Explorations

This is the message I sent to my community in response to the tragedy in the Holy Land this past week.

Exploring the words "Tehora Hee" in the brocha thanking Hashem for our neshama.

Exploring the speech a Jew gives when he brings the first fruits in the Temple. Connected to Pesach Seder

Exploring the haphazard nature of this week's Mitzvos

More on Asher Yatzar: Exploring the dangers of opening a closed door, or closing an open door.

Exploring why we say that our body's functions are "revealed and known before Your Throne of Glory".

Exploring the importance of a system that enforces the right thing

We explored several topics - from issues of tension and controversy in our community, to unzoned shuls, to Jewish Schools that don't teach secular studies, to Moshe hitting the rock etc. We hope you'll enjoy it.

Exploring the nature of the inconvenience that Edom would not let the Jews cut through their territory to enter the Promised Land. Where was Edom 39 years earlier?

Exploring the Bracha a Jew makes after using the bathroom

Exploring Korach's beef with Aharon - and how it influences the way we approach the Torah

Exploring the Maamor: V'Ata Tetzaveh - An essay on Moshe and Mordechai's leadership

Exploring the sup-plot of the wives of Korach, Dasan and Aviram, and On ben Peles

Exploring Tanya Chapter 47, and its connecting the Mitzvah of Krias Shema to the Mitzvah to recall the Exodus.

Exploring why the Torah wants a side order of wheat and wine with each korban

Exploring Tanya Chapter 46, which teaches us to use the tool of reflecting love back to Hashem. A great tool to appreciating saying Shema.

Exploring the shenanigans of being on the road in the Torah - comparing Parshas Behaalosecha and Parshas Beshalach

Exploring how a possuk in Parshas Terumah, when repunctuated, redefines the purpose of Mitzvos.

Assessing conflicts Jews have had with one another over the past 3500 years!

Exploring how having compassion for God leads to loving God

Exploring the Mitzvah to impose capital punishment

Exploring the phrase "Melech Chai V'Kayam" in Modeh Ani.

Exploring Pharoah's failure to know Joseph and God. 

Exploring a husband's mitzvah to provide for his wife

Exploring two insights into loving God.

Exploring the last two words of Modeh Ani

Exploring the minhag of partaking of some of the Shabbos food on Erev Shabbos

Exploring Yaakov's demand that Yosef swear to commit to not bury Yaakov in Mitzrayim

Exploring two fears and two loves

Exploring another facet of the Hebrew word "Modeh" in Modeh Ani

Exploring the Mitzvah not to resell a women you were meant to marry

Exploring the recurring famines and resulting departure from the Holy Land

An exploration into human nature as learned from the Halacha that the Chanukah Menorah should be placed on the left side of the doorway.

Exploring Chapter 42 - How to achieve the trait of Yirah

Exploring a facet of the awakening prayer "Modeh Ani"

Exploring the mitzvah to release a Jewish maidservant as soon as you have no intention of having her marry into the family.

Exploring Tanya Chapter 41 - How to fear and love God when doing a Mitzvah.

Exploring the mitzvah that someone who has taken a Jewish maidservant should marry her or have his son marry her. 

Exploring the inconvenience of rain and the prayer for rain

Exploring the Jewish particularism of Shabbos

What does the brief story of Yaakov at the well tell us about trust?

Exploring the rabbis' understanding of Leah Imeinu and her tefillos

Exploring Tanya Chapter 40 - how Love of God and Awe of God elevate mitzvos

Exploring the mitzvah of how to treat the Eved Ivri - A Jewish indentured servant.

A brief exploration of the role of music in the Shabbos experience.

A half-hour review of Tanya Chapters 18-25.

A half-hour review shiur of the first seventeen chapters of Tanya.

Exploring a deeper dimension to the tasty foods that Yitzchak requested.

Exploring the mitzvah not to use a ladder or staircase to get up onto the altar, and the inferred mitzvah to build a ramp. 

Exploring the phrase in the first bracha of Shmoneh Esrei that Hashem in the present tense beings Moshiach.