by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Sep 4, 2015 | Lifeline
When we come to this week’s reading, I always remember the way my teacher Rabbi Asher Rubenstein zt”l spoke about the poor person bringing his first fruits to the Temple. The Torah obligates a person to be happy. It is part of the Commandment to bring the...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Aug 28, 2015 | Lifeline
In this week’s reading, the Torah commands us to help each other, and to avoid pain even to animals: “You shall not see the donkey of your brother or his ox falling on the path, yet lift your eyes from them; you shall surely right it with him.” [22:...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Aug 14, 2015 | Lifeline
In this week’s reading, the verse says “Lo Sisgodedu” — “do not cut yourselves,” which was a mourning practice of idolators. But the Medrash tells us that the words give us another messages as well: “do not divide, do not...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Jul 31, 2015 | Lifeline
The Torah tells us in this week’s reading that we must always remember what happened at Sinai. “Just guard yourselves, and guard your souls very well, lest you forget the things that your eyes saw, lest it leave your heart all the days of your life. And...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Jul 24, 2015 | Lifeline
The last book of the Torah, Book of Devarim, is called “Deuteronomy” in English — an Old English translation of Deuteronomium, Latin for “Second Law.” G-d tells Moshe to record what Moshe himself said to Israel, which includes further...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Jul 17, 2015 | Lifeline
As a result of the Nation of Israel’s lack of trust, their belief (based upon the report of the spies) that they could not conquer Cana’an and would die trying, G-d said the entire generation of the desert would remain just that: rather than being the...
