Divrei Mav

Parshas Ki Sisa 2018 Getting Motivated Ever feel like you’re just not into it? You just CAN’T get inspired or motivated? Let me tell you why this is. Moshe after spending forty days and forty nights on Har Sinai (Mount Sinai) and speaking directly to G-d, descended only to find his people dancing and singing around an idol.  At that very moment, the luchos (tablets) fell from his hands and broke. Interestingly, there is an opinion that our biblical leaders were not only spiritual giants, but they were also something that we call a “ gibur chayil ” physical specimen. They had a very large presence, usually tall and muscle-bound individuals.  If so, how is it possible that Moshe could drop the luchos ? Granted they were made of solid stone and he had been fasting for forty days but still we’re talking about THE greatest leader of our people, a very strong person!? Medrish Tanchuma tells us exactly what happened. Moshe received the tra...

Parshas Yisro A Man of Truth “And Yisro heard…” ( Shemos 18: 1) Allow me to introduce you to a man who is truly remarkable. This man is one of dignity and esteem, a minister and former adviser to the world authority, and a man of justice and truth. Our eventful parsha this week was named in his sake. This man’s name is “ Yisro” .  Yisro was not only a prominent figure politically, he was also the father-in-law to our very own Moshe Rabbeinu . What was so special about Yisro that he has an entire portion of the Torah in his namesake? But not just any portion but the very segment that relays the B’nai Yisroel receiving the Torah from Hashem ? As noted above, Yisro was a man of truth. He experimented with every religion and belief in his time, desperately searching for life’s meaning and purpose. He tried to serve the luminaries, constellations, and every inanimate object that was at one time called, “G-d”. Unfulfilled, time and time again. Yet his se...

PARSHAS VA'EIRA 2018 Understanding A Person’s Psyche We find our parsha beginning with Hashem reassuring Moshe that he will succeed in his mission and that he is indeed the man for the job. Moshe felt he was inadequate, for the Pharaoh as well as his own people disregarded what he was transmitting from Hashem . As the passuk says, “Moshe spoke accordingly to the Children of Israel; but they did not heed Moshe, because of shortness of breath and hard work. (Shemos 6:9) How can it be that a nation enslaved for 210 years wouldn’t even bother hearing what Moshe had to say about their Promised Land? Didn’t they want that more than anything? The answer is of course they did! Until now, Moshe had been telling them all about how Hashem was going to bring them to the “Promised Land” .... but they were suffering. It did, indeed sound nice to them, but the only thing on their minds was the slavery and their current oppression. We have an entire section of Halacha ...

Parshas Shemos The Unassuming Leader Moshe Rabbeinu would have been a very unlikely pick for a leader of over 600,000 people. Moshe was a man who was exiled from his land with no family and no home. It seemed he would be living as a fugitive his whole life in the desert of Midian . Yet, Hashem picked him to redeem the nation. As it says, “So now come, and I will send you to Pharaoh, and take My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt." (Shemos 3: 10) Why? What was so special about Moshe ?  To answer this, we need to understand what it takes to be a leader then, we can appreciate why Moshe was perfect for the job. Traditionally, a (great) leader is an individual who inspires others to move in the same direction for a specific cause. He is highly principled and committed and he inspires others in a way that is pervasive. Naturally, others tend to have confidence in him and believe in him. In a time of crisis, he will to step up and face the c...

Parshas Vayechi 2017 The Blessing in Yaakov’s Death This week’s  parsha  relays the events that transpired during the passing of our forefather  Yaakov  (Jacob).  Yaakov  prior to his death gave each of his sons a special blessing which would provide a foreshadowing of their makeup as a Tribe in the Nation. Only after he concluded bestowing each blessing did  Yaakov  pass. The  Torah  memorializes,  “When Yaakov finished instructing his sons, he drew his feet onto the bed; he expired and was gathered to his people.”    ( Genesis  49:33) The  gemora  (Talmud) in tractate  Taanis  (5b) says , “Our father Yaakov did not die.”  Interestingly, there is an opinion in the  gemora  that understands  Yaakov’s  “death” to be more figurative than literal. Which is peculiar, for the  Torah   does  mention how  Yaakov  was mourned for, embalme...