-
Shabbat Cholo Moed Pesach – 2010
Shabbat Cholo Moed Pesach April 2, 2010 Rabbi Moshe Goldsmith It is an ancient custom to read the Song of Songson Shabbat Cholo Moed Pesach. The Song of Songs is described by the great Rabbi Akiva, the holy of holies. Why does Rabbi Akiva place this song above all others? Rashi, in his introduction to…
-
Shabbat HaGadol- Pesach – 2010
Shabbat HaGadol- Pesach March 26, 2010 Rabbi Moshe Goldsmith The Shabbat before the holiday of Pesach is known as Shabbat Hagadol, the great Shabbat. Many explanations have been given by our sages as to the reason this Shabbat is called “Hagadol”. The famous Rabbi Yaakov Ben Asher (1269-1343) in his Tur Shulchan Aruch writes “The…
-
Parshat Tazriah – Mezorah – 2010
Parshat Tazriah – Mezorah March 16, 2010 Rabbi Moshe Goldsmith This week we merit in a double portion of the week Parshiot Tazriah and Mezorah. Interestingly, most of these parshiot are involved with the laws of leprosy which are amongst the most complicated laws in the Torah. Besides the 14 chapters of the Mishna dealing…
-
Parshat Shemini – 2010
Parshat Shemini March 8, 2010 Leah Goldsmith Please see Shemini 2009 The shalosh regalim, the three major Jewish festivals – 1) Sukkot – when we go out from the solid walls of our homes and enter the makeshift booths remembering the clouds of glory that covered over us on our journey between Egypt and the Land…
-
Parshat Tizaveh- Purim – 2010
Parshat Tizaveh- Purim February 25, 2010 In this week’s Parasha there is a clear hint to the holiday of Purim. In Parshat Tizaveh Moshe Rabbeinu is commanded to tell Aaron the High Priest to make special garments and ornaments called the bigdey kehunah. (Exodus 28:12) “The two stones placed on the shoulders of the High…
-
Parshat Mishpatim – Trumah – 2010
Parshat Mishpatim – Trumah February 12, 2010 Exodus 24:7 – “And Moshe took the book of the covenant and read in the hearing of the people and they said, “All that the Lord has said, we will do and we will listen.”. (naaseh venishma) There are many new and different torah insights that come up…
-
Parshat Yitro – Modesty Above Wisdom – 2010
Parshat Yitro February 5, 2010 Rabbi Moshe Goldsmith This week’s Torah portion is named after Yitro, Moshe Rabeynu’s father-in-law a former Midyanite priest. Our sages teach us that there was not any form of idol worship that Yitro did not dabble with. He was in a constant search for the truth, until finally when the…
-
Parshat Beshalach – 2010
Parshat Beshalach January 28, 2010 “And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left” Dry land, as opposed to the ocean, is a place where one’s eyes are open to the exposed world.…
-
Parashat Bo – 2010
Parshat Bo January 23, 2010 Leah Goldsmith Like a big fish in a small pond, Pharoh ruled from his throne on the Nile. As this watering place replenished itself (and there was no need to pray for rain) it invoked a climate of opinion that the world was a self sustained place. Of course Pharoh…
-
Parashat Vaera – 2010
Parshat Vaera January 15, 2010 “And G-d spoke to Moshe and said to him. I am the Lord, and I appeared to Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Ya’akov, by the name of G-d Almighty (El Shaddai) – I was not known to them. And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them…