In your heart of hearts-when you give tzedakah-how should you feel towards the recipient? It is conceivable that, depending on circumstances, at times you might feel somewhat distressed at giving away your money. Yet, the Torah (Devarim 15:10) advises us: “You shall surely give him, and let your heart not feel bad when you give him, [...]
HaShem instructed  Samuel the Prophet to appoint Eliyav as king.  However, before  Samuel informed Eliyav of  his appointment,  Eliyav spoke with anger to his brother, David.  Subsequently HaShem informed Samuel that the anger of Eliyav disqualified him from the kingship. What’s more, Eliyav did not have a temperamental personality.  Rather, this display of anger by [...]
The Saba of Kelm taught, “A little bit holds a great deal.” Meaning, there are some things in life that produce a powerful benefit in small doses. One of these “small dynamos” is encouragement. For instance, when HaShem appointed Yehoshua to succeed Moshe as the leader of Klal Yisrael, Moshe said to him, “Be strong [...]
A nobleman heard that a doctor in a distant country had formulated an ointment that renders a person invulnerable. Since he often traveled through dark forests, he made his way to the inventor and purchased the ointment. Before leaving for home, he applied the ointment to every part of his body. On the path home [...]
A good educator clearly and systematically explains the concepts that he is teaching. He wants his students to thoroughly understand the reasoning behind the concept so that their minds will grasp, accept, and internalize the idea. After he has proven his wisdom and integrity to his students, he will occasionally present them with a concept [...]
One of the worst tragedies in the Torah occurs when “the spies” delivered a negative report concerning the Land of  Israel, as recorded in Parshas Shelach. Their frightening description of – a land of giants; a land that consumes its inhabitants – set off panic in the hearts of the Children of Israel. Because of [...]
Our Sages tell us that as long as we are in this physical existence it’s impossible for a person to imagine the splendor of Gan Eden. Although, this is true, wouldn’t it be wonderful if there were a conceptual image to give us a glimpse of the inestimable quantum of reward? After Moshe instructed Aaron [...]
The Torah (Vayikra 25:1) instructs us to observe a continuous cycle of working the land for six years and allowing it to rest on the seventh, or Shemitah year. “Speak to the children of Israel and say to them-when you come to the land that I shall give you, the land shall observe a Shabbos [...]
After the Tabernacle was completed, the Glory of HaShem covered the Tabernacle. Moshe stood outside until HaShem called to him, as per the verse (Vayikra 1:1): “He called to Moshe.” From which place did HaShem call to Moshe? The Torah reveals, “HaShem called to Moshe from the Tabernacle.” HaShem descended from the Heavenly realm and [...]
The Torah (Devarim 24:9) commands us to “Remember what HaShem your G-d, did to Miriam on the way…“ The injunction is fulfilled by remembering that Miriam spoke loshon hora about Moshe Rabenu, and was punished with tza’aras (a terrible skin disease). The Torah tells us that the nature of Miriam’s loshon hora concerned Moshe’s decision [...]
The Torah (Devarim 18:10;11) absolutely condemns and forbids all forms of idol worship. However, the Sages of Mussar teach us that there is something very valuable that we can learn from idol worshippers. The inhabitants of the ancient world who practiced idol worship, would not set out on a journey, nor perform any deed without [...]
A straightforward reading of the verse (Devarim 11:13) that we read every day in Krias Shema seems perplexing: “if you continually hearken to My commandments that I command you today, to love HaShem…” Is “to love HaShem” the sum total of what HaShem requires of us? Aren’t there 613 commandments? King Dovid said “My soul [...]
