Of all the twenty-four books of Tanach, Megilas Esther is the most enigmatic. One must be a Biblical cryptographer in order to discover the many secrets lurking under the surface of the thrilling Esther story. This is because...
Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein, shlit”a, posed a very contemporary question to Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman, zt”l, zy”a. He asked, “Since the Torah is described as, ‘Misukim m’devash v’nofes tzufim – It is sweeter than honey and the most delectable honeycombs,’...
Last week, we elaborated from the Tzror Hamor regarding the verse which says that tefillin are totafos bein einecha, frontlets between our eyes. He informs us that in Egyptian the word totafos refers to the ancient eyeglasses that enabled...
The Rabbeinu Efraim teaches us that the letter shin embedded on the tefillin shel rosh, the tefillin that goes upon the head, has a numerical value of 300. This number corresponds to the 300 days of the solar year...
They told me this morning at the Daf that Super Bowl Sunday is the busiest pizza day of the year. And 1.33 billion chicken wings will be consumed! As everyone gets ready for a gastronomic infusion, I would...
In this week’s parsha, the Torah sometimes says, “Moshe and Aharon,” and other times it says, “Aharon and Moshe,” putting Aharon first. Rashi explains that the switch is to convey that in Hashem’s Mind, both were of equal stature....
In this week’s parsha, the Torah sometimes says, “Moshe and Aharon,” and other times it says, “Aharon and Moshe,” putting Aharon first. Rashi explains that the switch is to convey that in Hashem’s Mind, both were of equal stature....
This week, we take leave of Chumash Bereishis and start Chumash Shmos. As we close the final aliya of sefer Bereishis, we say in shul three times, “Chazak.” The Elya Rabbah says that three times the value of chazak...
The Gemora teaches us, “Im ein daas, havdala minayin – Without knowledge, how does one differentiate?” This is the reason why in the Shemone Esrei on Motzoi Shabbos we say the havdala insertion of Atah chonantonu within the blessing of...
The Torah tells us, “Va’yechi Yaakov be’eretz Mitzrayim – And Yaakov lived in the land of Egypt.” The Baal HaTurim reveals that the gematria, the numerical value, of the word va’yechi is 34. He explains that 34 represents the...