Category: Morality & Torah

  • Our Answer to Evil

    פרשת ויקרא / ח’ באדר ב’ תשפ”ב

    Our answer to those who wish to destroy us is not just to merely survive. but to continue to live as Torah observant Jews. That is their ultimate defeat.

  • Destroy Evil

    פרשת ויקרא / ז’ באדר ב’תשפ”ב

    This Shabbat is Shabbat Zachor, in which we remember the commandment to destroy Amalek. Why does the Torah take such a strong stand against Amalek? To teach that there are some things that are so evil they must be destroyed.

  • Unblemished Offerings

    פרשת ויקרא / ו’ באדר ב’ תשפ”ב

    The Torah dictates that the offerings brought in the Tabernacle were to be unblemished physically and spiritually. This means that the animal offerings have to be healthy and that our intentions have to be pure. Also, that the offering cannot be acquired illegally.

  • Humility in Leadership

    פרשת ויקרא / ה’ באדר ב’ תשפ”ב

    The small aleph in the word vayikra (ויקרא) is to teach us how humble Moses really was. He was always willing to learn and never thought that he was the be all and end all.

  • Our Offerings Were for Us

    פרשת ויקרא / ד’ באדר ב’ תשפ”ב

    The English translation of the offerings is wrong. These were not sacrifices given to God. God does not need our offerings. We need the offerings for our sakes.

  • Clothes Make the Man

    פרשת פקודי / כ”ח באדר א’ תשפ”ב

    The Torah emphasizes the clothing that the High Priest wears while working in the Tabernacle. The reason is not that God needs us to be dressed this way but that the High Priest is a leader. He is God’s representative to the world.

  • Be Accountable

    פרשת פקוקי / כ”ז באדר א’ תשפ”ב

    The Torah records that Moses made a full accounting of all the monies received and spent in building the Tabernacle. This is amazing! Shouldn’t Moses be above suspicion with regard to public monies? This is to teach our leaders that it is a good policy to prove that they did not dip into the public monies.

  • Make Yourself Count

    פרשת ויקהל / כ”ד באדר א’ תשפ”ב

    Every Jew had to donate a half shekel for the upkeep of the Temple. This is to teach us that every person has value. The concept of the upkeep of the Temple also included making sure the roads to Jerusalem were in good shape for those who had business in the Temple.

  • The True Importance of the Tabernacle

    פרשת ויקהל / כ”ג באדר א’ תשפ”ב

    The true importance of the Temple was not the structure in of itself. It was that it was built for a moral & ethical God who demanded of his worshipers that they be moral and ethical.

  • Knowledge Without Wisdom Leads to Disaster

    פרשת ויקהל / כ”ב באדר א’ תשפ”ב

    When choosing Bezalel as the craftsman for the articles in the Tabernacle the Torah extols his Wisdom, Heavenly Spirit and Knowledge. In that order. This is to teach us that knowledge in of itself is not enough. We need wisdom to know how to use the knowledge.