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Home -> 5778 -> Yisro

וישמע יתרו

Roberto Szerer
In Yisro, 5778

Yisro heard. (18:1)

The name of a Parsha is not arbitrary. It has been chosen by design, for a reason, for a purpose, to teach a lesson. This brings us to the name of our parsha: Yisro. Unquestionably, Yisro was an extraordinary human being: father-in-law of both Moshe Rabbeinu and Elazar ben Aharon HaKohen Gadol and the grandfather of Pinchas, who is Eliyahu HaNavi, but do their relationships warrant that a parsha be named after him? It is not as if we have a parsha named for the Patriarchs, Yosef HaTzaddik or Aharon HaKohen. Veritably, our parsha is about Mattan Torah, the Giving…

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Home -> 5778 -> Beshalach

תקע בשופר גדול לחרותנו

Roberto Szerer
In Beshalach, 5778

– Teka b’Shofar gadol l’cheiruseiu. Sound the great Shofar for our Freedom.

Horav Levi Yitzchak, zl, m’Berditchev, was known as Klal Yisrael’s advocate, their defender who viewed everything through a positive lens. One Rosh Hashanah, following his derashah, lecture, preceding Tekias Shofar, he turned around, his back to the congregation, his face facing the Aron HaKodesh – and he began to cry bitterly. The congregation obviously waited patiently for their Rav – despite his incessant weeping, which seemed to go on and on. No one could think of a reason why specifically now, of all times, he was crying so passionately. Suddenly, he stopped crying and spoke softly to Hashem, like a…

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Home -> 5778 -> Beshalach

וירא ישראל את היד הגדולה אשר עשה ד' במצרים... ויאמינו בד' ובמשה

Roberto Szerer
In Beshalach, 5778

Yisrael saw the great hand that Hashem inflicted upon Egypt… and they had faith in Hashem and in Moshe. (14:31)

Krias Yam Suf, the Splitting of the Red Sea, left an indelible impression of faith in Hashem on the Jewish People. While they had witnessed varied miracles in Egypt, the miracles that accompanied Krias Yam Suf (Yalkut Meam Loaz enumerates fifty miracles) had a compelling effect on the Jewish spiritual mindset. Horav Asher Weiss, Shlita, relates the story of a father and his young son at the Seder table. The father was extolling the miracles connected with the Splitting of the Red Sea, when suddenly, his young, wise son interjected with a question. “Tell me, Father, why are we so…

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Home -> 5778 -> Beshalach

וירא ישראל את היד הגדולה אשר עשה ד' במצרים

Roberto Szerer
In Beshalach, 5778

Yisrael saw the great hand that Hashem inflicted upon Egypt. (14:31)

“Great hand” is explained by the Chafetz Chaim, zl, as far-reaching. At times, years could go by before we see the great hand. Things happen; some (apparently) positive, and others which appear to be negative. We do not understand why, but we maintain our faith that these are not haphazard occurrences. Everything is a piece in Hashem’s Divine Plan; everything has its assigned place. When we will be privy to the complete big picture, we will see with clarity how everything fits neatly into the puzzle of reality. Klal Yisrael suffered cruel and bitter persecution at the hand of the…

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Home -> 5778 -> Beshalach

וישאו בני ישראל את עיניהם והנה מצרים נסע אחריהם

Roberto Szerer
In Beshalach, 5778

Bnei Yisrael raised their eyes and behold! – Egypt was journeying after them. (14:10)

Klal Yisrael saw the united Egyptian Army coming after them. The word nosea, traveling, is written in the singular, rather than in the plural form, nosim. Rashi explains that the Egyptians came after the Jews b’lev echad k’ish echad, “with one heart, like one person.” In a similar exposition in Parshas Yisro, Rashi comments concerning Klal Yisrael’s coming to Har Sinai. Vayichan sham Yisrael, “and Yisrael camped there” (Shemos 9:2). Vayichan is singular, as opposed to vayachanu, which would be the proper plural conjugation form. Rashi expounds, k’ish echad b’lev echad, as one person with one heart. Notably, concerning Klal…

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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 -> 5778 -> Beshalach

ויהי בשלח פרעה את העם

Roberto Szerer
In Beshalach, 5778

It happened when Pharaoh sent out the people. (13:17)

Finally, after 210 years of brutal slavery, the Jewish People were free! The Exodus is among the most seminal experiences of our collective Jewish history. Every year we devote an entire festival to commemorating our freedom, our liberation from servitude. Zeicher l’yetzias Mitzrayim, “In remembrance of the exodus from Egypt” is a critical part of many tefillos, prayers. It has been over three thousand years since that auspicious moment of mass exodus from a tyrannical monarchy bent on destroying our people – and we still commemorate that moment. We must, however, sit back for a moment and ask ourselves: Have…

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Home -> 5778 -> Vaeira

קע בשופר גדול לחרותנו

Roberto Szerer
In Vaeira, 5778

Teka b’shofar gadol l’cheiruseinu. Sound the great shofar for our freedom.

In referencing the return of the exiles to our Holy Land, we underscore that our homeland has maintained its overwhelming loyalty to us. When we were gone from the Land and it was overrun with our conquerors, the Land did not produce for our enemies. Eretz Yisrael is in mourning over the loss of its children. It is only when we will return, with the advent of the Final Redemption, that the blessings which relate to Eretz Yisrael’s fertility and sustenance-giving nature will be fulfilled. Thus, we petition Hashem thrice daily that He return His children to His Land. This…

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Home -> 5778 -> Vaeira

ואלעזר בן אהרן לקח לו מבנות פוטיאל לו לאשה ותלד לו את פנחס

Roberto Szerer
In Vaeira, 5778

Elazar, a son of Aharon, took for himself from the daughters of Putiel as a wife, and she bore to him Pinchas. (6:25)

Rashi comments that the name Putiel refers to two ancestors of the wife of Elazar: Yisro and Yosef. Putiel was a name given to Yisro, because he fattened calves for idol worship. (Putiel is a contraction of Putim, fatten, and l’Kail, to G-d, for idol-worship – not Hashem.) Yosef HaTzaddik is also called Putiel (Putiel being derived from pitpet b’yitzro), because he disparaged or toyed with his yetzer hora.). This was not Yisro’s only other name. He had seven names. Why is it that with regard to Elazar’s wife, mother of Pinchas, the name of Yisro which is used is…

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Home -> 5778 -> Vaeira

ואלה שמות בני לוי לתלדתם גרשון וקהת ומררי

Roberto Szerer
In Vaeira, 5778

These were the sons of Levi in order of their birth: Gershon, Kehas and Merari. (6:16)

Shevet Levi was the one tribe that was excluded from the Egyptian bondage. They studied Torah all day, while their brethren slaved for Pharaoh. One should not think for a moment that they had it “easy,” since they did not work. Pharaoh was no fool. He knew that, as long as a segment of the Jewish People maintained its bond with the Torah, the nation would survive. In order to break Levi’s bond with the Torah, Pharaoh decreed that only those who worked were entitled to food: no work; no food. He thought that he could starve the Leviim into breaking…

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