5781 / 2020-2021
Rosh Hashanah 5781
Look Past the Balloons
We can have total peace of mind when we understand that the way of the world, the structure Hashem set up for us to live our lives, is necessary to function, but it is all just a veil that we see with our eyes.
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Parshas Haazinu
Climbing Mountains
All of us, in our own ways and own levels, went through a very difficult year. But with Hashem’s help, that just means that we are closer to the beracha around the corner just a few feet away.
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Sukkos
Open Miracles
The one open miracle is supposed to teach us to appreciate all the hidden miracles.
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Parshas Vezos HaBracha
Capturing the Moment
All the holidays are Chagim like a circle because they encircle one day – one day greater than everything. Pesach, Shavuos, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkos – they all encircle Shmini Atzeret. This is the focal point.
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Parshas Bereishis
Seeds of Hope
Just because we didn’t receive what we were praying for yet doesn’t mean the prayers haven’t been effective. When the time is right, it will be the person’s tefillot which will have brought about the salvation that he needed. Tefilla is for the future, and emunah is for what happened already.
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Parshas Noach
The Power of Asking
We are supposed to light a fire. There are times when each of us must lead. For every person, there is a moment when the entire world depends on him.
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Parshas Vayeira
What, Not How
Many times we want to do the right thing, yet there are so many obstacles. Our job is to forget about the obstacles and do as much as we can (the “What” we need to do) and when we can’t go any further pray to Hashem to carry us the rest of the way (the “How” it will get done).
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Parshas Chayei Sarah
Hashem Is My Helper
We should ask Hashem for help before everything we do, know when we’re doing it that Hashem is in charge acting for our best, and thank Hashem afterward for whatever the results are.
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Parshas Toldos
Seize the Moment
In our parsha Toldos we see Yaakov seizing the moment on three pivotal occasions: at birth, acquiring the birthright from Esav, and receiving the blessing of the firstborn from Yitzchak.
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Parshas Vayeitzei
How to Sleep Peacefully
Hashem watches over and controls every single person’s life. Every detail, every second of the day. If a person internalizes this concept, they will never have a problem falling asleep at night. Whatever situation you’re in is being controlled by the One who loves you the most and He is only helping whether you see it or not. Stress comes when we don’t trust Hashem.
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Parshas Vayishlach
Comparing Yaakov to Yisrael
Rav Dessler writes that Yaakov had to find the spiritual strength to transcend the external situation he was in and attach himself to the spiritual truth beyond it and within it. Only when he emerged successfully, was his name changed from Yaakov to Yisrael.
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Parshas Vayeishev
Castles in the Sky
So long as we involve ourselves in Torah, we will have the capacity to partake of the experiences of this world and we will not be unduly threatened by the Yetzer Harah for Torah will curb its influence on us.
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Parshas Mikeitz
Biladai
The word בִּלְעָדָי (Biladai – that is beyond me) is one that I often think about and feel is a tremendously powerful message. I have the word written on a note on my desk as a reminder of its message: It’s beyond me. It’s not me - it’s Hashem. I don’t do anything. Hashem does it all.
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Parshas Vayigash
Hineini
Complaining means that we feel the situation should be different, that things are not the way they are supposed to be. But if we live with the mindset of Hineini, then everything is exactly the way it’s supposed to be. If we live with this mindset, we accept everything and anything as Hashem’s will and we gladly accept the challenge, whatever it may be, however dark it looks.
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Parshas Vayechi
Everything is in Hashem's Hands
Yosef told his brothers, אַל־תִּירָאוּ – Fear not – you are in Hashem’s hands, not mine. Never fear people, they’re just puppets. If we would live our lives with this understanding, how much more relaxed would we be? Wherever we are, we are all in Hashem’s hands. And He knows what’s best for us. And He’ll only do what’s best for us.
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Parshas Shemos
Doing the Impossible
Many times we want to do the right thing and there are so many obstacles. Our job is to forget about the obstacles and do as much as you can. And when you can’t go any further pray to Hashem to carry you the rest of the way. We have to do our part, then Hashem takes over.
