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ועשית בגדי קדש... לכבוד ולתפארת

And you shall make vestments of sanctity… for glory and splendor. (28:2)

Some of us get carried away by the impression we develop based upon an individual’s attire.  In reality, it is difficult to ignore– or not be impressed by– one who is impeccably dressed, his clothing perfectly cut to his body’s form, the material and color drawing attention to the wearer’s position in life.  Our first impression is generally governed by outside appearances, of which clothing plays a leading role.  Of course, if the wearer opens his mouth and spews forth one foolish statement after another, our first impression will be impugned, and our next impression invariably overpowers it.  A wise…

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והיה בשמעו את דברי האלה הזאת והתברך בלבבו לאמר שלום יהיה לי כי בשררת לבי אלך... לא יאבה ד' סלח לו

And it will be that when he hears the words of this imprecation, he will bless himself in his heart, saying, “Peace will be with me, though I walk as my heart sees fit…” Hashem will not be willing to forgive him. (29:18, 19)

We hear it all of the time, “It is not me… True, bad things do happen, but – to others – not to me.” We have convinced ourselves that we are immune from punishment; disasters happen to others; tragedies are events that we read about – but they do not happen to us. It is almost as if we have sprayed ourselves with Teflon, preventing anything bad from happening directly to us. Ibn Ezra offers a rationale for this delusion: “Peace will be with me, though I walk as my heart sees fit.” I will live in the merit of…

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“I will provide peace in the land.” (26:6)

Rashi cites the Sifra, which suggests that the positioning of the blessing of peace climaxes the precious blessings of material abundance. The Torah teaches us that peace is equivalent to all the other blessings combined. What a wonderful blessing – peace among people. Imagine a community with no strife, no controversy. Indeed, when people are embroiled in dispute, they have no time or energy to enjoy the fruits of their success. They are too busy fighting. How is peaceful co-existence achieved? Commenting on the pasuk, Ibn Ezra explains, shalom beineichem, “peace among you.” Usually, we translate beineichem as “among you.” Perhaps,…

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“And you shall discern from among the entire people, men of accomplishment, G-d fearing people.” (18:21)

Ibn Ezra explains that those who genuinely fear Hashem do not fear people. A judge who is subject to Divine authority is swayed by neither bribery nor threats. He responds to a Higher Authority. This implies that a person’s fear of man diminishes commensurate with his increasing fear of Hashem. With this in mind, Horav Sholom Schwadron, z.l., notes that one who feels that he has achieved yiraas Shomayim, fear of Heaven, should ask himself how much of earthly/human concerns he fears. Rav Schwadron substantiates Ibn Ezra’s thesis with a famous incident from Navi. Yonah Ha’Navi was fleeing Tarshish. While he…

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“This month shall be for you the beginning of the months.” (12:2)

The first mitzvah Klal Yisrael received as a nation was the mitzvah of Kiddush haChodesh, sanctifying the new moon. Indeed, the moon is  the  constellation  by  which  we  reckon  our  Yomim  Tovim, festivals; and Klal Yisrael is compared to the moon. Simply, this is due to  the waxing and waning of the moon every month. As the moon goes through a process of monthly renewal, so, too, does Klal Yisrael have the opportunity and ability to rejuvenate themselves spiritually. Even if a person has feelings of rejection, when he senses within himself a sort of spiritual deterioration,  he can reinvigorate himself…

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“But they shall not come and look as the holy (object) is inserted, lest they die.” (4:20)

Rashi explains that this pasuk refers to the insertion of the holy objects into their coverings, a task performed by the Kohanim. The Leviim are not permitted to view this procedure. The Ibn Ezra adds two similar opinions.  One view suggests that this pasuk is an admonition against the Leviim entering to see the dismantling of the paroch’es, partition/ curtain from before the Aron Ha’Kodesh. The other view contends that the Leviim are prohibited from seeing the Aron when it is uncovered or revealed. This opinion is confirmed in the Midrash, which cites the Navi in Shmuel I 6:19, in…

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

Rashi asks a question regarding makas choshech, the plague of darkness, which he does not ask concerning any of the other plagues: Why did Hashem specifically bring about the plague of darkness? He answers that there were Jews in Egypt who refused to leave. They would rather choose to live with the slavery, suffering and persecution that Egypt had to offer than risk possible death in the wilderness. During these three days of darkness these Jews died and were buried by their brethren. Resigned to remaining in the position in which they were before the plague began because of the…

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

Rashi asks a question regarding makas choshech, the plague of darkness, which he does not ask concerning any of the other plagues: Why did Hashem specifically bring about the plague of darkness? He answers that there were Jews in Egypt who refused to leave. They would rather choose to live with the slavery, suffering and persecution that Egypt had to offer than risk possible death in the wilderness. During these three days of darkness these Jews died and were buried by their brethren. Resigned to remaining in the position in which they were before the plague began because of the…

Continue Reading

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

Rashi asks a question regarding makas choshech, the plague of darkness, which he does not ask concerning any of the other plagues: Why did Hashem specifically bring about the plague of darkness? He answers that there were Jews in Egypt who refused to leave. They would rather choose to live with the slavery, suffering and persecution that Egypt had to offer than risk possible death in the wilderness. During these three days of darkness these Jews died and were buried by their brethren. Resigned to remaining in the position in which they were before the plague began because of the…

Continue Reading

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

Rashi asks a question regarding makas choshech, the plague of darkness, which he does not ask concerning any of the other plagues: Why did Hashem specifically bring about the plague of darkness? He answers that there were Jews in Egypt who refused to leave. They would rather choose to live with the slavery, suffering and persecution that Egypt had to offer than risk possible death in the wilderness. During these three days of darkness these Jews died and were buried by their brethren. Resigned to remaining in the position in which they were before the plague began because of the…

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