Rabbi Yehuda Rock
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The Main Monologue of Sefer Devarim
Rabbi Yehuda RockMoshe's monologue is finally complete. Rishonim are divided as to when Moshe actually heard the content of this speech from God. Specifically, the Rishonim discuss the many commandments that appear within this monologue: did Moshe receive these commandments at Sinai or did he receive them only in The Fortieth Year?
Avraham's Blessing
Rabbi Yehuda RockGod shares with Avraham his intentions to destroy Sodom; because he God’s emissary for realizing the entire Divine plan of bringing the world to "bend the knee" before God. The fate of Sodom is born out of the conclusion arrived at through that discussion between God and Avraham; who are jointly responsible for introducing the way of God into the world.
The Story of Chava
Rabbi Yehuda RockThis lesson compares the births of Cain and Shet. Cain's birth creates a sense of equality between man and God, which leads to Cain's vanity. Shet's birth in accompanied by an understanding that life and death are in the hands of God; that understanding channels mankind toward more positive pursuits, until the birth of Enosh.
Consolation for the Land
Rabbi Yehuda RockLemekh hopes that Noah's birth will bring comfort to the world. Noah is a reminder of the good that exists in mankind; In the wake of Lemekh's prayer, God declares that He will indeed turn away His wrath from man and no longer judge him according to the strict demands of the Attribute of Justice. Man is in need of the Attribute of Mercy, for he is mere flesh and blood – a mortal who departs from the world after a brief hundred and twenty years.
Calling Out in Hashem's Name
Rabbi Yehuda RockThe forefathers all "call out in the name of God." This lesson analyzes the meaning and significance of this action.
The Purchase of the "Burial Possession"
Rabbi Yehuda RockThis lesson describes two aspects of the story of purchasing the Makhpela, based on Rabbi Mordekhai Breuer. The first aspect is the purchasing of a burial place for Sarah, and the second is the purchase of land in Israel, to pass along from generation to generation.
The Ten Commandments
Rabbi Yehuda RockThe Torah refers to the 'ten' commandments on the two stone tablets - but the division and identification is not explicit. This lesson will offer three divisions based on the Mesorah, and a fourth suggestion for dividing the commandments into ten.
The Two Dibburim of Behukotai
Rabbi Yehuda RockGod speaks to Moshe twice in Behar - Behukotai. This lesson will discuss the time and location of the two instances. Apparently these parshiyot were displaced from their chronological location; we will explain why the parasha was removed, and why it was placed here.
The Omer, the Counting of the Omer, and the Festival of Shavuot
Rabbi Yehuda RockWhat is the significance of Sefirat Haomer - counting the omer? Does the counting only have historical significance, commemorating the weeks between the Exodus and the Giving of the Torah, or is there agricultural significance as well? Why is a public peace offering (shelamim) only brought on Shavuot, and what is the connection between Shavuot and the eighth day of the Miluim? And what is the significance of waving the Omer?
The Trumpets
Rabbi Yehuda RockThe trumpets serve two immediate functions: gathering the nation and announcing the travels of Bnei Yisrael, and two future functions: sounding the call for war, and sounding trumpets in celebration over sacrifices offered on special occasions. What is the relationship between the immediate and future functions?
The Significance of the Incense
Rabbi Yehuda RockThis article analyzes the various appearances of the incense; apparently the incense signifies God's presence as a result of the sacrificial offerings. Why then did Nadav and Avihu die while offering incense? Why was the incense chosen to test kedusha and God's choice?
The Story of Ba'al Pe'or and Pinchas's Act
Rabbi Yehuda RockThis parasha describes a grave moral deterioration, when the nation succumbs to their desires and engage in forbidden sexual relations. The leaders of the nation are at the forefront of the sin, but while God commands that the leadership be killed, Moshe only kills those who are engaged in the sinful act. Pinchas fulfills the divine edict by killing one of the leaders of the nation when he has relations publicly. His act is therefore not an act of personal zealousness, but rather a fulfillment of the divine command.
