Pelaos HaParsha: Things You Never Learned In Yeshiva

Why we play games on Lag Ba'OmerA fascinating opinion from the Ramchal's Rebbe, Rav Moshe Dovid Valle, regarding shaving during Sefira.Can a Nazir shave their beard?The minhag of Yeshivas Chafetz Chaim and Rav Soloveitchik regarding shavingThe missing page from Sefer KushyosFinding 8 pages missing from the Cambridge ManuscriptThe Chasam Sofer regarding shavingThe Chavos Yair and his illustrious grandmotherThe Chavos Yair on various minhagim Did the Rama M'Pano have a beard? The great debate

Why do we stand up for a Kallah?What is Hachnasas Kallah?Why is it not Hachnasas Chasan?Fasting on Mattan Torah? Fasting on Shavuos?Why does the Torah tell us about Kosher animals right after the passing of Nadav and Avihu?

Also:What was the Rechush Gadol?Why does the Cup of Pharaoh hint to the 4 cups of the Seder?Why was wine not turned to blood in Mitzrayim?

Bring the Torah Temimah back into the Bais MidrashIs there a difference between כשב & כבשThe Machlokes how to pronounce the name בתיהWhy we should have said יהי רצון מלפני אבינו שבשמים this morning?The unbelievable Madreiga of Erev Pesach - revealed in Parshas VayikraWhy you could eat meat Erev Pesach (with no fear of it taking away your desire for the Korban that night)

Why didn’t Moshe ever tell us “HaChodesh Hazeh”The number 5 and the Bais HaMikdashFeeling Hashem’s love in Vayakhel-PekudeiActions to achieve the Geulah/Bais HamikdashRishonim quote a midrash which reveals the first Giluy Shechina

Why was serving with music in the Bais HaMikdash given as a reward to Shevet Levi for abstaining from (/taking revenge for) the Cheit Ha’Egel?What were the Tishbachos that saved Klal Yisrael on Purim?Why did Moshe not break the Luchos right when he heard about the sin of the Egel?Was Haman Deaf?

Did Haman not know anything about Mazal?!Which Jews will be the luckiestWhat “Adar” actually meansWhat’s unique about the mazalos of Adar and AvWhy are Teruma-Tetzaveh written out of place? What’s their connection to Purim?Why is it Matanos l’Evyonim if it’s really for any Aniyim?!How to receive the brachos of Purim

How to donate to the Mishkan today (without spending any money) [Regarding the Midrash Tanchuma: my explanation is more like the nusach of the Menoras HaMaor (AlNekave) vol 3. p. 277]Why do Chazal make the joy of Adar connected to the sadness of Av? (כשם ש... כך משנכנס אדר)The Shitta Mekubetzes (... and his Klalei HaShas waiting to be published)Where the Arizal wrote his name in our Shitta MekubetzesWas Rav Shmuel bar Shilas a Talmid ChachamIs “Shilas” the name of a man or a woman ?Understanding his name - and the yesod to battle Amalek

Why is slavery the first Mishpat in the Parsha?Why does he go free after specifically 6 years?Why was the first mitzvah in Mitzrayim about slavery?Is there any order to the Mitzvos in the ParshaWas everybody really a slave in Mitzrayim?Kelm on the ParshaPshat in the song - עברי אנכי ואת ה' אלקי השמים אני יראHow do you read Rashi (psukim in Vayikra were said at Har Sinai/ leil Yetzias Mitzrayim?!)

Why Parshas Yisro is intentionally out of orderWhy Moshe’s children’s names appear here—againWhy the Torah keeps calling them “her children”Why did Moshe send Tzippora away?How could Moshe's wife and children miss Mattan Torah?What type of lawsuits did they have in the Midbar at this point?

Is d’tzach a’dash b’achav just gibberish?How did the Rishonim actually pronounce דצ”ך עד”ש באח”ב?The lost pronunciation Rabbi Holzer “accidentally” uncoveredWhy was its pronunciation concealed? The one day all agree it can be pronouncedWhat does the mnemonic really mean?

How was Moshe able to go in and out of Pharaoh’s palace?Also: Could anyone be shevet Levi in Mitzrayim? An interesting possibility to say in the Ramban.

