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5782 Korach and Tzitzis The past few פרשיות, Rashi begins his commentary with למה נסמכה. Seemingly because the events that were being mentioned were not in the chronological order, and therefore there needed to be a logic to the order. However, when it comes to Korach, Rashi does not ask למה נסמכה. One could conclude from here that this is the right place chronologically for the story with Korach. This is reinforced by what Rashi says on the Pasuk ויפלו על פניו, the reason being because this was the סרחון רביעי, the third being the חטא המרגלים....

5781 Wise and Righteous The Parsha begins שלח לך אנשים. Rashi on the words כלם אנשים says כל אנשים שבמקרא לשון חשיבות ואותה שעה כשרים היו meaning they were Tzadikim. The Targum Yonason Ben Uziel says on the word אנשים that they were חריפין-sharp/astute people. Lastly, the Ibn Ezra says on the word אנשים that they were גבורים. So it would appear that everyone agrees that אנשים is a לשון of חשובים but there are three ways in explaining in what their חשיבות was....

5782 Teshuvah The Kiddush this Shabbos was sponsored by Reb Yisrael (Roy) Neuberger in honor of his mother in laws Yahrzeit. She discovered the beauty of Yiddishkeit during the last years of her life through her children as Rashi says on the Pasuk in the end of Malachi 3:24 והשיב לב אבות על בנים ולב בנים על אבותם, Rashi says אבות ע"י בנים that children will bring their parents back at the end of days....

5780 There is a מנהג in כלל ישראל to put non-bearing fruit trees in shuls on שבועות because on עצרת the judgement for the upcoming year’s fruit tree is decided (מג"א או"ח ס' תצד ס"ק ה). There are two questions that can be asked. Firstly, if we are judged in regard to fruit bearing trees, why do we put non fruit bearing trees in shul? Secondly, why is it that on ט"ו בשבת which is ראש השנה לאלנות do we celebrate by eating fruit and not with trees, an on שבועות which we are judged for the upcoming year’s fruit do we celebrate by putting trees in shuls, it should be the opposite?...

5781 Importance of personal connection The second half of the Parsha discusses the Korbanos that were brought by the Nesiim by the Chanukas Hamishkan. Although the Nesiim brought identical Korbanos, the Torah spells out the Korbanos that each Nasi brought. It would seem to make more sense for the Torah to write it once and then say that this is what each Nasi brought. What is the significance and message being taught that the Korbanos of each Nasi is written out even though it is seemingly repetitious as they are all identical?...