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...
As we get ready for the very sweet festival of Chanukah, it behooves us to brush-up on its spiritual messages. In this way, we can ensure that it doesn’t become a mere season of gastronomic delight such as...
In our Parsha this week the Torah relates, “Vayavey Yosef es dibasom ra-ah el avihem-Yosef brought villainous tidings (about his brothers) to their Father (Yaakov)”. This act of loshon hora- sinful gossip,caused Yosef to be sold into slavery and...
This week’s parsha relates the encounter of Yakov with his dangerous and murderous brother Eisav, and Yakov’s admitting that he was fearful of Eisav. These events connect directly to our contemporary multiplicity of antisemitic incidents and horrors all over...