5781 Yahrzeit, the Churban, and Moadim The Kiddush was sponsored by Sender Galbut לעלוי נשמת his father, Reb Boruch Tzvi Ben Reuven Nosson Z”L. Dr. Galbut had visited the shul twice when he was already terminally ill and nevertheless he had a captivating smile and radiated Simchah. He was Zocheh that his Yahrzeit be during the ימי המצרים which are anyways days of mourning so he didn’t add another day of sadness....
5782 This Shabbos marks the last of Dovid Bogupulsky’s wonderful tenure here in our shul. When a person relocates, he must ensure that he is not merely moving on; rather, he is moving forward, using his previous experience and resultant gains to accomplish more and more. This idea is expressed by Moshe (דברים א:ו) as per the מדרש’s interpretation of the statement, “רַב־לָכֶ֥ם שֶׁ֖בֶת בָּהָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה”. Even though בני ישראל were being told to leave הר סיני, they were meant to keep in mind the גדולה and שכר they had attained throughout their Sinai experience....
5782 Celebrating and Embracing Mystery The Parshah begins with the Parah Adumah and says זאת חקת התורה. Rashi says לפי שהשטן ואומות העולם מונין את ישראל לומר מה המצוה הזאת ומה טעם יש בה לפיכך כתב בה חקה גזירה היא מלפני ואין לך רשות להרהר אחריה. Although the way the אפר of the Parah Adumah functions is a חוק, we nevertheless could and should ask why it takes a חוק to remove טומאת מת....
5783 Yahrzeit - Flowers and Fruit The Kiddush this Shabbos was sponsored by Mr. Frank Menlo in honor of his mother, Bluma Bas Reb Ephraim, on her first Yahrzeit. In the Gemara, there is a concept of אם למקרא and אם למסורת. In today’s times, it’s more אם למקרא as people are more learned and they can teach מקרא. But in the olden days, women were primarily the ones who preserved the מסורה, the אם למסורת....
5783 Names Based on Behavior The Parshah begins with a list of the leaders of each שבט and the Pasuk opens with ואלה שמותם. After it lists all the names, the Pasuk repeats and says אלה שמות האנשים אשר שלח משה. What is the Torah coming to teach us by repeating the words אלה שמות האנשים? The purpose of the repetition could be hinting to that which the Gemara Sotah 34b says regarding the names of the מרגלים that these names listed were not really their real names rather they were given על שם the מעשה as the Gemara says אמר רבי יצחק דבר זה מסורת בידינו מאבותינו מרגלים על שם מעשיהם נקראו....