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

Rashi cites a debate among the Sages concerning Noach’s true spiritual plateau. Some maintain that Noach’s ability to sustain his righteous achievement, despite being surrounded by a generation of corruption, is to his credit. Indeed, had he lived in Avraham Avinu’s time, he would have achieved much more. Others maintain that Noach’s righteousness was relative to a generation that was morally and ethically corrupt. Had he lived in Avraham Avinu’s time, he would have paled in comparison. Veritably, a person should be judged in accordance with his environment, his challenges, his generation. Apples should be compared to apples. There is one…

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“And (so) Moshe, servant of Hashem, died there.” (34:5)

The Torah‘s description of Moshe Rabeinu’s passing from this world seems to be an innocuous event. Horav Dovid Feinstein Shlita takes note of the word oa – “there.” He suggests that the Torah is implying that Moshe had only died “there,” suggesting that he did not die in other places. Indeed, Moshe’s soul lives on in all places where Torah is learned and lived, in order to inspire every Jew throughout history. We may apply this insight to the actual concept of life and death. One who lives his life in this world and leaves it in the manner in…

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And neither shall you set up a pillar which Hashem your G-d hates.” (16:22)

Rashi notes that, although the pillar was beloved by Hashem during the days of the Patriarchs, He now hates it because the Canaanim had employed it for idolatry. This comment is puzzling. The pagans also worshipped on altars, but altars were not prohibited by Hashem. Why did He single out the pillars to be forbidden? Perhaps, we can suggest a homiletic interpretation of this law. Prior to the Torah‘s transmission to Klal Yisrael, a Jew’s potential level for achievement was limited. Through the Torah and mitzvos, however, Hashem structured a new mandate to Klal Yisrael. They now had the obligation…

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“And he shall flee unto one of these cities and he shall live.” (4:42)

  The Rambam states that a student who is exiled to the cities of refuge because he has inadvertently killed a fellow Jew must be accompanied by his Torah teacher. He cites the word “hju” – “and he shall live”, as the basis for this law. Torah is the lifeblood of a Jew. Torah study keeps one’s soul alive in this world and enables him to continue life even after his physical death. Since a student cannot properly study without his teacher, his “rebbe” is obligated to go with him. One who understands the value of this life force will…

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If in My statutes you shall walk, and My commandments you shall keep, and do them.” (26:3)

Rashi interprets the Torah’s imperative to “walk” in Hashem’s statutes as meaning to toil laboriously in the study of Torah. It seems peculiar that Torah study, which is an intellectual pursuit of knowledge, should be characterized by the term “chok” – which denotes a statute whose rationale is not necessarily comprehensible by human intelligence.               Horav Simcha Zisel Shlita explains that the Torah is teaching us the proper perspective with which one should view Torah study. Torah study should be more than an exercise in mental gymnastics; rather, it should be a total immersion of one’s essence in the…

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ויאמר לו ד' לכן כל הרג קין שבעתים יקם

Hashem said to him, “Therefore whoever slays Kayin, before seven generations have passed he will be punished.” (4:15)

Kayin sinned egregiously, going down in history as the first murderer. He took the idyllic state of Gan Eden and transformed it into a killing field. What makes his deed all the more pernicious is the reason for the murder: jealousy. Instead of learning from Hevel’s act of offering a korban, sacrifice, from his choicest flocks, Kayin killed him. Envy does that to a person, blinding him from seeing what is usually a simple truth that could change his life. Instead, he kills the messenger. Kayin realized too late that he acted disastrously, but he repented. Hashem accepted Kayin’s teshuvah,…

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“With righteousness you shall judge your fellow.” (19:15)

In expounding on this pasuk, Rashi cites the famous dictum of Chazal in Pirkei Avos, “Judge all men in a favorable, meritorious light.” This axiom is more than good advice, it should be the accepted manner in which a Jew interacts with his fellow man. The Sfas Emes interprets the words “kol adam,” not as “everyman,” but as the “whole man.” If one wishes to find some merit in a person, he should judge him as a whole. He should not focus only upon his faults. Rather, he should look at the whole individual, and he will surely find some…

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“Speak to the entire assembly of Bnei Yisrael and say to them: You shall be holy.” (19:2)

Rashi explains that this section was proclaimed when all the people were assembled because most of the fundamental laws of the Torah are dependent on it. Many other mitzvos apply to only a particular segment of the nation, such as kohanim, leviim, the first-born, the males, etc.. The call to holiness, however, includes all of Klal Yisrael. Each person is implored to sanctify himself to the best of his ability. Each and every Jew has their own individual uniqueness which should be nurtured, developed, and sanctified l’shem shomayim, for the sake of Heaven. As Horav Eli Munk, z.l., notes, the…

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“And you shall make a candelabra of pure gold, hammered out shall the candelabra be made.” (25:31)

Chazal teach us that the menorah was the only vessel which was “mikshah,” hammered out. Its various parts were “drawn out” from an original mass of gold by means of the beating of a hammer.  The commentators, each in his own inimitable style, suggest rationales for the distinct technical deviation in the shaping of the menorah. We suggest the following reason. In his commentary on Avos 4:17, the Maharal explains the Mishnah which states: There are three crowns, the crown of Torah, the crown of Kehunah, and the crown of royalty, but the crown of a shem tov, good name,…

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“And he (Yisro) said (to Moshe), ‘What is this thing that you are doing to the people? Why do you sit by yourself?'” (18:14)

The simple interpretation of this dialogue between Yisro and Moshe is that Yisro was concerned that Moshe not overexert himself by attempting to be the sole adjudicator for the entire nation. After all, Moshe was still a human being, and he would not be able to maintain the physical stamina required to continue functioning in this capacity. Horav Dovid Feinstein, Shlita, suggests that Yisro’s concern was not so much for Moshe’s physical well-being, as it was for Klal Yisrael’s educational development. When Yisro came to Moshe, he did not ask, “What are you doing to yourself ?” – but rather,…

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