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שבעת ימים תאכל עליו מצות לחם עני כי בחפזון יצאת מארץ מצרים

For seven days, you shall eat matzos, because of it, the bread of affliction for you departed from the land of Egypt in haste. (16:3)

Is it bread of affliction or bread commemorating the haste in which Bnei Yisrael left Egypt? Veritably, the Jewish People, as slaves to Pharaoh, ate only matzah, which is considered poor man’s bread, because it takes longer to digest and allows the person to feel “satiated” longer. This was their bread of affliction. When they left Egypt, they left in a hurry; thus, their dough could not rise long enough to become bread. Sforno wonders why the Torah gives two reasons for lechem oni. He explains that Hashem took all the afflictions of Bnei Yisrael into consideration, and, as a…

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איכה אשא לבדי טרחכם ומשאכם וריבכם

Eichah, how can I alone bear your contentiousness, your burdens, and your quarrels. (1:12)

Chazal (Eichah Rabbah 1:1) observe that three leaders prophesized using the word eichah, how: Moshe Rabbeinu, Yeshayahu, and Yirmiyahu. Moshe said, Eichah essa levadi? “How can I alone bear?” Yeshayahu said, Eichah haysah l’zonah kiryah ne’emanah? “How has the faithful city become a harlot?” (Yeshayahu 1:21). Yirmiyahu said, Eichah yashvah vadad? “How she sits alone” (Eichah 1:1). This, say Chazal, may be compared to a woman who had three guests: one she saw when she was successful; the other when she was failing; and, the third, following her downfall. According to the Midrash, the three eichah’s represent a timeline of…

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אם כמות כל האדם ימותון אלה ופקודת כל האדם יפקד עליהם לא ד' שלחני

If these die like the death of all men and the destiny of all men is visited upon them, then it is not Hashem Who has sent me. (16:29)

Korach and his henchmen impugned the integrity of Moshe Rabbeinu’s leadership. This was a mutiny against our quintessential leader and what he represented – Hashem and His Torah. This was unmitigated chutzpah at its nadir. We have unfortunately had despots throughout our nation’s history who have raised their fists against Torah leadership and have denounced our nation’s bond with the Torah. Korach, however, was the first to breach the peaceful coexistence of our people and disparage its leadership. His punishment was equally unparalleled: He went to his grave – alive. The entire Korach debacle begs elucidation. First, the Torah has…

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ויעש כן אהרן... כאשר צוה ד' את משה

Aharon did so… as Hashem had commanded Moshe. (8:3)

Rashi writes: L’hagid shevacho shel Aharon – she’lo shinah, “To tell the praise of Aharon, in that he did not deviate.” This statement begs elucidation. Would it enter anyone’s imagination to suggest that Aharon might have deviated from Hashem’s command? A number of expositions explain Rashi’s statement. The Sifrei Chassidus have a twist on the definition of the word shinah, deviate. When we take into consideration that Aharon would prepare and light the Menorah twice daily, it might be appropriate to say that he never tired of his function. The same passion and love that he manifested in the morning,…

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ויהי אנשים אשר היו טמאים לנפש אדם ולא יכלו לעשות הפסח... ויאמרו... אנחנו טמאים... למה נגרע לבלתי הקריב את קרבן ד' במעדו

There were men who had been contaminated by a human corpse and could not make the Pesach-offering… they said, “We are contaminated… why should we be diminished by not offering Hashem’s offering in its appointed time?” (9:6,7)

A debate in the Talmud (Succah 25a) concerns the identity of the men who were contaminated. Rabbi Yosi HaGlili says that they were the pallbearers of Yosef’s coffin. Rabbi Akiva says they were Mishael and Elitzafan, who were occupied with the corpses of Nadav and Avihu. In any event, these were not ordinary Jews who wanted to display their religious commitment. These were men who were sincerely concerned about being left out as the nation celebrated the offering of the Korban Pesach. We wonder what these men were thinking. They were fully aware of their situation: they were tamei –…

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איש על דגלו באתת לבית אבתם

Each man by his banner, according to the insignias of his father’s household. (2:2)

While talents, skills, acumen, financial support and family background each plays a role in one’s success, the role is, at best, supportive. The attribute which plays the leading role in garnering one’s success is ambition, one’s aspiration and striving to work his way to the top. Personal effort, dedication and the ability to withstand and ultimately overcome challenges, lay the groundwork upon which success is established. It is the interplay of these elements that shapes an individual’s journey towards the top. This does not, by any means, disregard the role of talents, financial resources and upbringing. It is just that,…

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והייתי לכם לאלקים ואתם תהיו לי לעם

I will be G-d unto you, and you will be a people unto Me. (26:12)

For what more can one ask? When we look around at an environment whose degenerative societal values and plummeting moral compass and virtue are pervasive, we should feel a sense of relief and deep pride that we are part of the am kadosh, holy nation. A life wholly dedicated to moral purity, ethical integrity, virtue and kindness is, in and of itself, deeply fulfilling. It involves a strong sense of purpose and adherence to the ethical and moral principles of the Torah. In order to achieve these lofty goals, Torah study and prayer play central roles in a life dedicated…

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לא יבקר בין טוב לרע ולא ימירנו ואם המר ימירנו והיה הוא ותמורתו יהיה קדש

He shall not distinguish between good and bad and he shall not substitute for it, and if he does substitute for it, then it and its substitute shall be holy. (27:33)

The Torah addresses the laws of maaser beheimah, tithing of animals. Unlike other offerings, for which it is most appropriate to select the choicest animal, the tithe is left purely to chance. Even if the tenth animal to be selected is blemished and thus disqualified from being offered on the Altar, it remains maaser. It is consecrated and may be used only for food. One may neither work with it, nor shear its wool. If, however, he does substitute it (temurah) for another animal, it and its substitute are both holy. Once sanctified, it remains so. Horav Tzvi Hirsch Ferber,…

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ולקחתם לכם ... פרי עץ הדר כפת תמרים וענף עץ עבת וערבי נחל

You shall take for yourselves … an esrog (the fruit of a citron tree), a lulav (the branches of date palms), hadas (twigs of a plaited tree/myrtle), and aravos (brook willows). (23:40)

Chazal (Succah 37b) state that one is to take the lulav (held) in his right hand, while he takes the esrog in the left. The reason for this is that the lulav includes three mitzvos: lulav, hadas, aravah; the esrog is singular. This does not seem consistent with the Midrash’s (Vayikra Rabbah 30:12) characterization of the symbolic representation of each of the arba minim, four species. The four species allude to four types of Jews. The esrog, pri eitz hadar, the beautiful fruit of a tree, has taam and reiach, taste as well as fragrance. It parallels the talmid chacham,…

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כי ביום הזה יכפר עליכם

For on this day, he shall provide atonement for you. (16:30)

The Yom Kippur service revolves around the Kohen Gadol, in the sense that he has the leading role in performing the service, the culmination of which is his entrance into the Kodesh HaKodoshim, Holy of Holies. The Kohen Gadol had been accorded extraordinary honor when he left his home one week prior to Yom Kippur, enroute to the Bais HaMikdash. Tens of thousands of Kohanim and Leviim, along with the rest of Klal Yisrael, accompanied him on this “journey.” This display of kavod haTorah, honor accorded to a person who represents Torah, was unusual. What did the Kohen Gadol do…

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