they left an indelible mark on everyone who knew you. You were a true example of someone who lived with purpose, always striving to fulfill your mission in this world. Hashem, in His infinite wisdom, decided your mission was complete. Though it’s hard to accept, we know you accomplished more in your years than many do in a lifetime. One of your dreams was to fulfill the words, “וְעַתָּה כִּתְבוּ לָכֶם אֶת־הַשִּׁירָה הַזֹּאת” — &ld...
Jerusalem, Israel - Oct. 19, 2025 - Israel Shiva Info: Rebbetzin Miriam Hauer (mother), Gittit Pollak, Leah Farber and Adina Erman (sisters) will be sitting shiva at Achad Haam 23 Apt. #2 in Yerushalayim 9am-2pm and 3:30-10:30pm. Minyanim: Shacharis 7am Mincha/Maariv 5:45pm.
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Baltimore, MD - Oct. 18, 2025  - As I sat down on Motzaei Yom Tov of Simchas Torah, I saw the email informing me of the sudden petirah of Rav Moshe Hauer, ZT”L. At first, I wasn’t sure if I was reading correctly. I glanced at it a second time and was trying to process it. For the next fifteen minutes, I sat on my bed in shock. Five days later, I’m still shocked and grieving like everyone else, but trying to function, be productive, and somehow emulate Rabbi Hauer’s ways. I am not a congregant, peer, or even a talmid, but my connection to Rabbi Hauer goes back about fifteen years. My wife and I have a son, Eli, who has special needs, and Rabbi Hauer was invited to speak to a group of parents with children with special needs. I was so impressed with his words o...
The United States has informed the guarantor nations of the Gaza peace agreement of credible reports indicating an imminent ceasefire violation by Hamas against the residents of Gaza. According to an official statement by the US State Department, "this planned attack against Palestinian civilians would constitute a direct and grave violation of the ceasefire agreement and undermine the significant progress achieved through mediation efforts". "The guarantors demand Hamas uphold its obligations under the ceasefire terms", the State Department wrote. The statement added: "Should Hamas proceed with this attack, measures will be taken to protect the people of Gaza and preserve the integrity of the ceasefire". "The United States and the other guarantors remain resolute in our commitment to ...
What a holy Jew I was privileged to know — and continue to feel connected to in Olam Haneshamos. Yehi zichro baruch As the Yamim Noraim conclude, I find myself drawn to the quiet awareness of life’s fragility. This season, which awakens in us a sense of man’s feebleness and mortality, has carried a particular poignancy for me this year. In the stillness before bein hameitzarim, even before Tishah B’Av, the sense of mourning crept in early. In Iyar, I was approached by Reb Dovid Steingroot, a member of my kollel for working bnei Torah. He said to me, almost matter-of-factly, “Rebbi, I don’t know how I’m going to tell you this.” Although I braced myself for difficult news, I was wholly unprepared for what followed. &ldqu...
Baltimore, MD - Oct. 18, 2025 -  I knew Rabbi Hauer, ZTV'L, only through my work with the Living Kiddush Hashem Foundation. My first introduction to him came over ten years ago after I published my first sefer, Mekadshei Shemecha. I was young, uncertain how it would be received, and filled with self-doubt. Somehow, Rabbi Hauer came across the sefer and took the time to call me personally. He shared how important this work was, and how deeply Klal Yisrael needs this focus. He followed up with a beautiful, heartfelt letter that I treasure to this day. I believe the letter captures his life's mission. Rabbi Hauer was passionate and unwavering in his mission to guide Klal Yisrael toward living as true mekadshei Hashem. His depth, vision, and love for every Jew were e...
Parsha Hashavua
Rabbi Zvi Teichman on Parshas Breishis: Free All the Hostages!

Two years ago, when numerous hostages were shockingly taken to Gaza on Shemini Atzeres/Simchas Torah, a great Mashpia, Rav Natali Reich, a Slonimer Chosid who famously taught in Yeshivas Ohr Sameach in Monsey, drew a fascinating parallel to the first report in the Torah of a Jewish captive being seized.


When the Canaanite king of Arad — who we are taught was really Amalek in the guise of Canaanites, observed that the pillar of cloud that had protected the nation left them after Aharon had died. Realizing how vulnerable they were now, he pounced on them.


Despite their efforts to harm us they only managed to take one captive, a female slave the Jews had snatched in a previous battle.


