The Give-and-Take of Donations-Parshas Terumah
This week’s parshah begins with something of a linguistic twist. The call is issued to donate materials for the construction of the Mishkan (Tabernacle). One would have expected the directive to be worded in terms of giving, along the lines of: וְיִתְּנוּ־לִי תְּרוּמָה – And they shall give Me a donation.” Instead, the passuk employs the very opposite term; as it states: דַּבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְֹרָאֵל וְיִקְחוּ־לִי תְּרוּמָה – “Speak to B’nei Yisrael, and they shall take for Me a donation” [...]
Only One Master-Parshas Mishpatim
It happened one Yom Tov that the Sfas Emes, venerated leader of the Gerrer Chassidic dynasty, shared an observation with his followers about Hallel, an important aspect of the day’s observance. He singled out a particular supplication, stating that by reciting “Ana” properly, one can catalyze wondrous effects in the Upper Realms. However, an issue arose the next morning during the time of Hallel’s recital. For there [...]
Home Sweet Home-Parshas Yisro
At the beginning of this week’s parshah, the Torah informs us of the origins of the names of Moshe’s two sons: שֵׁם הָאֶחָד גֵּרְשֹׁם כִּי אָמַר גֵּר הָיִיתִי בְּאֶרֶץ נָכְרִיָּה, וְשֵׁם הָאֶחָד אֱלִיעֶזֶר כִּי־אֱלֹהֵי אָבִי בְּעֶזְרִי וַיַּצִּלֵנִי מֵחֶרֶב פַּרְעֹה – “The name of the one of them was Gershom, for (Moshe) said: ‘I was a stranger (ger) in a foreign land.’ And the name of the other was Eliezer – ‘For the G-d [...]
