Jewish Congregation Adass Yisroel, Berlin (Public Corporation)
All of us know the famous statement Rabbi Akiva made : "This is a great principle of the Torah: ‚Love your neighbor as yourself`". So - as it is what he describes as a "Great principle" in the Torah, why is it not mentioned in the ten commandments ? Many years ago, as a teenager, …
Continue reading "Why only ten…Shabbat Kodesh Parashat Yitró"
Shabbat Kodesh Parshat Beshalach The Shira - Song of faith- was sung by Bnei Yisrael as they emerged from the red sea. It is so important that we say it every morning. However, Chazal tell us that when the angels asked for permission to have their own turn in thanking G’d for the miracle of …
The 5th of Shevat of this year 5784, marks the 25th Yahrzeit of my father Rav Pinchas Biberfeld זצ"ל. His Levaya, the funeral, which commenced in London and ended in the Mount of Olives - Jerusalem - , made a brief stop in Tel Aviv, outside the Beith Hamedrash which he founded many decades earlier. At …
Continue reading "Letter from Berlin. Sent 1942, arrived -1960…"
We will read on Shabbat about the middle stages of our exodus from Egypt. We also have a lot in the Parsha regarding the interaction between Moshe Rabeinu and Pharaoh. In this context, the following Pasuk reads : וּמֹשֶׁה֙ בֶּן־שְׁמֹנִ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה וְאַֽהֲרֹ֔ן בֶּן־שָׁלֹ֥שׁ וּשְׁמֹנִ֖ים שָׁנָ֑ה בְּדַבְּרָ֖ם אֶל־פַּרְעֹֽה׃ {פ} "And Moshe was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three, …
Continue reading "Shabbat Kodesh Parashat Vaerá – On Vitality…"
וַיְהִי֩ בַיָּמִ֨ים הָֽרַבִּ֜ים הָהֵ֗ם וַיָּ֙מׇת֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם וַיֵּאָנְח֧וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל מִן־הָעֲבֹדָ֖ה וַיִּזְעָ֑קוּ וַתַּ֧עַל שַׁוְעָתָ֛ם אֶל־הָאֱלֹקים מִן־הָעֲבֹדָֽה׃ A long time after that, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites were groaning under the bondage and cried out; and their cry for help from the bondage rose up to G’d. וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע אֱלקים אֶת־נַאֲקָתָ֑ם וַיִּזְכֹּ֤ר אֱלֹקים֙ אֶת־בְּרִית֔וֹ אֶת־אַבְרָהָ֖ם אֶת־יִצְחָ֥ק וְאֶֽת־יַעֲקֹֽב׃ G’d heard …
Moshe Rabeinu, the most influential leader that our nation ever had, would not qualify contemporarily as a national political leader. His response to Hashem's instruction: וְעַתָּ֣ה לְכָ֔ה וְאֶֽשְׁלָחֲךָ֖ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֑ה וְהוֹצֵ֛א אֶת־עַמִּ֥י בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃ "Come, therefore, I will send you to Pharaoh, and you shall free My people, the Israelites, from Egypt.” - was to refuse it. Not …
Continue reading "Ethics and leadership… Schabbat Kodesh Parshat Shemot"
Shabbat Kodesh Parashat Vayishlach Rebbi Nachman of Breslov was instrumental in teaching his Chasidim to spend quality time - on their own. In the forests, or ast home... They follow it to this day. But they are not alone in this..... We will read this week: וַיִּוָּתֵ֥ר יַעֲקֹ֖ב לְבַדּ֑וֹ וַיֵּאָבֵ֥ק אִישׁ֙ עִמּ֔וֹ עַ֖ד עֲל֥וֹת הַשָּֽׁחַר׃ - …
Shabbat Kodesh Parashat Vayetze Our sages describe Yaakov Avinu as the "Choicest of the Patriarchs". His twelve children all remained "within the family". This, in contrast to Avraham Avinu, who had a son Yishmael, and Yitzchak, who's son Esav did not continue the family tradition in the way his parents wished for. The question is, …
Shabbat Kodesh Parshat Toldot From very early in my life, I was exposed to real Tzadikim's biographies . I always loved the chapters describing the absolutely amazing sensitivity and thoughtfulness of real great people to the needs and feelings of other human beings. And of course to their Avodat Hashem and devotion to Torah studying. It gave me …
Shabbat Kodesh Parashat Vayera We start the Parsha with the promise made through the visiting "guests" to Avraham Avinu: "I will surely return to you at this time next year, and behold, your wife Sarah will have a son." Sarah Imeinu, who was listening to the conversation, is criticised for "laughing" upon hearing the promise, …