Viewing this as a stunning defeat the Jewish nation fiercely vowed that if G-d will deliver the enemy to them they would consecrate the booty to the Tabernacle.


What compelled such a powerful reaction? One female slave captive?


Rav Reich suggests it was their realization that with the passing of Aharon — the ultimate lover and pursuer of peace and understanding between men — they had lapsed in their own appreciation of one another, and thus now victimized by their enemies. G-d was speaking to them.


They dedicated themselves to uphold the credo of Aharon who valued equally the soul of a Jewish owned female slave, to emphasize their fathoming the message to them.


The Holy Rizhiner would teach that these pillars of protection were called ענני הכבוד — Clouds of Honor, because they were generated by the power of unity exhibited between one Jew and his fellow. He proposed that it was the warm vapor of their breaths that joined together in open and sincere heart to heart conversation that became veritable 'clouds of honor'!   


After the Yom Tov of Sukkos accentuates this pure achdus —brotherhood, it can then segue into Shemini Atzeres, a day when G-d expresses, קשה עלי פרידתכם — "How difficult is it to me 'your' separating from one another", עכבו לי עוד יום אחד — "Remain with Me, one day more of unity", hoping that we will take this message into the dark days of winter/galus ahead.


The first Rebbe of Sadigura, the son of Reb Yisroel of Rizhin, conveyed a fascinating teaching in his father's name.


G-d warned Adam that on the day he would eat from the Tree of Knowledge, מות תמות — he would die. Despite having eaten, he lived to the ripe old age of nine hundred and thirty years, deserving to live till a thousand, yet graciously granting seventy years for his future descendant King David.


It was due to Adam's ardent regret and sincere repentance that G-d interpreted the 'day' of his punishment, in G-d days, which are each a thousand man years.


The Satan demanded justice and prosecuted against this leniency. To appease the Satan, G-d handed over four hundred elevated souls to remain captives in Satan's clutches.


When Moshe many years later ascended Mount Sinai, the angels were so enthralled they showered him with gifts. The Satan as well was so impressed with Moshe's persona that he handed over these four hundred hostages to Moshe.


This is all alluded to in a verse in Tehillim.


עלית למרום — You [Moshe] ascended on high, שבית שבי — You [Moshe] have taken captives, לקחת מתנות — You took gifts, באדם — [That were initially snatched by the Satan] of man.(תהלים סח יט)  


The word for a captive, שבי, alludes to some of the greatest achievers. רבי שמעון בר יוחאי — Rebbi Shimon Bar Yochai. רבי יצחק בן שלמה — the Arizal. רבי ישראל בעל שם  — the saintly Baal Shem Tov. רבי ישראל בן שלום — the holy Rizhiner.(שיח יצחק)


Although this is couched in mysticism beyond our comprehension, nevertheless I believe a fathomable message is being conveyed as well.


Although Adam repented and was given reprieve, he didn't get off scot-free. He would still have to prove himself worthy by achieving levels of self-perfection that would find its expression in the personage of Moshe, whose purity of character and grace, that manifested itself in his deepest desire to be there for others in restoring their inherent greatness, would be so compelling that even the Satan relented in tribute, freeing the hostage souls.


These are our marching orders after experiencing the heady days of Tishrei and the historic events we have experienced these past two years, especially this week.


Although we are reeling from the unfathomable loss of our dear brother, Rabbi Moshe Hauer, zt'l, his life's mission must challenge us to fill the great gap that has been left.


A single individual, who partnered with his beloved wife, to inspire thousands perforce his love for every Yid; his devotion to every Yid; his ability to uplift so many to believe in themselves, because he genuinely believed in them as well.


As his namesake, he went out to the people. As his namesake, he humbly and selflessly gave untiringly of himself without any taint of gain, other than to promote כבוד שמים — Honor to Heaven.


We have been reciting daily the exquisite prayer of Acheinu. Within it we pray to G-d that our brethren who are בצרה ובשביה — in distress and captivity, be removed from distress to relief, מאפלה לאורה — from darkness to light.


Is captivity not included in distress? Why the emphasis on captivity which is one of the many subcategories of distress?


Distress reflects physical and emotional constraints. Captivity perhaps refers to our being held hostage to our self-imposed limitations of low self-esteem and self-confidence, that prevents us from seeing each one of us, our own greatness.


May we be the light that extinguishes others' darkness, by supporting one another; appreciating one another; believing in one another.


