Several weeks ago, Aruz Sheva ceased posting weekly Parasha articles by David Schwartz Hy"d. They had been translated from the book of Divrei Torah published for his wedding to Meital שתיבל"א and sadly, there are no more. David Hy"d is certainly learning Torah with the other tsaddikim in Gan Eden...
The miracles in Egypt demonstrate to our ancestors and to us through every generation the awesome Might of God.
The Pnei Menachem writes: Similar to the destruction of Amalek, which occurs after they damage the kingdom of God in the world, so too the Egyptians were punished. What does he mean by that?
On account of their merits and the merit of their actions, we have the strength to stand against those who seek to harm us in our own day, and go on to fulfill our destiny despite the heavy price we are forced to pay.
The stories of our ancestors are recorded for us in the Torah as a lesson for the generations. Joseph did not act for reasons of personal revenge, but with a spiritual motive that should guide us.
“For God was with him - the name of God was always on his lips.”
Everyone knows the wounds of their own heart, and everyone knows in what places they must strive to become stronger to completely trust in God.
Precisely when a person sees himself in great need, after exhausting his actions and efforts, he must strengthen his faith, with a clear understanding that salvation is expected to come.
Divine Providence guides man in his ways in accord with man’s faith and trust in God.
The actions of the Patriarchs were not performed in their time for their needs alone, but to give strength to their descendants. How did Jacob's tricking his father fall into that category?
Why not choose a wife for Yitschak from the families in Canaan? At a deeper level, the problem with the people of the land was not that they were idolatrous, but something harder to change.
Abraham's great test shows that dedication to God must not simply be a result of a Divine decree, but that we must rise to the level of feeling love and great happiness in fulfilling His Word.
Abraham shows un that one must act to save himself, but also pray for G-d's salvation in case it does not work out.
What was the outstanding moral failure that characterized the generation that built the Tower of Babel?
Man left alone in his nature is pulled downwards. The Torah pushes us to hope for the future, to make progress, and to find new pathways to be productive at every moment in time.
May it be God’s will that we fulfill the words of the Torah with joy and gladness in the abundance of blessings in our years.
Only through the combination of two attributes can we fulfill completely the words of the Song that promise: “because it will never be lost from the mouth of their offspring”
A careful reading truly shows that it is not the “sanctity of the Torah” that serves as a guarantee of its fulfillment but the “Song of the Torah.”
Happiness is a critical and essential part of service to God, and we must strive to find this joy within us when we observe the mitzvot.
In a parsha with tens of mitzvot between man and his fellow man, three are between man and G-d, but that is not coincidental.
Whatever the case, a judge obviously is obligated to aim for truth and integrity even when the tools of justice may impede his way.
The reward of a mitzvah is a consequence whose purpose is meant to continue the kindness of God in the world.
What does it really mean to be alive? Rabbi Asher Weiss Shlita answers the question.
With such a powerful prayer, Moshe’s question cries out to the heart of heaven. How can it be that his prayer is returned unanswered? And ours?
Moshe opens his address in Devarim with words of mussar, or moral chastisement, about the importance of establishing a court system. Why is that?
Could there be a wrong greater than that from an ethical, moral or religious point of view?
We can find the proper way to serve God through this parsha, which includes wording that can lead one to believe mistakenly that the Torah has been changed on account of this appeal of the daughters of Tzelafchad.
Our tribulations bring our people to the requisite question: Why have we endured so much suffering? What is the central reason we have experienced so much pain?
The nation of Israel keeps falling into a poor state of faith, even though its entire existence in the desert is nothing but an obvious miracle. Since Moses and Aaron do not elevate the people's faith by talking to the rock, another measure is needed.
In a time of argument, even preposterous words settle into the hearts of man and kindle the fire of conflict. That is what happened in the story of Korach.
Why shoould tzitzit be a mitsva that depends on whether you choose to wear a four cornered garment? Why not make it obligatory all the time.
The purpose of the Torah and mitzvot is to foster a connection between the people of Israel and God, They wanted the opposite.
Yearning for holiness should not come at the expense of participation in this world and in community life, with all that such implies.
On whatever path man may choose to go, he must place God’s Tent of Meeting in the center of his consciousness.
The doctrine of reward and punishment at the opening of the parsha arouses our wonder. It is worthwhile to clarify the meaning of this important religious axiom.
Being a slave to man can not coexist with the servitude to God.
And why are there so many commandments where one recalls the Exodus from Egypt? The answers to the two questions are connected.
The Torah lights the path and provides tools to guide man through his life. “You shall be holy because I the Lord, your God, am holy” is essentially the conscience that the Torah supplies to man.
People display their religiosity in diverse ways, but perhaps the words "live by them" reveal how God wants us to build an observant life.
What is the purpose of finding chametz that we just hid a few minutes ago? How exactly can we call this procedure a “search for chametz”? The answer is a profound insight into what bedikat chametz really means.
God demands we live a life of good deeds towards others and this upholds the world. Therefore, many commandments in the Torah are commandments of interpersonal nature.
“Le’David Barchi Nafshi” is a compilation of essays written on the weekly Torah reading by David Schwartz, Hy"d, who fell in Gaza. First published on the occasion of his marriage to Meital, David’s unique Torah thoughts that delve into the depths of the Torah are shared now to elevate his memory and sanctify his soul.