Vows
Parashat Matot
Rabbi Yehuda RockParashat Matot begins with the laws of vows - nedarim. When can a father or husband nullify a woman's vows? Can they invalidate any vow (vs. 4-13), or only vows that affect her ability to function (14-16)? This lesson will examine the episode relating to vows based on Breuer's Aspects Theory, and analyze the practical implications of each aspect.
Bei'ur Ha-Torah
Rabbi Yehuda RockEach of the three verses that open the book of Devarim can be viewed exclusively. In this lesson, we will focus on the third verse, which sheds light on the significance of the first speech in the book, and a broader perspective on the significance of the Torah.
Love of God and Torah Study
Rabbi Yehuda RockGetting to know God can be a means to loving God, as Maimonides suggests; however, knowing God can also be an independent goal, achieved by the study of Torah. The commandment to study Torah at any given time educates us to the centrality of God's will in our lives, and expresses man's love for his creator.
Love for the "Ger"
Rabbi Yehuda RockThe Torah relates to the "ger" as one who dwells among Am Israel; but commentators views the ger as a convert - a "ger tzedek." The Oral Torah divided the ger into two types - one who is obligated in all of the commandments of the Torah. We are obligated to love this ger - the "Ger Tzedek" - and s/he is considered fully Jewish, as opposed to the "Ger Toshav" who is obligated in the seven commandments of Noah's sons, and is permitted to live in Israel.
The Prohibition of Erasing the Name of God
Parashat Re'eh
Rabbi Yehuda RockIn Parashat Re'eh we are commanded to abolish idolatry from the Land of Israel, and on the flip side - to avoid destroying altars built for God. Practically, the Torah teaches us not to destroy holy artifacts used for worship in the Temple; but on a spiritual plane we learn a lesson of spreading the name of God throughout the world, and glorifying God's name.
Examining Witnesses, in the Torah and in Halakha
Rabbi Yehuda RockThe Torah commands that we examine situations where suspected idolatry has taken place. Similar formulations of "derisha" and "chakira" are used in the matter of false witnesses. These episodes teach us about the importance of exploring the truth and validating witnesses in order to determine what the truth really is.
"You Shall Cut Off Her Hand" and "An Eye for an Eye"
Rabbi Yehuda Rock"An eye for an eye" is a blatant example of the gap between the written and oral Torah. The gap might be viewed as an expression of two complementary divine attributes - rahamim and din. The differences express the desire for justice for one who was injured, as well as the desire to educate the injurer.
Teshuva
Rabbi Yehuda RockThese verses link Teshuva with the process of redemption; Rabbi Breuer suggests two aspects of Teshuva, which depend on the atonement of Am Yisrael, and a third complementary aspect which is independent of the actions of the nation.
The Cities of Refuge
Rabbi Yehuda RockThe laws of Go’el HaDam (the blood avenger) do not express the ideal aspiration of the Torah, but rather the Torah's consideration of human need – a need that should ideally not exist, and which the Torah expects to pass from the world. The laws pertaining to a murderer in the context of the Beit Din are eternal.
Were Mussaf Sacrifices Offered in the Desert?
Rabbi Yehuda RockWere Mussaf sacrifices offered in the desert? The well-known opinion of the Ramban states that the mussaf (additional) sacrifices, which are listed in our parasha, were not offered in the desert; they were instituted only at the time when Bnei Yisrael entered the land. In this shiur we shall examine this view and propose an approach according to which the mussaf sacrifices were indeed offered, but in a manner that was different from the custom fixed for future generations - with a focus on the integration of God in our lives.
Atonement for Nadav and Avihu's Sin
Rabbi Yehuda RockUnderstanding the Shofar
Rabbi Yehuda RockThe Meaning of Kappara (Atonement) in the Torah
Rabbi Yehuda RockKappara (atonement) occupies a very important place in the Torah, particularly in the context of the Sanctuary and its sacrifices. The subject is covered for the most part in Sefer Vayikra, but it is actually in the story of Yaakov and Esav (in parashat Vayishlach) that the commentators have chosen to address the general question of the meaning of atonement.
It would seem that "atonement" is generally understood as occupying the same semantic realm as forgiveness (selicha) and pardon (mechila), i.e., as referring to a change in attitude on God's part towards man, with regard to his sins, and in the context of withholding punishment. In rabbinic literature, this meaning certainly exists. However, as we shall see, in the language of the Torah this is not what the concept means.
