פרשת דברים / ו’ באב תשפ”ב
When we look at the literature of the 9th of Av, we notice that the Romans and Babylonians are barely mentioned. The real reason for the disaster is placed on the bad moral and ethical behavior of the Jews.
Category: Morality & Torah
-
Believe in God & Yourself
פרשת דברים / ה’ באב תשפ”ב
The sin of the spies is recounted in this week’s portion. The real sin that they committed was twofold. The lacked faith in God being able to help them in conquering the Land of Israel and they lacked faith in themselves.
-
Be Just in Your Judgements
פרשת דברים / ד’ באב תשפ”ב
The commandment to appoint judges is one of the most important for a just society. Moses commands the judges that they have to be just in their decisions. They cannot favor one party over the other, neither rich nor poor, neither the powerful nor the powerless,
-
Obligations Not Rights
פרשת מטות-מסעי / כ”ט בתמוז תשפ”ב
In this week’s portion the tribes of Reuben and Gad express a desire to settle east of the Jordan. Moses gives them permission provided that they remember their obligation to help in conquering the land. That it is not just about them but the whole of the people.
-
The Importance of Good Neighbors
פרשת מטות-מסעי / כ”ח בתמוז תשפ”ב
In this week’s portion the Jews receive the command to expel the Canaanites from the Land of Israel. The reason is that they are considered to be bad people and their influence on the Jews would lead the Jews to sin.
-
To Stand Up to Evil
פרשת מטות-מסעי / כ”ז תמוז תשפ”ב
After the initial retaliation against Midian Moses reprimands the Jewish officers for allowing the women to live. To understand this, we have to remember that the women were willing participants in the sins committed by the Jewish men that led to the war. That is why they had to be punished like the men.
-
Why We Fight
פרשת מטות-מסעי / כ”ו בתמוז תשפ”ב
The reason that the Jews were commanded to destroy Midian was because Midian had declared war on God and morality. Personal insults are one thing. Insulting God and morality are another.
-
To Get to a City of Refuge
פרשת מטות-מסעי / כ”ה בתמוז תשפ”ב
When going to Jerusalem there were no directional signs. We want people to stop and ask directions. When going to a city of Refuge there were directional signs. We know that the person running to them is in a hurry and cannot wait.
-
Leadership Decision Making
פרשת פנחס / כ”ג בתמוז תשפ”ב
When the daughters of Zelaphad approached Moses about their inheritance rights he asked them to wait for an answer. He knew that the decision would be the basis of decisions for the future. In the case of Pinchas he could not wait, he had to take action immediately to prevent a clear and present danger. A true leader has to realize what is an emergency and what is not.
-
What is a Leader?
פרשת פנחס / כ”א בתמוז תשפ”ב
In this week’s portion we learn the difference between real leadership and a leader that follows the crowd. Pinchas was not yet chosen to be leader but had a moral compass. Zimri had inherited his position as leader of the Tribe of Shimon and had no moral compass. Zimri thought he could get away with violating the law flagrantly due to his family’s influence. He was mistaken and paid with his life.