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Home -> 5778 -> Noach

נח איש צדיק תמים היה בדורותיו

Roberto Szerer
In Noach, 5778

Noach was a righteous man perfect in his generations. (6:9)

We do not find another leader treated as negatively and judged as harshly as Noach. The Torah writes, Tamim hayah b’dorosav; “Perfect in his generations.” Chazal interpret, “in his generations” in two ways. Some maintain this to be praiseworthy. Noach was righteous and perfect, even though he lived in a generation that was so corrupt that it had to be wiped out. Others counter that this statement is far from laudatory. Indeed, it implies that Noach’s righteousness was viewed relative to his community. They were so evil that they made him look good! The issue is not whether Noach was…

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Home -> 5778 -> Bo

תקע בשופר גדול לחרותנו

Roberto Szerer
In Bo, 5778

Teka b’Shofar Gadol l’cheiruseinu. Sound the great Shofar for our freedom

Teka b’Shofar is the tenth blessing of the Shemoneh Esrai. The specific designation of the number ten with regard to the ingathering of the exiles is not lost. Kibbutz galuyos, ingathering of the exiles, and returning to the Holy Land have been our national dream since the tragedy of the destruction of the Temple, which was provoked in part by the infighting among the people – sinaas chinam, unwarranted hatred. The return must be one embraced and personified by unity. Divisive quarreling among Jews is the sad result of arrogance and envy. One who is humble does not envy, since…

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Home -> 5778 -> Bo

והיה כי יאמרו אליכם בניכם מה העבדה הזאת לכם

Roberto Szerer
In Bo, 5778

And it shall be that when your children say to you, “What is this service to you?” (12:26)

The Torah addresses four “sons” – each one different from the other. One is wise; one is (called) wicked; one is simple; the last one is uninitiated, unable to ask. They all have one common denominator: they are sons. One deals differently with a son. One does not attempt to “best” a son; one seeks to teach a son, to enlighten, to help him understand, to inspire him. Thus, regardless of who the son is, how he acts, or how he presents his questions – remember, he is still your son. We do not seek to prevail, to triumph, over…

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Home -> 5778 -> Bo

שבעת ימים שאר לא ימצא בבתיכם

Roberto Szerer
In Bo, 5778

For seven days, leaven may not be found in your houses. (12:19)

Preparing for Pesach is a daunting task – one made increasingly more difficult with the stipulation that not even the smallest crumb of leaven may be in one’s possession. It goes without saying that this measure is prohibited for human consumption. At first glance, this law is strange. Indeed, the laws concerning chametz are unique in comparison with other maachalos asuros, prohibited foods. The halachah of mashehu, whereby even the slightest measure of chametz is prohibited, and, if it mingles with other food, the entire unit is prohibited, is different from other prohibited foods in which bitul, nullification, applies. Even…

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Home -> 5778 -> Bo

ושמרתם את המצות... ושמרתם את היום הזה לדרתיכם חקת עולם

Roberto Szerer
In Bo, 5778

You shall safeguard the matzos… you shall observe this day for your generations as an eternal decree. (12:17)

Procrastination is a major hindrance when it comes to getting something done. Certainly, no one will hire a worker to complete a job knowing that this worker has a reputation as a procrastinator. On the other hand, one would find himself hard-pressed to call a procrastinator evil. Unreliable perhaps, but evil? Certainly not. Horav Shlomo Wolbe, zl, teaches us that, with regard to mitzvah performance, procrastination, delay of any sort, is characteristic of the pull of the yetzer hora, evil-inclination, over us, and, thus, sufficient reason to refer to it as an evil trait. The Torah admonishes U’shemartam es ha’matzos,…

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Home -> 5778 -> Bo

ויהי חשך אפלה בכל ארץ מצרים שלשת ימים

Roberto Szerer
In Bo, 5778

And there was a thick darkness throughout the land of Egypt for a three-day period. (10:22)

Egypt was plunged into three days of overwhelming darkness, a blackness so heavy that the Egyptians were unable to move. If the purpose of the darkness was to impede the Egyptians’ ability to see, Hashem could have struck them with blindness. It happened in Sodom, when the townspeople were about to attack the Angels who had come to save Lot. Hashem could simply have blinded the Egyptians without creating such a heavy darkness. The Chasam Sofer, zl, explains that it is well-known that when a person loses the power of one of his senses, the other senses become more acute….

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Home -> 5778 -> Bereishis

רופא חולי עמו ישראל

Roberto Szerer
In Bereishis, 5778

Rofei cholei amo Yisrael. Who heals the sick of His nation, Yisrael.

The Yearos Devash teaches that, upon reciting the brachah, blessing, of healing, we are to also have in mind the Torah sages whose strength has been sapped due to their total dedication to Torah study. Prior to the cheit ha’eigel, sin of the Golden Calf, Torah students were muscular and powerful, but, following the sin, their strength waned. This (explains the Yearos Devash) is the reason that Moshe Rabbeinu’s arms became weary, to the point that he was no longer able to carry the Luchos, Tablets. Torah is our life-source, and our Torah sages are the conduit by which it…

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Home -> 5778 -> Bereishis

ולא יחבששו

Roberto Szerer
In Bereishis, 5778

And they were not ashamed. (2:25)

Prior to eating of the Eitz HaDaas, Tree of Knowledge, Adam and Chavah had no idea concerning the significance of tznius, moral modesty/privacy. Thus, they were not embarrassed by their lack of clothing, since, as Rashi explains, the concept of tznius allows a person to distinguish between good and bad. In other words, tznius is the barometer and medium by which one determines whether his actions are good or bad. By maintaining a tznius demeanor in thought, action and dress, one diminishes the opportunity for, and possibility of, improper temptation that can lead to sinful behavior. Guarding against a breakdown…

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Home -> 5778 -> Bereishis

בראשית ברא אלקים

Roberto Szerer
In Bereishis, 5778

In the beginning of G-d’s creating. (1:1)

Elokim is the Name of Hashem which denotes the attribute of Middas Ha’Din, Strict Justice. Rashi quotes the Midrash that posits that: Bitchilah, at first, alah b’machshavto, it entered “His mind” to create the world with Din, Justice; Ra’ah, He saw, that ein ha’olam miskayeim, the world under strict judgment cannot survive; He added Rachamim, the Attribute of Mercy, to temper the Din. Justice is the ideal state of the world, with man being treated as he deserves. If he acts inappropriately – he is punished. If he is virtuous – he receives reward. It is tit-for-tat, according to one’s…

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Home -> 5778 -> Bereishis

וישלחהו ד' אלקים מגן עדן לעבד את האדמה אשר לקח משם

Roberto Szerer
In Bereishis, 5778

So Hashem G-d banished him from Gan Eden to work the soil from which he was taken. (3:23)

The sin of Adam HaRishon had immediate and long-lasting repercussions. It was now impossible for Hashem to allow him to remain a guest in Gan Eden. Eating from the fruit of the Eitz HaDaas had changed him from a creation whose entire focus was spirituality – who had no inclination for anything but good – to a man who could now discriminate between good and bad. He was on a higher spiritual plane than animals, but was no longer on a level on par with angels. Man had now become unique among the terrestrial creatures, just as Hashem is unique among…

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