Our discussion will be based on a philological and exegetical examination, following which we will also be able to build a more fundamental conceptual understanding of kappara, pertaining to some elementary aspects of the relations between man and God.
Yaakov's Blessing to Yosef
Rabbi Yehuda RockYaakov's monologue in Parshat Vayechi comprises three parts:
a. Mention of the blessing of "the Almighty God" (El Sha-dai) to Yaakov (3-4)
b. Status bestowed on Ephraim and Menasheh like that of Yaakov's sons for the purposes of inheritance (5-6)
c. Mention of the death and burial of Rachel (7)
Through an examination of the significance of each part and the connections between them, we can learn an important lesson about the inheritance of the Land of Israel.
Summary of the Book of Bereishit and Introduction to the Book of Shemot
Rabbi Yehuda RockThrough an examination of the text, we understand the direction and goal of the scriptural narrative that continues all across the book of Bereishit and into the book of Shemot. We shall adopt a broad perspective and try to understand the lengthy narrative that stretches out over the two chumashim, in accordance with the literary and substantive characteristics found therein, and through an understanding of how the smaller units contribute to the story as a whole.
Knowing the Name of God
Rabbi Yehuda RockThe opening verse of our parasha is opaque and difficult to understand. The commentators have trouble with the factual assertion that "My Name Y-H-V-H I did not make known to them." A cursory review of Sefer Bereishit shows this not to be true: Avraham is told, "I am Y-H-V-H Who took you out of Ur Kasdim" (Bereishit 15:7), and Yaakov is told, "I am Y-H-V-H, the God of Avraham your father"
Unquestionably, though, the simple meaning of the verse is that God did not reveal the Name Y-H-V-H to the forefathers. As noted above, this clearly contradicts the verses in Sefer Bereishit that tell us that God explicitly told the forefathers, "I am Y-H-V-H."
This article will shed some light on the verse, both locally and in its broader context.
The Complementary Verses of the Command Concerning the Mishkan
Rabbi Yehuda RockThe four complementary verses that conclude the commands concerning the Mishkan describe the daily sacrifice and its purposes: a meeting place between God and Israel, sanctification of Ohel Moed and the altar, the emanation of the Shechina, and the sanctification of the Kohanim. Through an examination of the text, we can notice that these purposes serve to map out the important milestones in the narrative of the Torah, from the time of the forefathers up until Sefer Bamidbar.
Meaning of the Omer, Counting, and Shavuot
Rabbi Yehuda Rockתאריך פרסום: 5777 | | Hour and 5 minutes
Was Shavuot the same time as Matan Torah? It is supposed to be the 50th day- after the first day of Pesach. Shavuot did not always take place on a fixed date – when calendar wasn’t fixed, the day could vary, just as the number of days in the preceding months could vary. In the Torah, Shavuot is always described in agricultural terms - the only regel (pilgrimage holiday) not to be explicitly linked with a historical commemoration. Did Hazal (the Rabbinic Sages) simply decide to link Shavuot with the Giving of the Torah, or are there strong hints within the Torah as well? If so, why are they not explicitly linked? What can we understand - and what are we meant to appreciate about Shavuot from the way the Torah describes the commandments surrounding Shavuot?
Peshat vs. Halakha: An Eye for an Eye and Other Cases
Rabbi Yehuda Rock | Hour and 4 minutesThere is an apparent contradiction between some verses and the halachic laws derived from them. One famous example of this is the “eye for an eye” scenario, whereby the punishment detailed in the verses is not the same as the one delineated within the halachic sources. How do we resolve this contradiction between the written and oral Torah? Throughout the discussion we relate to this problem specifically and also to the conceptual relationship between peshat and halacha.
Mei Meriva
Rabbi Yehuda RockWhat was the sin that led to Moshe and Aharon's exclusion from entering the land? Apparently their leadership failure was apparent in the Sin of the Spies, but they were given another chance to prove they were the appropriate leaders to bring the nation to the Promised Land. The second chance presented itself in the story of the Waters of Meriva, but their second failure sealed their sentence.