Avrohom Avinu is often referred to as ‘the first Jew’. He stood out from the masses in one important way. He searched for truth. He lived by the truth. He always did what was right. “Avraham, from his earliest childhood, began his own intellectual search for truth and...
Abraham in his life time endured ten great challenges. He withstood them all. (Pirkei Avos 5) Abraham was not the first human being to be tested by G-d. Adam and Eve were also tested; but they were not able to stand up to God’s test. The generations following Adam...
Adam and Eve had three sons. The first two were the famous Cain and Abel. The third is introduced in the following manner. "When Adam had lived 130 years, he begot a son in his likeness after his image [bid'muso k'tsalmo], and named him Seth" (Gen. 5:3). Similar...
"He is a wise child who chooses a good grandfather." I recently spoke at a conference of baalei teshuvah. Someone came over and introduced himself to me as a great grandson of the Pnei Yehoshua. While in college he learned that he had such an illustrious grandfather....
This Thursday we will commemorate the Tenth of Tevet. The day Nebuchadnezar began his occupation of Jerusalem. All the Jews had lived in the Land of Israel for eight hundred and fifty years. The Bais HaMikdash in Jerusalem, built by Shlomo HaMelech, was four hundred...
In honor of my Children Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch and Raizy Haber of Los Angeles, who gave birth to a baby boy last night. May all their children walk in the light of Hashem with health and happiness. I marvel at the story of the great Talmudic sage, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi....
(Midrash Rabba) עשר פעמים כתיב בני חת כנגד עשרת הדיברות In the merit of the ten negotiations that Abraham had with the Hittite people; his descendants merited the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. Avrohom Avinu was already well through his life when his wife Sarah...
So much happened in the life of Abraham that is not recorded in the Torah. The Midrashim are full of information about Avraham Avinu’s life. When the Torah begins to tell us about Abraham he is already at the advanced age of seventy five. Abraham already lived a full...
Were you ever called upon to walk into the unknown; to step into the wilderness for something you believe in? Were you ever asked to take a risk in order to benefit a much higher cause? Were you ever asked to resist the culture of the crowd when your heart tells you...
“These Are The Flood Waters Of Noah!” Isaiah 54;9 Noah said to Moshe: ‘I’m greater than you; I was saved from the generation of the flood.’ Moshe said to Noah: ‘You saved yourself but you couldn’t save the world. I saved the world.’ (Yalkut Devarim 33;951) God saw how...
I remember taking a walk with my wife in one of the towns along the Hudson. We stumbled upon an art gallery. From the window we could see an unusual amount of Judaica so we decided to walk in. In fact the proprietor was an Israeli woman, happy to see us she began...
If the sons of Yaakov were such great men why did they want to kill their brother? The sons of Yaakov were all great men. The Medrash draws a metaphor to a king who wanted to build a beautiful palace. He tried building it on one support pillar and it collapsed. On...
There were times that the Jews were attacked by an Esav who murdered and robbed. There were times when Jews had to resist the lure of pagan glamour. There were times when Esav came with scholarship and with ministerial robes and there were times that Esav spoke of love, caring and a yearning to show us a better way to heaven. All the Esav’s of history had one thing in common. They endeavored to stop the Jews from leading their own unique spiritual life and have them abandon their nationalistic aspirations. Somehow we have survived them all.
In this week's parsha, we read how Isaac married Rebecca. "And Isaac entreated the L-rd opposite [`lenochach'] his wife, because she was barren; and the L-rd let Himself be entreated by him, and Rebecca his wife conceived" (Gen. 25:21). Rashi explains "lenochach" by...
When I was a young Yeshiva bochur I was impressed with intelligence. I looked at the Gedolim and was in awe of their intellect. They seemed to know everything. Now, as I get older I’m less impressed with intellect and much more taken with their kindness. People tell...
In order to succeed in our business or profession we must never allow ourselves to live by reacting. If we are reacting we are not in control. If we are reacting we are living for other peoples agendas. If we are reacting we are stressed out and we go to sleep every...
Abraham did not travel alone. Apart from his many followers, he had three companions: Aner, Eshkol and Mamre. When God commanded Abram (henceforth Abraham) to circumcise himself and his male household, he asked advice from these three friends in turn, as to whether he...
In 1993 I traveled from Australia to Hong Kong. I was invited by the Hong Kong community to lead a Shabbaton. A wonderful Sephardic Jew by the name of David Darvish picked me up at the airport. As we drove from the airport through one of the most glamorous cities in...
Every neshama has a purpose and a unique excellence of its own. No two neshamos should be striving for the same goal. As much as we all have to try to succeed in everything we do, each one of us has a specialty which should be the emphasis of our lives. So, you may...
In today's parsha, we read how Joseph reveals himself to his brothers. "And Joseph could not restrain himself before all his attendants, and he cried out: `Let every man go out from before me'. And no man stood with him, when Joseph made himself known to his brothers"...
Sometimes saying 'Boruch Hashem' is not so easy. "If one digs deep into their soul to find blessing and then articulates that blessing in the form of praise to G-d, the Presence of G-d, the Shechina, will immediately rest on that individual and whatever they pray for...
“No man ever said on his deathbed, ‘I wish I had spent more time in the office.’” I've heard this sentimental quotation so many times in my life. I've heard it from motivational speakers, at Outreach seminars and even in Yeshivah. It seems to ring true. I don't know...
“Abraham was one, yet he inherited the land...” (Yechezkel 33; 24) ??? ??? ????? Abraham was alone, he was lonely, he was only one. He was alone in his fight against paganism; he was alone on his march of monotheism; and he was alone in his profound understanding of...
The first few chapters of the Torah tell us the story of the family of man. It all started, of course, with Adam and Eve. Cain and Abel were born; Cain killed Abel; Cain had a family and Abel had no descendants. Adam and Eve continued their process of procreation and...
Shmuel Fixler A"H, a wonderful Jew who lived in Buffalo, NY, when I served as Rabbi there, once taught me a valuable lesson. Reb Shmuel was a Holocaust survivor. He had been through Hell, and the Nazis not only murdered most of his family, they also killed his...
Lately, I’ve been intrigued by the struggle between good and evil, light and darkness, Yaakov and Esav. The actual struggle between these two brothers became the prototype of the Jewish struggle with myriads of outside forces and enemies that wanted to destroy us....
We know about giving up some of our personal comfort to help someone else. We know about giving up some of our spirituality to save a life or to help another human being live healthier. We even know about giving up personal comfort to help someone spiritually. But how...
Yaakov looked at his grandchildren and exclaimed: Mee Eileh? Who are these boys? Yaakov wasn't blind. Yitzchak was. Yitzchak couldn't tell Yaakov from Esav, he was blind. But now, Yosef brings his two sons Efraim and Menashe to his ailing father Yaakov. Yaakov...
The story of Yosef defies imagination. Picture yourself stuck in a dangerous pit, crawling with poisonous snakes, screaming out for help while catching a glimpse of your brothers sitting down to break bread, ignoring your pleas for mercy. When they finish eating they...
What kind of Jew cuts a deal with G-d? What a chutzpah to say to G-d: I will behave; I will do Your will - IF - You promise to take care of me. The true servant of G-d, you would think, worships his Creator with unconditional servitude. He or she will do G-d's...