Seeping Cynicism

Seeping Cynicism

As Moshe (Moses) entered the tent of the Tabernacle, he heard someone saying, “Look how fat the son of Amram’s neck is!” The implication was that Moshe had become wealthy off the donations made by the Children of Israel. In fact, he heard another...
Become the New You

Become the New You

The Purim story, which we read in the Book of Esther, is one of surprising reversals. King Achashveirosh threw a party to show off his power and wealth, but it ended with him roaring drunk and killing his own queen. Haman came to the king to hang Mordechai, and ended...
Heartily Giving

Heartily Giving

Rabbi Zalman Sorotzkin zt”l was in Polish Lithuania at a time when rabbinic schools were suffering from extreme poverty. In his book Oznaim L’Torah (and reprinted in Yalkut Lekach Tov), he relates that he accompanied a delegation of senior rabbis to Warsaw...
Round Peg in a Round Hole

Round Peg in a Round Hole

This week’s Torah portion features many laws governing our interactions with others: personal and property damages, borrowing and lending, and judicial proceedings, among others. Yet the opening words of the parsha are “And these are the laws..” The...
Delayed Gratitude

Delayed Gratitude

After the great miracles of the Exodus — the splitting of the sea, the falling of the Manna, and the Jewish victory when attacked by the Amalek nation — Yisro (Jethro), Moshe’s father-in-law, was so impressed by this evidence of G-d’s love for His nation...
A Guarantee of Daily Bread

A Guarantee of Daily Bread

After crossing the Sea of Reeds, the Jewish People found themselves in an inhospitable desert. For 40 years, they ate a miraculous food called Mann, or Manna. Yet we read that G-d also provided both quail and water. Why was it necessary for them to eat food whose...