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וידם אהרן

Moshe Marcovich
In Shemini, 5778

And Aharon was silent. (10:3)

With two words, “And Aharon was silent,” the Torah presents its standard for confronting tragedy, for dealing with grief. While this spiritual plateau is reserved for the “Aharon Hakohens” of our People, it is vital that we understand the profundity of his reaction, to achieve an understanding of his response to this tragedy. In this way, we are able to develop a deeper appreciation of his greatness and we have a model of the sublime level of spirituality to which we should aspire. When a person is, lo aleinu (not on us), confronted with tragedy, he, by nature, seeks an…

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Home -> 5778 -> Shemini

וידם אהרן

Moshe Marcovich
In Shemini, 5778

And Aharon was silent. (10:3)

Aharon HaKohen received schar, reward, for his silence and acceptance of Hashem’s decree. As a result of his silence, Hashem rewarded him with a “private” detailing of the mitzvah/prohibition against Kohanim entering the Sanctuary after having imbibed an intoxicating beverage. We are taught that every punishment and reward coincides middah k’neged middah, measure for measure, with the sin or mitzvah that catalyzed it. What is the middah k’neged middah whereby Aharon’s silence led to a private hearing of the mitzvah? The Bais Aharon quotes Chazal (Berachos 60a), “One must bless on bad (sad) tidings, as he does on good (happy)…

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Home -> 5778 -> Tzav

אש תמיד תוקד על המזבח לא תכבה

Roberto Szerer
In Tzav, 5778

Fire shall be kept continually on the Altar; it shall not go out. (6:6)

In the standard calculation of the Jewish day, daytime follows night. We daven Maariv, the Evening Service, hence ushering in the new day. Shacharis, the Morning Service, is actually the second service of the day. In the Mikdash, Sanctuary, it was the reverse, with evening following daytime. The way of the world is that the symbolic evening precedes the symbolic day. This means, explains Horav Nissen Alpert, zl, that (most often), before man is privy to “light,” to see what becomes of his toil and labor, he must sit it out in “darkness,” wait in hope that his efforts will…

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Home -> 5778 -> Terumah

דבר אל בני ישראל ויקחו לי תרומה מאת כל איש אשר ידבנו לבו

Roberto Szerer
In Terumah, 5778

Speak to Bnei Yisrael and let them take for Me a terumah/tithing/portion, from every man whose heart motivates him. (25:2)

Nedivas ha’lev, a donation from the sincerity of one’s heart, is the loftiest level of generosity. It is easy to write a check – if one has the money to back it. Easy come – easy go. Generosity of the heart demands sincerity; it is not about the amount of money that one gives. It is how much of himself he gives with that money. The purity of money is based upon the sincerity behind it. When one seeks to establish an abode for Hashem, a place where the Divine Presence will repose, it must be the result of funds…

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Home -> 5778 -> Beshalach

וחמשים עלו בני ישראל מארץ מצרים

Roberto Szerer
In Beshalach, 5778

And Bnei Yisrael went out from the land of Egypt, (well) armed. (13:19)

What benefit did the Jewish slaves – now turned free men – have from the weapons which they brought with them from Egypt? The commentators interpret chamushim as armed. This then provides proof positive that when Bnei Yisrael battled Amalek they had weapons to use against the enemy. Having weapons and knowing how to use them are quite different matters. Perhaps by the time Amalek attacked them, they had already trained somewhat in weaponry and battle. What would men who knew nothing but slavery for 210 years do with weapons? Why did they take something with them that they did…

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Home -> Shemos -> 5778

ויצו פרעה לכל עמו לאמר כל הבן הילוד היארה תשליכהו וכל הבת תחיון

Roberto Szerer
In 5778, Shemos

Pharaoh commanded his entire people, saying, “Every son that will be born – into the river you shall throw him! And every daughter shall you keep alive.” (1:22)

While Pharaoh had originally issued an edict for the Jewish midwives to kill the male Jewish babies and allow the females to live, he now wanted all of the boys – even Egyptians – drowned. This decree was the result of Pharaoh’s astrologers pinpointing the day that the Jewish savior would be born. They also foretold that his downfall would come through water. Thus, Pharaoh had all of the male children born on that day put to death through water. How small-minded they all were in thinking they could foil Hashem’s plan. Moshe Rabbeinu was raised in Pharaoh’s palace by none…

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Home -> Vayigash -> 5778

ולא יכלו אחיו לענות אתו כי נבהלו מפניו

Roberto Szerer
In 5778, Vayigash

But his brothers could not answer him because they were left disconcerted before him. (45:3)

  The Midrash notes the difficulty individuals experience in accepting rebuke. Bilaam ha’rasha, the evil pagan-prophet, could not stand up to the criticism of his donkey. The Shivtei Kah, the sons of Yaakov Avinu, were overwhelmed with fear when Yosef merely uttered the two words: Ani Yosef, “I am Yosef.” Imagine, says Abba Kohen Bardela, when we come before the Heavenly Tribunal and each and every one of us will be rebuked lfi mah she’hu, according to what he is, (or what he could have been). How will we stand up to this Heavenly remonstrance? In the Talmud Berachos 4b,…

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Home -> Mikeitz -> 5778

ברך עלינו... את השנה הזאת

Roberto Szerer
In 5778, Mikeitz

Bareich aleinu… es ha’shanah ha’zos. Bless us…this year

B’zeias apecha tochal lechem, “By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread” (Bereishis 3:19). Is this a curse – or a blessing? Horav Yitzchak Kirzner, zl, explains that people would now have to work to earn a living. The idyllic state of living in Paradise had come to a quick end. As a result of their sin, Adam and Chavah had plummeted from their original spiritual perch to a life filled with challenges. Had they remained on their exalted spiritual level, earning a livelihood would have had a negative connotation. Why waste so much precious time? Now, however,…

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Home -> Vayeishev -> 5778

יוסף ... היה רעה את אחיו בצאן

Roberto Szerer
In 5778, Vayeishev

Yosef … was a shepherd with his brothers by the flock. (37:2)

As parents, we have an awesome responsibility to infuse our children with proper middos, character traits, coupled with yiraas Shomayim, fear of Heaven, and an abiding commitment to Torah study and mitzvah performance. As parents, we are our children’s first and primary mentors. The rebbeim and moros that we choose for them are a reflection of our standards. Last, the joy in mitzvah observance that we present will have a lasting impression upon our children as they journey forward in the world. Horav Nissim Yagen, zl, relates the story of two American families who, on the outside, maintained similar lifestyles,…

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Home -> 5778 -> Vayishlach

עכרתם אותי להבאישני בישב הארץ

Roberto Szerer
In Vayishlach, 5778

You have decomposed me, making me odious among the inhabitants of the land. (34:30)

Although the men of Shechem were collectively guilty of Dinah’s violation, either for harboring the perpetrator or for not preventing the outrage, Yaakov Avinu felt that the actions of his two sons had disgraced him. To the average unlearned student of the “Bible,” this would be another “example” of Jewish obsequisness, fear of retaliation, of taking a stand for what is right. Baruch Hashem, there are those who understand the depth of Yaakov’s shame as being related to his position as the b’chir ha’Avos, chosen of the Patriarchs. Horav Mordechai Ilan, zl, observes that Yaakov’s middah, attribute, was emes, truth….

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