After Moshe shattered the first set of Tablets upon seeing the Jewish people celebrating around the Golden Calf, Hashem instructed him: “Carve for yourself two stone Tablets like the first ones, and I shall inscribe on the Tablets the words that were on the first Tablets, which you shattered….No man may ascend with you nor may anyone be seen on the entire mountain, even the flock and the cattle may not graze facing that mountain.” (Shemos 34:1,3). This event stands in stark c

In Megillat Esther, which we read on Purim, we are told that Mordechai uncovered a plot to assassinate King Achashverosh and informed Queen Esther: “The matter became known to Mordechai, and he told Queen Esther. Esther told the king in Mordechai’s name.” (Esther 2:22) The Megillah deliberately emphasizes that Esther reported the plot “in Mordechai’s name.”  This detail appears minor, yet the Gemara attributes extraordinary significance to it: “Rabbi Elazar said that Rabbi Ch

In the Haftorah this week for Parshas Zachor, King Shaul is commanded to totally destroy Amalek as well as all of their sheep and cattle. However, Shaul did not fully comply with Hashem’s command, sparing the Amalek king Agag and the best sheep and cattle. When confronted by the prophet Shmuel, Shaul defended himself by claiming that the animals were saved “in order to sacrifice to Hashem your God” (Shmuel I 15:15). What appeared to be disobedience was reframed as virtuous. S

Holiness from Within   The Torah states (Shemos 25:8-9):   “They shall make a Sanctuary for Me – that I may dwell among them. According to everything that I show you, the form of the Sanctuary and the form of all its vessels; and so shall you do.”   The first verse establishes the mitzvah to build a physical dwelling place for the sake of Hashem. (Rashi). It will serve as the site of sacrificial offerings and as the spiritual center of the Jewish people. The Sefer HaChinuch (

The Torah states (Shemos 23:2):   “Do not follow the majority for evil; and do not respond to a grievance by yielding to the majority to pervert the law.”   Rashi explains that the clearest interpretation ( pshat ) of this verse refers to a Beis Din adjudicating a capital case. When a majority of judges incline toward conviction, an individual judge must not say, “Since they are many, I will follow them.” Each judge must render his decision based on his own independent judgme

Not If... But When - Parshas Yisro 5786 At the end of the parsha, immediately after the Ten Commandments, the Torah states: “And if [אם] you make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stones.” (Shemos 20:22). At first glance, this verse is puzzling. The construction of an altar is a clear commandment, not an optional act (see Devarim 27:6). Yet the Torah uses the word אם , which ordinarily means “if”  — implying choice rather than obligation. Why would the Tor

Getting Back Up At the end of the parsha, the Torah tells us: “And Amalek came and fought with Israel in Refidim.” (Shemos 17:8) Why does the Torah emphasize that the Jewish people were in Refidim when Amalek attacked? We already know that the Jews arrived in Refidim earlier (17:1), and we are later told that they departed from Refidim on their way to Har Sinai (19:2). What additional lesson does this repetition teach? Rashi  explains that the Torah deliberately links these

After the tenth and final plague, Pharaoh sent the Jews out of Egypt. The Torah describes how they prepared for their journey into the wilderness: “And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough that they had taken out of Egypt, for it was not leavened, since they had been driven out of Egypt and could not delay; nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves. ” (Shemos 12:39). The Torah explains that we eat matzah on Pesach because the Jews were driven out of Egypt so qui

After listing the descendants of the tribe of Levi, the Torah returns to Moshe and Aharon and states: “This was the  Aharon and Moshe  to whom Hashem said: ‘Take the Children of Israel out of Egypt according to their legions.’ They were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to take the Children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; this was the Moshe and Aharon .” (Shemos 6:26). Both verses clearly refer to Moshe and Aharon. Yet the Torah does something unusual: in vers

When Moshe first appears before Pharaoh, not only does Pharaoh refuse to allow the Jewish slaves to leave Egypt, but he intensifies their suffering. He orders them to gather their own straw for bricks while maintaining the same production quota (Shemos 5:18). When the Jewish foremen blame Moshe for worsening their plight (5:21), Moshe turns to Hashem in anguish:   “My Lord, why have You done evil to this people, why have You sent me? From the time I came to Pharaoh to speak i