The Moshe we knew possessed that radiance that brought so much light to others.


It remains and is illuminated by our reflecting it in kind.


May we continue to free the hostage souls who are waiting for us to redeem them with our light! 


They are counting on us!


יהי זכרו ברוך


באהבה,


צבי יהודה טייכמאן



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Washington, D.C. - Oct. 18, 2025 - President Trump expressed his condolences upon learning of the sudden petira of Rabbi Moshe Hauer, ZTV'L.
SimchasSimchas Simcha
Baltimore, MD - Oct. 17, 2025  - This is more than just another event — it’s a critical moment to come together as a community. Senator Dalya Attar, along with Delegate Sandy Rosenberg and Delegate Sean Stinnett, will be hosting the Unity in the Community Resource Fair, with special guest State’s Attorney Ivan J. Bates.✅ Kid-Friendly✅ Free Kosher Food✅ Completely Free EventThis fair is a unique opportunity to connect with local agencies, community services, and neighbors while showing visible support for Senator Attar, who is heading into a tough and pivotal election. Her leadership has had a direct impact on our community — and a strong turnout at this event matters.Let’s make it clear: when our community shows up, we’re heard.Bring your fami...
Nichum AveilimNichum Aveilim Aveilim
“Mi yichyeh u’mi yamut, mi b’kitzo u’mi lo b’kitzo. Who will live and who will die? Who will die at the predestined time and who before that time?” These words of the uNetaneh Tokef prayer – recited both this past week on Rosh Hashana and bez”h next week on Yom Kippur - remind us of our vulnerability and of the possibility that one may leave this world with unfinished business. Yet this Shabbat Shuva we will read about how Moshe lived 120 years to the day, indicating that G-d completes the years of the righteous (see Rashi to Devarim 31:1 and TB Sotah 13b), allowing them to realize their mission. This is striking, as if there was anyone whose business may be considered unfinished it was Moshe. Moshe had arrived in E...
Rabbi Daniel Rose sent the following to the membership of Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion: Baltimore, MD - Oct. 17, 2025  - As our loss begins to sink in, we are still reeling from disbelief. For so many of us, Rabbi Hauer was our most important teacher. For so many of us, Rabbi Hauer was like a father. For so many of us, Rabbi Hauer was our personal gadol, the greatest person with whom we have had the good fortune to create a relationship. And now, we are left to find the way forward. Aveilus proceeds in stages, and we, in our own way, are experiencing a kind of shiva this week. We need to talk, to reflect, to remember; we need to begin to grasp how we will absorb the lessons he taught us and how we will continue to grow with strength and with emunah.  It often happens that when a fa...
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Baltimore, MD – Oct. 17, 2025 – BJL regrets to inform the community of the petirah of Mrs. Blanche Delman, a’h, mother of Yaakov Delman. Shiva is being observed at 6576 162nd St. Flushing, NY 11365 until Wednesday morning. Yaakov Delma can be reached at 301-648-3016. בלע המוות לנצח
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 He left This World as we began Bereishis. Just as we finished V’Zos HaBerachah, the Torah’s final song, we turned the scroll and began again. No pause. No breath between ending and beginning. V’Zos HaBerachah closes with the death of Moshe and Bereishis opens with creation itself. It feels divinely scripted. Because Rabbi Moshe Hauer’s life was one long Bereishis, a life of beginnings. He lived with the wonder of first things. Every conversation, every idea, every individual — he approached as if it were brand new. There was no fatigue in him, no “I’ve seen this before.” He believed that Hashem renews the world every morning, and he tried to live that way, too. His legacy was youth; the kind that does ...
Chesed Chesed
Two years ago, when numerous hostages were shockingly taken to Gaza on Shemini Atzeres/Simchas Torah, a great Mashpia, Rav Natali Reich, a Slonimer Chosid who famously taught in Yeshivas Ohr Sameach in Monsey, drew a fascinating parallel to the first report in the Torah of a Jewish captive being seized. When the Canaanite king of Arad — who we are taught was really Amalek in the guise of Canaanites, observed that the pillar of cloud that had protected the nation left them after Aharon had died. Realizing how vulnerable they were now, he pounced on them. Despite their efforts to harm us they only managed to take one captive, a female slave the Jews had snatched in a previous battle. Viewing this as a stunning defeat the Jewish nation fiercely vowed that if G-d will deliver the enem...
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