Shabbat Kodesh Parashat Vayakhel-Pekude This week is Shabbat Mevarchin Chodesh Nissan : ויאמֶר ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֔ן בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם לֵאמֹֽר׃ הַחֹ֧דֶשׁ הַזֶּ֛ה לָכֶ֖ם רֹ֣אשׁ חֳדָשִׁ֑ים רִאשׁ֥וֹן הוּא֙ לָכֶ֔ם לְחָדְשֵׁ֖י הַשָּׁנָֽה׃ G-d said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: This month shall mark for you the beginning of the months; it shall be the first of …
Leadership
Shabbat Kodesh Parashat Ki Tissa We will read this week in Shemot 32: וַיְהִי֙ מִֽמׇּחֳרָ֔ת וַיֹּ֤אמֶר מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶל־הָעָ֔ם אַתֶּ֥ם חֲטָאתֶ֖ם חֲטָאָ֣ה גְדֹלָ֑ה וְעַתָּה֙ אֶֽעֱלֶ֣ה אֶל־יְהֹוָ֔ה אוּלַ֥י אֲכַפְּרָ֖ה בְּעַ֥ד חַטַּאתְכֶֽם׃ The next day Moses said to the people, “You have been guilty of a great sin. Yet I will now go up to G‘d; perhaps I may win forgiveness for your sin.” וַיָּ֧שׇׁב …
Happy Purim!
Where is Moshe Rabeinu?
Shabbat Kodesh parashat Tetzave This week's Parsha, Tetzaveh is the only reading in the Torah—from the first Parshah in the second book Shemot, (Exodus, in which he is born) until the end of the book Bamidbar (Numbers) —where the name of Moshe Rabeinu is not mentioned. Tetzaveh’s opening words are וְאַתָּ֞ה תְּצַוֶּ֣ה - V’atah tetzaveh—“And you shall command.” The “you” is Moshe, and Hashem is telling him what to instruct the people. …
“I will dwell among them…”
Shabbat Kodesh Parashat Terumá We will read on Shabbat: וְעָ֥שׂוּ לִ֖י מִקְדָּ֑שׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּ֖י בְּתוֹכָֽם "And let them make Me a Mikdash (sanctuary) and I will dwell among them" (Shemot 25.8) . Some of the commentators have noticed that it should have said: And I will dwell on it, (in the Mikdash) and not "amongst them". The common answer is that …
Neither shalt thou favour a poor man in his cause
Shabbat Kodesh Parshat Mishpatim The world (or the academia as well as political activists) is split over the idea of "reverse discrimination" (or affirmative action). In some places minorities are receiving preferential treatment with regard to acceptance in higher education, workplace and other opportunities available to the public. Now, helping the disadvantaged to improve their future is a …
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Jethro the priest
Shabbat Kodesh Parashat Yitro We will read this week about the unexpected arrival of Jethro in the desert, joining the fledgling Israeli nation. Rashi comments that Jethro has by now recognised G-d and was a monotheist. It is therefore surprising how the Torah titles him upon his arrival: וַיִּשְׁמַ֞ע יִתְר֨וֹ כֹהֵ֤ן מִדְיָן֙ חֹתֵ֣ן מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֵת֩ …
“Where are the horses?”
Shabbat Kodesh Parshat Beshalach שָׁמַ֗עְתִּי אֶת־תְּלוּנֹּת֮ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ דַּבֵּ֨ר אֲלֵהֶ֜ם לֵאמֹ֗ר בֵּ֤ין הָֽעַרְבַּ֙יִם֙ תֹּאכְל֣וּ בָשָׂ֔ר וּבַבֹּ֖קֶר תִּשְׂבְּעוּ־לָ֑חֶם וִֽידַעְתֶּ֕ם כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י ה' אֱלֹקיכֶֽם׃ ׃ “I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Speak to them and say: By eveningyou shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; and youshall know that I am your G-d.” (Shemot 16.12) Did the people who have just experienced the split of the red sea, probably the biggest miracle of all times, still need to have another "small scale" miracle …
Difficult (but right) decision
Shabbat Kodesh Parashat Bó Friday, the 5th of Shevat is my father Rav Pinchas Biberfeld's זצ"ל Yahrzeit. Every Friday night, when we walked back from Shul (in Tel Aviv), we met with one particular person, also coming back from Shul. This man used to greet my father by first name, saying "Good Shabbos Pinchas". My father used to say "Good Shabbos Elakana" - it seemed that they knew …
Pharaoh and me: Shabbat Kodesh Parshat Vaerá
At the end of Parshat VaEra which we will read this Shabbat, Egypt was already at the receiving end of seven national disasters. (Blood, frogs, lice, flies, livestock pestilence, boils, hail,) And it was quite clear that Moshe Rabeinu was "in control" of when the plagues come and when they go. After the 7th disaster, (nationwide hail storm), Pharaoh seems to …
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