Rabbi Eliezer Simcha Weisz

Different Roles, One Nation:

Lessons from Ephraim and Menashe

Hashem gives each person a role, a mission, a contribution. Ephraim receives leadership; Menashe receives honor. One is not at the expense of the other.

Looking Forward:

Vayigash, Vayechi, Yehuda, 10 Tevet - the choice of the future

The temptation to despair is strong. But Torah teaches that we cannot remain there. We must act responsibly, together, and with unity.

For the 7th day of Hanukkah:

Hidden Light: Yosef, the dreidel, the sufganiyah, and faith

Hanukkah does not offer simple answers, nor does it lessen the pain. It asks something deeper of us: to hold on to faith even when matters are unclear and the Hand of G-d seems concealed.

From the Israeli Chief Rabbinate Council:

The unbroken light of Am Yisrael - a message to world Jewry

When darkness strikes one corner of the Jewish world, the shadows are felt in the heart of every single Jew globally. Your pain is deeply, personally our pain.

Draft Law or Pardon:

When to stand firm and when to yield - Yehudah’s lesson

The eternal challenge of Jewish leadership is knowing when to stand firm and when to acknowledge reality, when to pursue the ideal and when compromise is necessary.

We are still brothers - even when divided

A disagreement does not undo our connection. A quarrel cannot touch the neshamah within.

We are still brothers - even when divided

Look at Joseph and his brothers as a model. The spark of holiness within every Jewish soul can bring people back together no matter what their differences.

Parashat Vayishlach:

'Gid nanasheh' and personal initiative

We know the problems. We can preach. We can wish for solutions. But none of that brings change. Each of us must take initiative. Start where we can. Do what we can.

Lessons from Yehudah for today:

Knowing when to compromise and when to stand firm

In the harsh reality he faced, Yehudah did the best he could, say some commentators. At the very least, he saved Yosef from death. Yehudah is praised for recognizing what was achievable. But others criticize him and feel he could have achieved more.

Lessons from Yaakov and Lavan:

How you know it's time to go home

When hatred becomes normal, when lies replace truth, and when the “faces” around us change, the Torah teaches us to recognize it. That is what Yaakov saw before he returned to Eretz Yisrael.

A message from Yaakov Avinu to us today:

Staying home, coming home

Yaakov Avinu reminds us that wherever a Jew may be, his inner compass must point to Eretz Yisrael.

Toldot: The Power of Hishtadlut:

Yaakov, Rivka, Yehudit Berl, and effort in shidduchim

This parasha teaches us that even when the chances of success seem slim, a person must make an effort, do his part, and leave the rest in Hashem’s hands.

In those days...and today

The three great dangers that have always confronted Am Yisrael, in days of yore and today.

Avraham Avinu’s Test: Lessons for Jews in Israel and abroad

The duty of Jews everywhere is to face the nisyonot of our generation with the same firmness that Avraham Avinu showed.

The Lot Syndrome:

How misplaced chesed harms Israel today

Lot’s story is a warning for every generation: chesed without understanding deceives the heart and misleads the hand. We see it clearly today.

Stars among us:

A reflection on the value of every Jewish life.

Every star in the heavens matters - and so does every Jew on earth. We are brothers and sisters.

Parashat Noach:

Hamas in the Torah and in the Hamas Charter

In the Torah, an ish ḥamasim-a man of violence-is a ruthless, merciless person who sees brutality as a legitimate means to achieve his aims. Such is today's Hamas as shown both in its charter and its barbarity, and we must therefore open our eyes to reality.

Parashat Noach:

Yonah Matzah Vo Manoach - Finding menuchah in a time of war

“The dove found rest on it (Shabbat), and there the weary will rest,” wrote Yehuda Halevy.

Thoughts on Parashat Bereishit:

Finding your 'ezer kenegdo'

Even a match decreed in Heaven must be built on earth. Every marriage requires avodah - work, patience, understanding, forgiveness, and joy in each other’s growth.

Reflections on the hostages' return:

The fragile sukkah - lessons of hope and protection

Your life, even if it is incomplete, even if it is fragile, is still a gift. Notice the openings, the small moments of relief, the return of the hostages.They are part of Hashem’s care, a taste of the greater shalom to come.

Sukkat Shalom:

A Glimmer of Geulah (redemption)

Thoughts on this day, on hearing of an agreement.

The silent hero of Sukkot: The aravah

The aravah receives the pinnacle of honor among the Arba’at Haminim of Sukkot. What does that signify?

Rabbi Eliezer Weisz:

Ha’azinu and the Manchester Massacre - Lessons for Today

The safety and continuity of our people depend on vigilance, action, and adherence to the eternal covenant. Learn from history to build a stronger, safer Jewish future.

Standing proud:

Ivri Anochi! “I am a Hebrew, and I serve the Almighty God!”

A message of Pride, Faith, and Survival for our children and our people.