This shiur is essential for anyone beginning to study the meforshim on Chumash, and especially for those who quote or reference them without a firm grounding in their origins and methodology. The episode clarifies a common misconception: many seforim that include the word “Midrash” in their title are not midrashic works at all, but later compositions in which “Midrash” functions merely as the name of the sefer. Understanding this distinction is critical for accurate learning, citation, and interpretation of Torah sources.

What does it meant to be a good boy? Getting married at the age of 1 (!?)What was the plan when putting Moshe in the water?Did the Rashbam call the Shemos Rabbah one of the Seforim Chitzonim? Did Moshe Rabbeinu have a speech impediment?Did Jews wear gloves all the time?Harmless Handshake or Chukas Akum?

Now the happiest day for klal Yisrael on the English calendar.Parenting lessons in the Parsha.Why we give the bracha to be like Ephraim and Menashe.

Why Chanuka Seudos are greater than all other Seudos.Why are there blood libels nowadays?Why do only 8 psukim in the Parsha not start with the letter Vav?The importance of Bris Millah to our Parsha and Chanuka.

Explaining the opinion of Rav Shraga Feivel

L'iluy Nishmas my nephew Yitzchak Shlomo ben Manis Levi

Rabbeinu Bachya on Standing/Sitting while speakingLearn about Rabbeinu EphraimLimmud zechus on ShadchanimEating immediately when food is put down

Bowing down, thanking Hashem, is how we can be saved from all troubles.

Why did Avraham save Lot but not his own wife, Sarah?Why does sitting during a speech forgive everyone's sins?

Chumash like you’ve never learned it before. Exploring fascinating Rishonim and Midrashim.

Fulfilling Teshuva and Tefila through our Selichos.A beautiful addition to the Levush (regarding Selichos).

When we are called "Banim."(Mentioning Hashem being our father on Rosh HaShana)

Explaining how we tap into the great zechus of Akeidas Yitzchak, through the blowing of Shofar and eating the ram's head.

Understanding the importance of remembering times of Shmad.The Selicha refers to them blessing Hashem, what bracha were they making during Sha'as HaShmad? [The Rishonim don't mention them making a bracha of Kiddush HaShem]

A line-by-line translation and explanation of Rashi’s piyut, illuminated by the words of the Rishonim.We explore what it means that the “gates of prayer” are locked — and why daven at all if they are.We also explore:The “windows of teshuva” and how they remain openWhy, if this world is compared to the letter hei with an opening at the bottom, a person must return through the side to do teshuva

In this episode I reveal my identity :)This episode discusses the first Selicha we say, B’motzai Menucha, and the Arugas HaBosem — one of the only Rishonim’s commentaries on Selichos that has been published.Some ideas discussed are:How Selichos are tefilos.How “kedusha” is really praising Hashem.How yissurin and the difficulties of galus forgive our sins.The different nuschaos and peirushim the Rishonim had on this Selicha.

In this episode, we explore the meaning behind key phrases in Malachei Rachamim through rare Rishonim manuscripts. Along the way, we tackle fascinating questions: Is Gavriel an angel of mercy or judgment? And what does it mean when we call ourselves ‘sick’?

In this episode, we uncover deep insights into the hidden strength of prayer and humility:How to make R’ Yehuda bar Yakar’s approach practicalWhy the tefillah of someone embarrassed yet silent carries extraordinary powerHow the simplest Jews can sometimes hold the greatest influence in Shamayim…and more eye-opening perspectives on the essence of davening.

Introducing Rabbeinu Shmuel HaKohen of Lotharingia (לותיר), who was murdered al kiddush Hashem in Mainz on the 3rd of Sivan, 1096. This episode serves as an introduction to the Selicha Malachei Rachamim, focusing on how to understand the phrase itself through the lens of Rabbeinu Yehuda b”r Yakar. We also address "Barchuni L’shalom", "Bamarom Yelamdu", and other similar expressions with a different approach. The Selicha itself, bez”H, will be discussed next week.

Exploring a fundamental principle that illuminates our Yom Tov davening and deepens our understanding of the Selichos we recite.

In this episode, we explore a fascinating selicha and, using numerous unpublished manuscripts, uncover the deeper meaning behind its words. Discover how these rare sources shed new light on what the text is really saying.

This episode uncovers a forgotten perspective from R. Yehuda ben R. Yakar that could change how we view Machnisei Rachamim. We explore differences between manuscript editions, show how his ideas influenced later sources, and explain why—based on his words—saying this tefillah might not be controversial after all.