Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Bo But you, have no fear, my servant jacob, Be not dismayed, o israel! I will deliver you from far away, your folk from their land of captivity; and Jacob again shall have calm and quiet, with none to trouble him. (Jeremiah 46:27) R. Yehoshua said: I have on tradition from our teacher R. Yochanan ben Zakkai, who received from his teacher and his teacher from his teacher, a law given Moshe at Sinai, that Elijah...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Vaera And also i myself have heard the groaning of the Israelites whom the egyptians enslave and i do remember my covenant. (shemot 6:5) And I appeared to Abraham – Said the Holy One, blessed be He, to Moshe: 'Alas for those who are gone and no more to be found! For how many times did I reveal Myself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by the name of El Shaddai, and they did not question my...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Shemot And a new king arose in Egypt who knew not Yoseph And he said to his people: Behold! the people of the children of Israel Is more numerous and vaster than we. Come, let us act shrewdly with them, lest they multiply… (Shemot 1:7) Let us act shrewdly – Let us seek a shrewd path so that they do not multiply (Ibn Ezra, ibid., ibid.) Let us act shrewdly with them – There is positive...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Vayechi Shimeon and levi, the brothers – Weapons of violence their trade. In their council never let me set foot, Their assembly my presence shun. For in their fury they slaughtered men, In their self-will they maim bulls. (Bereishit 48:5-6) Weapons of violence – This profession of murder is stolen goods in your hands. It was given to Esav in his blessing. It is his profession and you stole it from him. (Rashi ibid. ibid) I...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Vayigash And the lord said to israel in a night vision And he said: yaakov yaakov And he said: here i am. (Bereishit 46b) Yaakov Yaakov – The name appears twice, because a number of years had passed without the spirit of prophecy resting upon him, and therefore He addressed him twice so that he should know that it is the spirit of prophecy which is summoning him. (RaDaK, ibid., ibid) And He said Yaakov...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Miketz – Chanuka Our Rabbis taught: The precept of Hanukkah one light for a man and his household; the zealous a light for each member ; and the extremely zealous, – Beth Shammai maintain: On the first day eight lights are lit and thereafter they are gradually reduced; but Beth Hillel say: On the first day one is lit and thereafter they are progressively increased (Bavli, Shabbat 21b) Bet Shammai takes the...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Vayeshev And they sat to eat bread. They did not consider all that had transpired to be a mishap or obstacle worthy of disrupting their eating schedule. The proper reaction of taddikim such as themselves should have been like that of others who had caused misfortune. For example, the behavior of Israel after they killed the tribe of Benjamin, as is written: "And they sat until evening before the Lord and raised their voices and wept bitterly...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Vayishlah These are the kings who reigned in the land of edom Before any king ruled over the children of israel (Bereishit 36:31) Before any king ruled – before Moshe ruled over them at the commandment of the Blessed One, as is written "And He commanded him to the Children of Israel" …" (Sforno, Bereishit ibid. ibid.) Before any king ruled- Esav's destiny unfolds according to the natural law of causality, according to the law...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Vayetze And he dreamed, and, look, a ramp was set against the ground with its top reaching the heavens, and look, messengers of god were going up and coming down it. (Bereishit 28:12) Bar Kaparah taught: There is no dream that has no interpretation: "And see, a ramp' – this is the ramp; "Set against the ground" – this is the altar (Shemot 20) 'You shall make for me an altar of earth'; 'With its...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Toldot The children agitated within her and she said: If so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of the lord. Bereishit 25:22 They agitated – When they were created and the time for movement arrived they were extremely active, until it seemed to her that they were running into each other. And she said: If so – Upon sensing this change, she wondered and asked other women if there was someone who experienced...