Rabbi Shlomo Sobol

Tisha B’Av: A Moed?

How can such a tragic day, on which five calamities occurred, culminating in the Destruction itself, be called a mo’ed?

Datan and Aviram - then and now

Datan and Aviram had a history of opposition to Moshe long before they joined Korach, but were punished only then. There is a lesson here.

Lashon Hara doesn’t speak to me!

The sin of lashon hara (slander) hindered the entire nation's journey to the Land of Israel. This teaches us to watch what we hear and say.

Two ways to look at a situation

We can deal with the Sota in this week’s parsha as does the kohen or as does the nazir. This is also true of various evils we encounter.

Long Live the tribes!

Tribalism has a price, but it also has great advantages not only for the tribe itself but also for the other tribes and the entire nation.

A matter of Arithmetic

Within the blessings that G-d blesses the people of Israel in this week's Torah portion, there seems to be a mistake in the calculation.

We are all Kohanim

In this week's Torah portion the Kohanim are told not to become ritually unclean and the Sages interpret it as a commandment to all Israel.

What should be our national interest?

The Torah reading this Shabbat teaches us that the Land of Israel is intrinsically a holy land which cannot stand to be defiled.

Modern Tzara’at

Tzara’at is a result of a spiritual deficiency, so the punishment is educational, encouraging the metzora consider and regret his behavior.

Pure speech? That depends

The Torah, which usually condenses wording, sometimes uses extra words to teaches us the importance of clean language.

Sweeter than honey

The Torah forbids honey in ketoret (incense). Why would a sweet, natural food for which the Land of Israel is praised, be forbidden? .

“Return us to You, G-d, and we will return" to the Synagogues

After a year of living under the shadow of COVID, G-d is calling us to return to our shuls with joy and thanksgiving.

An educational sin

Surprisingly the Gemara praises one of the greatest sins perpetrated by the People of Israel, the sin of the golden calf.

Do clothes make the man? What is Purim's most important act?

Today, Purim, many wear costumes and tomorrow, Shabbat. we read of the High Priest's garments. But what is the mmost important Purim deed?

True beauty comes from within

People invest time and effort in improving their external and not their internal self. The Mishkan teaches us to change our priorities

The "pit" in our generation - Parashat Mishpatim

Mishpatim lists 4 types of damages to another person. A new variety unique to our time, the internet, is today's "pit" in the public arena.

"All beginnings are difficult" except for what isn’t

The Sages teach that “all beginnings are difficult”. But in spirituality the goal is the spiritual progress made on the way to a goal.

There are no shortcuts to faith

G-d performed miracles for Bnai Yisrael during the Exodus but he did not purify them miraculously. That had to be a personal effort.

A great nation looks for great answers

The Jews were not freed from Egypt merely to become a nation, and not just to establish a Jewish state in the Land of Israel.

“Every man has a name"

in Parshat Shemot we find quite a few people whom the Torah chooses not to call by name. What is this intended to teach us?

A switch rooted in nature

There are many commandments in Judaism that are easy for us to fulfill, but there are also ones hard for us to understand and perform.

The Egyptian Exile and the Exile of our Generation

Yaakov finds it hard to leave the Land even to see Joseph and does so only after G-d's encouragement - and Judah's prepartation.

The power of song

Rabbi Nachman:Jacob, when he sent his ten tribes to Egypt, sent with them a melody of Eretz Yisrael to be sung before the ruler..

Jelly or Chocolate: What are we filled with?

There is a very interesting connection between the holiday of Hanukkah and the Torah portion of the week. Joseph's pit is a parable.

A winning combination

Jacob's fear at meeitng Esau shows the merit of living in Israel. Even today, we must show the world that the land belongs to the Jews.

The power of thought

A few words in the Zohar that seem to describe a geographical location provide insight into our entire.essence.

For whom are we praying?

The way that Rivka and Yitzchak's prayers were answered teaches us that G-d has His own accounting when it comes to prayer.

Did Avraham Avinu “love” G-d or “fear” Him?

At Avraham's tenth and most difficult test, Akeidat Yitzchak, the Torah praises him as "G-d-fearing," and not as one who loves G-d.

Where is Avraham’s resume?

In our first encounter with Avraham, the Torah teaches us the basic knowledge that underlies the existence of the people of Israel.

The 'after the holidays' rain test

The Land of Israel desperately needs rain during the winter, so why postpone praying for rain for 15 days from the end of Sukkot?

Correcting a sin from the days of creation

Was the real sin of Adam and Eve impatience?

Why rejoice at the end and not at the beginning?

Why is the holiday "Simchat Torah" celebrated when we complete the reading of the Torah, and not when we begin the new cycle?

The Scent of the Willow

There is an intrinsic reason why we need to hold the 4 species as we do. How does this connect to the true smell of the Arava?

The end of the end

Moshe Rabbeinu teaches us that it is always worthwhile to save the most important message for the end. Let's see how he does this himself.

Saving the most important for last

Just before his death, Moshe Rabbeinu remembered two mitzvot One is about correcting the group and the other about correcting the individual

Confession of good?

Many think that in order to repent one must look evil, the affair teaches us that the secret of success is actually in looking good.

Is it all or nothing?

Do we say we are still in exile if everything is not perfect in Israel, or as religious Zionism does, show gratitude for what we do have.

Can we really choose between pizza and borekas?

Judaism teaches that we have free will, but there are scientists and philosophers who disagree. Is it possible to bridge the gap?

Just tell me what you want from me! - on Parshat Dvarim

Everything that happens to us can can have a different interpretation. But how do we know which is right & how does this relate to COVID-19?

Summarizing is the key to moving forward

We see the full picture when we make a summary and the Torah, in listing the journeys, teaches us to look at things in a broad perspective.

Zealot in deed and zealot in the heart

Despite Torah's praise for Pinchas' zealousness, educators throughout Jewish history don't do the same. So what is the Torah teaching us?

Good and bad are a matter of perspective

What is the difference between the students of Abraham and the students of Bilam? And what are the three levels of having a 'good eye?'

"Sorry, I'm not good at this"

The "Thirteen Principles" for those who want to get involved with matchmaking.

"Did you understand that?"

Intellectual commandments and auditory commandments - and the differences between them.

Who is the Korach of our day?

Korach asked a good question: If the whole nation is holy, why are only priests allowed in the Temple? The answer has implications today.

This is my native country - is it true?

Even the Patriarch Abraham's homeland was not Israel, so what was his connection with the land - and ours today?

To where did Jerusalem Day disappear?

Yom Yerushalayim was at first celebrated nationwide, but sadly, it has become a holiday limited to Religious Zionists.

Knowledge of Torah is not enough to lead to real change in us

Like food which when digested becomes part of a person, when one delves into Torah it becomes part of him and he becomes a better person.

Rashbi - The special power to look deeply inside yourself

The power of Rashbi to see the pure essence of any Jewish soul is probably the main reason that millions of Jews visit his grave every year