In the staccato cadence of ongoing events in parashat Lech Lecha, one might easily overlook a character who stealthily appears in the background. It is like a seemingly bit-part actor among the stars, while it later becomes apparent that he is, in fact, the dominant character. Who is this mystery man?
Today we see the unrelenting, ardent acceleration of every factor in our lives: medical research, technology, physiology, surgery, astronomy, worldwide online meetings, etc. Is there something special about our time that is causing the rush to complete things?
Sukkot was different that year because Reb Yisrael had learned from his rabbi that one of the reasons for residing temporarily in a sukkah is in case one’s destiny was decided on Rosh HaShana to be expulsion into galut.
Yom HaKipurim and Purim; is there an analogous feature between these two auspicious days, apart from the similarity of the letters “p-u-r-i-m”?
Every Jew – man and woman, is alluded to in the intricate texts of the Bible, as are the manifold episodes of every generation hidden behind some word or phrase in the Torah.
Where is our generation alluded to in the Torah?
Moshe and the Jewish people have experienced unprecedented occurrences: the ten plagues, splitting of the Red Sea, receiving the Torah from the Almighty Himself at Mount Sinai, the Manna, Miriam’s Well, the defeat of the mighty Sichon and Og and other innumerable miracles.
Why then did Moshe say to the Jewish people: You have declared this day that the Lord is your God… And the Lord has declared this day that you are His people…?