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Parshas Va'eira
Pursuing Our Missions
Rav Shlomo Wolbe teaches that the praise of Moshe and Aaron fulfilling their missions and staying steadfast in their righteousness for their entire lives is, in reality, the goal of every Jew. We must aim to make it through life in general, and through each day in particular, without being derailed from our purpose in this world. No one can know where life will take them.
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Parshas Bo
The Time of Our Life
The underlying concept of Kiddush HaChodesh is reflected in the blessing Kiddush Levanah, which we recite at the beginning of each new month. When a person sees the renewal of the moon, and he says Kiddush Levanah, he thereby demonstrates his belief in the creation of the world from nothingness, which is a fundamental premise of Jewish faith.
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Parshas Beshalach
Fear & Faith
Rav Wolbe says that the emunah (faith) referred to in the Torah is not the basic knowledge that there is a Creator. After the miraculous redemption from Egypt, Hashem’s existence was not a subject for debate. Rather, the Torah is referring to an understanding and acknowledgement that every single aspect of the world is run completely and solely by Hashem.
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Parshas Yisro
Anochi
The very awareness that a Creator exists is enough to compel a person to do everything in his ability to fulfill the will of the One Who created him. Judaism is not comprised of religious ceremonies that have to be attended, like the Opera or the Super Bowl. Yiddishkeit is life. With the first word of the Ten Commandments Hashem revealed Himself, so we now know He exists and our life is to be lived accordingly.
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Parshas Mishpatim
Naaseh V'Nishma
Receiving the Torah in the way of naaseh v'nishma had to be done in a way of holy chutzpah coming through simcha. Naaseh are those mitzvos that are comfortable to us while Nishma are those mitzvos that are beyond us. It takes brazenness, and a listening heart to daven and grow from naaseh to nishma. A person who lives their life with holy chutzpah continually opens the gates and comes closer and closer to Hashem.
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Parshas Terumah
Lessons from the Aron
The Baal HaTurim explains that the word אֲרוֹן is made up of the same letters as אורן (their light), for within it is the light of B’nai Yisrael. The word is also made up of the same letters as נורא (awesome), for it is awesome, like consuming fire. The Baal HaTurim says further that all of the measurements of the Aron are broken into half cubits teaching that anyone who studies the Torah must break his nature and humble himself.
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Parshas Tetzaveh
Lessons from the Ketores
The word Ketores means “bonding”; the essence of the Ketores is the pristine yearning of the soul of man to cleave to Hashem — a yearning that emanates from the innermost sanctum of the soul, and is thus free of all constraints and restraints, of all that inhibits and limits us when we relate to something with the more external elements of our being.
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Parshas Ki Tisa
The Shabbos Nap
Teaches the Bnei Yissaschar, during the days of the week a person only has vitality from one soul, that is why it is enough for him to sleep at night. But on Shabbos, he has vitality from two souls, and he therefore needs to sleep both at night and during the day.
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Parshas Vaykhel-Pekudei
100 Brachos
Hashem resided in the Mishkan, now He resides in Yidden. The Mishkan in our generation is every single Yid who merits Hashem residing in him. The original Mishkan had 100 sockets for its foundations. The foundations of today’s Mishkan are the 100 daily brachos.
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Parshas Vayikra
The Lessons of Salt
The Ramban comments that salt has two properties: it is destructive, for it prevents plants from growing [and it can corrode most substances]; and it is helpful, for it preserves food. The Covenant of Salt teaches that the Mizbeach service, if performed properly and sincerely, preserves Klal Yisrael, but if the service is neglected, it brings about destruction and exile.
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Parshas Acharei Mos-Kedoshim
Kedoshim Tihiyu
Hashem said, You shall be holy, in the future tense because this mitzvah to be holy always applies. Hashem then gave a reason for His words, for holy am I, Hashem, your G-d, for there is no limit to the holiness of Hashem and Hashem wants us to be similar to Him in our ability to attain extraordinary levels of holiness.
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Parshas Emor
Sefiras HaOmer
The mitzvah of counting the Omer each year purifies Klal Yisrael and makes us worthy of having the Torah ingrained in our souls, like the words of the Torah are engraved on the Luchos of sanpirinon.
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Parshas Behar-Bechukosai
Our Purpose is to Toil
Man's task to work all his life to achieve his fullest potential in avodas Hashem. That is why our pasuk says, אִם־בְּחֻקֹּתַי תֵּלֵכוּ – we must move forward constantly and progress. Hashem wants us to go in the ways of the Torah and thereby move closer to Him.
