Rabbi Dovid Fink: Toldos
The only Parsha that deals with Yiyzchak’s life spends an awful lot of time discussing wells. In addition to digging wells, Yitzchak devotes time and energy to unstuffing Avraham’s wells, which the P’lishtim had stuffed up. Which raises a perplexing question. Why would anyone stuff up a well? Wells were the cisterns of life. Wells […]
Rabbi Dovid Fink: Lech Licha
I have always been amazed by how what I was learning on a particular week had direct relevance to what was going on in my life or the world at the same time. As one example, eight years ago when my first grandson was born. It just happened that three weeks later in the Parsha […]
Rabbi Dovid Fink: Bereishis
Occasionally, when learning Torah, we come face to face with historical facts which may be at odds with the scientific perception or agenda of the day. Parshas Bereishis contains perhaps a thousand of those possibilities, in the first Aliya alone. Today, where evolution and the Big Bang are no longer advanced as theories, but rather […]
Rabbi Dovid Fink: Succos/Simchas Torah
The YomTov of Succos represents multiple ideas within the Torah and the Mepharshim. The Torah tells us that the Chag recalls how we lived in these makeshift houses as we left Mitzrayim. (Behar 23:43) The Gemara questions whether we are commemorating the actual “houses” in which we lived temporarily or whether we are really referring […]
Rabbi Dovid Fink – Shabbos Shuva
After learning in Yeshiva full time for five years after High School, I was fortunate to be able to learn half days, several days a week when I was first married and a student. This was a significant help in bridging the time when I was learning in Yeshiva and constantly in that Seviva to […]
Rabbi Dovid Fink – Rosh Hashana
Rabbi Dovid Fink – Parshas Netzavim
Towards the end of Parshas Nitzavim, there are twenty Psukim within which the Torah refers to the Brachos and Klalos, which were just delivered on Har Grizim and Har Eival, in a multitude of different ways. First, Hashem tells us that after all the Brachos and Klalos have befallen us and we are in Galus, […]
Rabbi Dovid Fink – Parshas Ki Savo
In Sefer Dvarim, we are treated to one of several places where Hashem uses a particular term of endearment for B’nei Yisroel, referring to us as the “Am Segulah”, a treasured nation (Vaeschanan, 7:6, Re’ei,14:2 and Ki Savo 26:18). There are a myriad of other places where B’nei Yisroel are referred to as the “Am Hanivchar” […]
Rabbi Dovid Fink – Parshas Ki TzeiTzei
Bnei Yisroel were given specific instructions on who is eligible and who may serve as a soldier in the conquest of Eretz Yisroel. Exemptions were given for those who were preparing for marriage (Shoftim, 20:7), had built a new house (20:5) or if they had recently planted a vineyard (20:6). Moreover, even one who was […]
Rabbi Dovid Fink – Parshas Ki TzeiTzei
Bnei Yisroel were given specific instructions on who is eligible and who may serve as a soldier in the conquest of Eretz Yisroel. Exemptions were given for those who were preparing for marriage (Shoftim, 20:7), had built a new house (20:5) or if they had recently planted a vineyard (20:6). Moreover, even one who was […]