Search Results for: Parsha

Shavu’ot/Parsha Naso 5768 – Threads of Unity Between Shabbos, Shavu’ot

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by Moshe Burt

With Shavu’ot always being during the week of Shabbos Parsha Naso, there are various common threads between Shabbos Parsha Naso and Chag HaShavu’ot. There is the thread of national unity projected by the Kohanim as expressed in the Birchat Kohanim, the thread of diversity and unique expression within the 12 repetitions of the same offering brought by the Sh’vatim at the inauguration of the Mishkan and the thread regarding the importance of caring for the Ger Tzeddik. read more

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Parsha Bamidbar 5768: The Strength of Diversity Within Unity

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by Moshe Burt

Rav Malinowitz spoke last Shabbos, regarding the Tochocha, the rebuke about the perils of complacency, i.e. such things as always bringing something new; a new perspective, a new understanding to a Parsha HaShavua regarding how the commentators and commentaries view any given point of Torah.

But then along comes Parsha Bamidbar and the spiritual beauty and innovation which brings about diversity within uniformity. So therefore, this Parsha HaShevua given over previously in 5766 and 5767 seems ever timely and worthy of repeating. read more

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Parsha Bechukotai 5768: The Jew’s Connection With Eretz Yisrael

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by Moshe Burt

Our Parsha Bechukotai is but another in the series of Parshiyot usually paired with the one it preceeds, in this case Parsha Behar, as a doubleheader.

Therefore, yet another opportunity exists to emphasize, in another way, the connection between the Jew and Eretz Yisrael.

When we parallel the laws of Shabbos: six days you shall work and you shall rest, refrain from all manner of avodah on the seventh day… to keep it Holy, just as in emulation of Hashem’s creation of the universe; with the laws of Shemittoh: ‘I will command My blessing during the sixth year and it will provide produce for three years’ we see beyond the Hatam Sofer’s explanation that; read more

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Parsha Behar 5768; Shemittoh and the Bond Between Jew and HIS Land

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by Moshe Burt

Rashi asks a critical question on the very first posuk of our Parsha;
“Hashem spoke to Moshe on Har Sinai, saying.” (Parsha Behar, Vayikra Perek 25, posuk 1) He asks why the laws of Shemittoh are singled out as having been given at Sinai. Were not all of the Mitzvot said at Sinai?” He answers that just as all of the Mitzvot; their general rules and their specifics were taught at Sinai, so too were the general rules and specifics regarding Shemittoh taught at Sinai. Rashi then reasons that the posuk comes to teach us that every utterance said to Moshe, they were all from Sinai. read more

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Parsha Emor 5768: Contrasting the Kohen Paradigm With the Elitist Class

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By Moshe Burt

The positioning in Torah of our Parsha Emor, following last week’s Parsha Kedoshim gives rise to thought and contemplation.

Kedoshim teaches “…You shall be holy, for holy am I, Hashem, your G’d.” (Sefer Vayikra, Perek 19, posuk 1) And we learn that the epitome of this holiness is the principle taught by Rabbi Hillel to the convert, on one foot, says “V’ohavtoh L’reiachoh Komochoh” — “… you shall love your fellow as yourself…” (Sefer Vayikra, Perek 19, posuk 18) The Halachot subsequently taught in Parsha Kedoshim are all built upon the emulation of Hashem. read more

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Parsha Kedoshim 5768: The Jewish Nation – Unity or Protexia?

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By Moshe Burt

Parsha Kedoshim is, what baseball fans often refer to as the
“twilight” parsha of the normal Achrai Mos/Kedoshim doubleheader Parshas which are read in the Pesach, post-Pesach period.

One of the main themes underlying Parsha Kedoshim is the loving care
with which each Jew is to treat his Jewish brother. Indeed, we see that the first posuk of our Parsha conveys that spirit, “Hashem spoke to Moshe saying, “Speak to the entire assembly of B’nai Yisrael and say to them: You shall be holy, for holy am I, Hashem, your G’d.” (Sefer Vayikra, Perek 19, posuk 1) Our Parsha then goes on to enumerate the Asseret HaDivrot, the Ten Commandments in depth. read more

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Parsha Metzora 5768: Contrasting the Kohen and the Metzora on National Scale

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By Moshe Burt

As our Parsha Metzora is normally, in most years, the twilight side of a Torah doubleheader parsha, a few points of discussion from last week, the individual’s Tzara’as extrapolated onto national ills needs further examination.

Last week, the Parsha Shevua on Parsha Tazria spoke to the unity which is the very essence of the Kohan.

Rabbi Zelig Pliskin in “Growth Through Torah” (page 253) cites the Rabbi of Alexander who cites as the reason why, when one suspected an affliction with Tzara’as, that he must go to Aharon, the Kohen and
not to a scholar, a Talmud Chacham; read more

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Parsha Tazria 5768: Tumah and Tahara Relating to Nation — Revisited

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By Moshe Burt

In learning about the laws of tzara’as, there are posukim which are a pelah, a wonderment. And so it is relevant to revisit a vort from last year.

Torah relates in our Parsha;

“If the tzara’as will erupt on the skin, and … will cover the entire skin of the afflicted from his head to his feet, wherever the eyes of the Kohen can see — the Kohen shall look, and behold! — the affliction has covered his entire flesh, then he shall declare the affliction to be pure; having turned completely white, it is pure. On the day healthy skin appears …, it (the affliction) shall be contaminated.” (Sefer Vayikra, Perek 13, posukim 12 – 14) read more

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Parsha Sh’mini 5768 — The Sincerity, Purity of a Jew’s Service

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by Moshe Burt

For seven days, Moshe taught Aaron HaKohen and his sons the laws of their Avodah in the Mishkan. (You might say that they were given OJT from Shemayim.)

Our Parsha Sh’mini begins by relating that on the eighth day, Aaron and his sons commenced their Avodah HaKodosh.

But our Parsha also relates the tragedy of the deaths of Aaron’s two oldest sons, Nadav and Avihu who died while performing an unauthorized Service, offering a “strange fire …, which he did not command them…” (Artscroll Chumash, Vayikra, Perek 10, posuk 1) And our Parsha relates that “Hashem spoke to Aaron saying: Do not drink intoxicating wine, you and your sons …, when you come to the Ohel Mo’ed (the Tent of Meeting), that you not die — this is an eternal decree for your generations. In order to distinguish between the sacred and the profane …” (Artscroll Chumash, Vayikra, Perek 10, p’sukim 8-10). read more

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Parsha Tzav and Purim: Our Ketores — the Good and the Bad

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by Moshe Burt

In writing a vort on Purim, this author thinks back to a theme addressed in an earlier Siyum on Mesechta Megillah from three years ago as well as another recurring theme on this blog.

The Jew separates and distinguishes himself from the rest of the nations through the Mitzvah of Bris Milah, even though many of our contemporary Jewish brothers would distance themselves from, or stand in denial of their Yiddishkeit. But many among our Jewish brethren would deny Hashem’s control of the world and seek to tailor Torah and their Jewishness to fit the ways of the nations rather than accepting Hashem’s reishut (command) over the world. read more

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