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Parshas Bamidbar
Flags of Israel
As it pertains to individuals, what we learn from our parshah is that we are each charged with our mission and belonging to a certain degel, dedicated to Hashem’s service in his unique way.
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Parshas Nasso
Jewish Charm
The Birkas Kohanim is called the “triple blessing” because it extends to three different areas – to the body, to the soul, and to the relationship between them. The first bracha refers to material prosperity, the second to spiritual blessings of Torah knowledge and inspiration, and the last bracha to Hashem’s compassion above and beyond what one deserves, as expressed in forgiveness of sin and the giving of peace.
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5780 / 2020
Los Angeles Protests / Curfew
Serenity Now
Let’s recognize Hashem and bask in the peace of knowing that He is standing by our side at every moment of the day, every day.
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Parshas Nasso
Why I'm Keeping My Sefirah Beard
- What change can we make in our own lives to try to bring peace to ourselves, our families, and our communities?
- The first word of the oral Torah, מאימתי, in the first Mishna in Gemara Berachos, can be rearranged to read אמת מה׳ (emet Me’Hashem – Truth from Hashem). Meaning the oral Torah that was passed down from generation to generation is truth from Hashem just like the written Torah.
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Parshas Beha'aloscha
The Test of the Maan
Hashem is watching over us and providing for us all day every day. We are fortunate to have our health, safety, wellbeing, our family, our community, a roof over our head, food to eat, clothes to wear, and cars to drive.
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Parshas Shlach
The Danger of Assumptions
Every Jew is given a mission and the question is not IF we can accomplish our mission, but HOW. Our mission is to accomplish - we are not here on Mission Impossible.
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Parshas Korach
The Aleph Bet and Korach
Korach chose to act with pride (ק) and evil intent (ר) which lead him to sin (ח). How can we learn from the lessons of Korach and apply them to our own lives?
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Parshas Chukas-Balak
Connecting With Hashem Through Ahava
The idea of davening to Hashem is about the privilege of davening. The connection itself awakens in me a passion and that passion is Ahavas Hashem.
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Parshas Pinchas
The Ten Lessons of Moshe and Yehoshua
Moshe transitions the leadership of B’nai Yisroel to Yehoshua and through that transition we learn several lessons. How can we apply the lessons of Moshe and Yehoshua to our own day to day lives?
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Parshas Mattos-Masei
Words Matter
We see words have an unbelievable power. I’ve created a new reality. My words can take something physical, matter, and transform it.
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Parshas Devarim
Finding Our Voice
Although we are not able to see Hashem directly, we can find His presence throughout our daily lives when we look for it. Hashem is communicating with us every day. Let’s have faith, listen for Him, look for Him, speak to Him.
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Parshas Va'eschanan
The Power of the Shema
By understanding the message of the Shema, we learn that everything comes from Hashem and He treats us with rachamim, mercy, at all times, whether we see it or not.
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Parshas Eikev
The Guarantee of Birkat Hamazon
Birkat Hamazon is the only bracha where Hashem asks us to bless Him. We’re thanking Hashem for the food – we owe Him, yet Hashem says that if we Bentch properly - He owes us.
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Parshas Re'eh
It's A Matter of Perspective
With the right perspective we can recognize and strengthen our relationship with Hashem, our Father, and feel closer to Him.
Life often happens at the edges of our comfort zones. When we are able to cross that self-imposed border into uncomfortable, but productive territory we are expanding our domains in good ways.
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Parshas Shoftim
Everyday Blessings
Over 6 pesukim I find connections to my children’s names, my name and my wife’s name. I was blown away. My head was shaking back and forth as I read and re-read these 6 pesukim over and over again.
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Pasrshas Ki Savo
The Greatness of Amen
What I hope to do here is highlight the greatness of Amen in the hopes that we can say it with renewed fervor and understanding whether answering to brachas at home or davening in shul.
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Parshas Nitzavim-Vayeilech
Ask Hashem for His Help
We could accomplish anything spiritually if we want it badly enough. Hashem loves when we request His help to get closer to Him and He’s waiting to help us do it.
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