Torah: Pure and Untouched
"The teachings of the A-lmighty are pure," "Toras Hashem Temima" (Tehillim/Psalms 19:8). The holy Baal Shem Tov, the founder of the Hassidic movement and many schools of Kabbalah, takes the following novel approach to this popular verse: even after one has derived all...
Leaders Who Lead
In this week's reading, Moshe (Moses) is told to appoint Yehoshua (Joshua), "a man who has the spirit within him," to lead the Nation of Israel after Moshe's passing. Rabbi Asher Zelig Rubenstein shlit"a, whose classes are available on TorahMedia almost immediately...
Sowing Division
This week's reading puts to rest the misguided notion that "there are two sides to every argument." This statement is, at its essence, a truism -- so in actual use, it is intended to convey that each side must be exaggerating, that the truth always lies somewhere in...
Hearing Half the Story, a Flotilla Lesson
In this week's reading, we learn of the spies sent to look at the Land of Israel, who returned with an evil report -- and the disaster that followed. The entire generation that said they could not go up into the Land created a self-fulfilling prophecy: G-d repays...
Turn On the Lights in Every Soul
Our reading this week begins with a command to Aaron regarding the lighting of the Menorah. The Torah does not say that Aaron should "ignite" the candles, similar to the blessing when lighting candles on Shabbos or Chanukah, but that he should "make them go up." To...
A Unique Spiritual Oppurtunity
This coming week, from Tuesday evening through Thursday night, is the holiday of Shavuos -- the day of receipt of the Torah itself, at Mt. Sinai. Our Sages tell us that each holiday brings with it unique spiritual opportunities and energies, making this our annual...
