Torah Parallels

~ Torah Parallels ~ 5-Bullet Friday This week is Parshas Bechukosai! Check out this week's d'var torah here . Have feedback or suggestions for future 5-Bullets? Fill out the survey here Here is this week's 5-Bullet Friday , a quick summary of thoughts I’ve been pondering during the week: Question I'm pondering (on the parsha):  Proper motive .  When it comes to doing avodas Hashem, we know that performing the mitzvos “lishma” as opposed to “al means l’kabel p’ras” is the higher form of the two. Yet, in this parsha, we find that not only does the Torah tell us that “im bechukosai teilechu…” that there will be a reward. But even more so – the reward the Torah chooses is a physical one that rains of blessing  will come at the proper time, instead of the promise of olam ha’baah. So why is it that 1. The Torah is “promoting” keeping the mitzvos for a reward; and 2. Advertising the lesser of the rewards (reward in olam ha’zeh vs. in olam ha’baah)?   C

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas Bechukosai Wild Gorillas and Mother Goose By: Daniel Listhaus :   אִם בְּחֻקֹּתַי בחוקותי תֵּלֵכוּ וְאֶת מִצְו‍ֹתַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם “If you will go in My statutes and observe My commandments and perform them….”  - Bechukosai   26:3             The Torah [1]   describes the incredible rewards that will come for following in the ways of Hashem by learning His Torah and keeping His  mitzvos . No other holy scripture or religion in the world could possibly promise physical rewards in this world directly connected to following the rules of the religion. However Judaism with a Torah given by Hashem Himself - the Creator and Director of the universe - certainly can. Indeed, the miraculous effects of keeping in the ways of Hashem are ones which we as a nation have experienced in the past, and the promise holds true for the future.             The beginning of the  parsha  indeed starts with a simple “if-then” struct

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas Behar We Never Let Go By: Daniel Listhaus : וְכִי תַשִּׂיג יַד גֵּר וְתוֹשָׁב עִמָּךְ וּמָךְ אָחִיךָ עִמּוֹ וְנִמְכַּר לְגֵר תּוֹשָׁב עִמָּךְ אוֹ לְעֵקֶר מִשְׁפַּחַת גֵּר : אַחֲרֵי נִמְכַּר גְּאֻלָּה תִּהְיֶה לּוֹ אֶחָד מֵאֶחָיו יִגְאָלֶנּוּ “If the hand of an alien and a resident with you will achieve, and your brother becomes improvised with him, and he is sold to an alien, resident with you, or to an idol of an alien’s family; after he has been sold, he shall have redemption; one of his brothers shall redeem him.”  - Behar   25:47-48             The Torah [1]   describes a scenario where idol worshippers are living amongst Jews and the possibility that a destitute Jew might resort to sell himself as a slave to an idol worshipper in order to be provided for. In such a case, as the next  passuk  (verse) states, we are commanded to redeem the Jew from his slavery to the idol worshipper. The  Sifsei Chochomim [2]   and  Kli Y

~ Torah Parallels ~ 5-Bullet Friday This week is Parshas Behar! Check out this week's d'var torah here . Have feedback or suggestions for future 5-Bullets? Fill out the survey here Here is this week's 5-Bullet Friday , a quick summary of thoughts I’ve been pondering during the week: : Question I'm pondering (on the parsha):  G-d knows all .  The Torah says in a couple of places in this week’s parsha by certain commandments, “...And you shall have fear of your G-d [Hashem]…” For example, with regard to the negative commandment of “lo sonu” (not to harass others); the passuk uses this expression and Rashi (15:17) explains that this commandment warns people from verbal harassing others including annoying and giving bad advice. In order to counter what one may think of, “Well how would someone know if I have evil intentions and specifically giving bad advice (vs good advice that just didn’t play out”, the Torah counters that Hashem knows everyone’s in

~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~ Parshas Kedoshim Approaching Understanding By: Daniel Listhaus לֹא תִקֹּם וְלֹא תִטֹּר אֶת בְּנֵי עַמֶּךָ וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ אֲנִי ה ' “You shall not take revenge and you shall not bear a grudge against the members of your people; you shall love your fellow as yourself – I am Hashem.”  - Kedoshim   19:18             The concept of  v’ahavta l’ray’acha ka’mocha  is one that is taught to children already at a young age and is one which is universally accepted as fundamental to Torah life, in fact, Rabbi Akiva famously taught, “ v’ahavta l’rayacha ka’mocha   zeh k’lal gadol ba’torah ”. [1]             As important and fundamental, and arguably conceptually obvious as this  mitzvah  is, there are two big issues with such a commandment which the  Ramban  points out. First, the  Ramban [2]   writes, how could the Torah command a person to love others as much as one loves himself? It is impossible! A person’s heart could

~ Torah Parallels ~ 5-Bullet Friday This week is Parshas Kedoshim! Check out this week's d'var torah here . Have feedback or suggestions for future 5-Bullets? Fill out the survey here Here is this week's 5-Bullet Friday , a quick summary of thoughts I’ve been pondering during the week: : Question I'm pondering (on the parsha): L ogical conclusions. (Part 1) Rashi (19:4) comments on the passuk that not only is one forbidden to make his own idols, one is also forbidden to worship the idols that someone else gives him. What is Rashi adding? If one is forbidden to make one’s own idols why would one think that if someone else provides the idols that it would be okay to worship them? (Part 2) A similar question as the one above could also be asked regarding molech. Rashi (20:3) comments that, “One might think that even though one cannot offer his child to molech avodah zarah, but perhaps it is permitted to give over a  grandchild…” Why would someone mak