Bo 5775

As Moshe commands Bnei Yisroel to bring the Korban Pesach, he tells them to "draw forth and take a sheep" for sacrifice. The Midrash explains that Moshe was telling them to draw forth their hands from idolatry and only then can they do the service of Hashem. This idea is also expressed by King David in Psalms 34: stray from evil and do good. This is an important lesson for improving oneself. In order to serve Hashem in a genuine way, one must first remove the bad from his/her life.

Va'era 5775

We all know the acronym for the 10 plagues of Detzach, Adash, Be'achav (groups of 3, 3, and 4). Why is the grouping as such? The Kli Yakar explains that each group disproved Pharaoh's claims against Hashem. The first 3 plagues were to show that there is a G-d above everything: Hashem turned the Nile, their god, into blood. He then brought frogs from that very river who sanctified His name by leaping into furnaces. With lice, the magicians said "it is the finger of G-d." The next 3 plagues showed Hashem's Divine Providence over individuals by just attacking the Egyptians and their cattle. The last 4 plagues showed that there is only one G-d. Hashem blocked out the sun, which was considered a god, with locusts and darkness. The goat was also considered a god as well as the firstborn of all gods; Hashem killed the firstborns throughout Egypt with the last plague.

Shemot 5775

When Moshe sees an Egyptian hitting his Jewish brother, he steps in and kills the Egyptian. The posuk mentions that Moshe saw that "there was no man around" when he did so (2:12). Rashi explains this phrase as saying through prophecy Moshe saw that there would be no convert coming from this Egyptian's family. Moshe teaches us an important lesson: to calculate each and every action one does and its future consequences. The Ramchal in "The Path of the Upright" talks about this at length. He says that one should think before doing anything in order to make sure it is the right decision.

Vayechi 5775

In this week's parsha, Yaakov blesses each of his sons before he dies. Rashi goes through each blessing and explains how they are carried out in the future. Is this how blessings work? Are they some kind of prophecy that will come true? My rebbe, Rabbi Shmulewitz, explains that blessings don't really work; one must put his/her own effort into the blessing for it to work. A blessing is merely a goal for one to reach.

Mikeitz 5775

As Yosef interprets Pharaoh's dreams, he advises to hire a "discerning and wise man" over Egypt (41:33). The Ramban explains that this person has a twofold job. He is to ration out the food to the Egyptians accordingly and sell the rest for profit for the country. Secondly, he is to find a way to preserve the food in the graineries. Yosef was the only person qualified to do both and was given the title. We learn from here that there are different types of wisdom and knowledge; by coming together and teaching each other his/her strengths and expertise, we all can potentially reach an intellectual level like Yosef's.

Vayeishev 5775

We learn an important lesson from the story of Tamar and Yehuda. When Tamar is found to be pregnant from an illicit relationship, she is sentenced to death. She quickly sends a secret message to Yehuda, telling him that he is the father. He admits to this in public and she is spared. Based on Tamar's actions, the Gemara in Sotah (10b) teaches that it is better to throw yourself into a furnace than to embarrass your friend in public.

Vayishlach 5775

The story of Dina's kidnapping is explained by the Ramban. The 11 brothers had agreed to join and intermarry with the people of Shechem on condition that the city's men get circumcised. The brothers assumed that the city would refuse and give Dina back; but if they did follow through, the sons would take back Dina on the third day (when everyone was recovering). However, Shimon and Levi wanted full revenge and killed the entire city. Yaakov cursed them because the city of Shechem had put trust in the brothers. Yaakov saw it as an opportunity for the city to do teshuvah and follow in the ways of Hashem. Shimon and Levi's actions ruined that idea and betrayed the city.