Yeshiva World News

B’Ohel Haneviyim: Parshas Devarim 5773

This week's Haftorah is no less disheartening then any of the two previous Haftoros. There is, however, something is very different about it. The Haftorah consists of the opening Nevuos of Yishayohu in which he relays Hashem's message of the destruction. More than a description of the eventual destruction it is a depiction of the state of affairs leading up to the destruction. It describes how badly Klal-Yisroel was behaving, and how corrupt we had become. While the Haftorah depicts a totally ...

Vertluch: Parshas Devarim

At the end of this week’s parsha the Torah relates how Moshe split up eretz Yisroel amongst the shevatim. The pasukim start off telling us that Moshe gave a certain amount to bnei Reuven and bnei Gad, and then gave a significantly larger portion to chatzi shevet Menashe. The pasuk then goes back and discusses what Moshe gave to bnei Reuven and bnei Gad. There are three questions that come to mind when reading through these pasukim. Firstly, why does the pasuk “squeeze in” which portions ...

HaRav Zev Leff: Parshas Matos - Masei

The children of G-d and the children of Reuben came and spoke to Elazar the Kohen, and to the leaders of the assembly, saying, "Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Sebam, Nebo, and Beon. The Land that Hashem smote before the assembly of Israel -- it is a land for flocks, and your servants have flocks" (Bamidbar 32:2-4). Both the request of bnei Gad and bnei Reuven for land on the eastern side of the Jordan and Moshe's response are very difficult to understand for a ...

B’Ohel Haneviyim: Parshas Matos-Masei 5773

This week's Haftorah is very apropos for being the middle Haftorah for the Haftoros of the Three weeks. We find ourselves in the midst of the most depressing point in time of the Jewish year. We are in an intense morning period for the Churban Beis Hamikdash and for the Galus we still live in. We have been going through a two thousand year exile in which we have suffered every tragedy and calamity possible. During the three weeks between the 17th of Tamuz and the ninth of Av we mourn all this. ...

Vertluch: Parshas Matos/Maasei

After the incident of the chet of baal peor, Hashem commanded bnei Yisroel to go to war against Midyan to take revenge. After the battle, the leader of the ’soldiers’ came to tell Moshe of the miraculous outcome of this battle: there were no casualties on the side of bnei Yisroel. Given the logical odds, this was an obvious nes from Hashem. Right after this battle, the pasuk tells us, ונקרב את קרבן ה’……..לכפר על נפשותיכם; that they were makriv a korban to ...

HaRav Zev Leff: Parshas Pinchad

The Function of a Leader When Moshe Rabbeinu entreated Hashem to appoint a leader to succeed him, Hashem answered, "Before you command Me concerning My children, command My children concerning Me." Moshe proceeded to a command the Jewish people concerning the laws of the daily and holiday sacrifices. In order to understand this Midrash (Yalkut Shimoni Bamidbar 228), we must first understand the function of a Torah leader. When the Jewish people feared that Moshe would not return from Har ...

B'Ohel Haneviyim: Parshas Pinchas 5773

This week's Haftorah is the first of a trilogy. It is the first of the three Haftoros that are read during the Bein-Hametzarim. The Haftorah is a collection of Nevuos of Yirmiyahu. The bulk if the Haftorah consists of a rebuke to Klal-Yisroel, of warnings not to persist in its sinful course of action, as well as an ominous forecast of the Churban. The Haftorah ends on a more uplifting note. Hashem tells us that He remembers the faithfulness of our youth. Hashem says He remembers how we were ...

Vertluch: Parshas Pinchos

The parsha begins with retelling how Pinchas calmed the wrath of Hashem and how he stood up for the Ribono Shel Olams kovod. Rashi comments (25; 13) ”Although the kehunah had already been given to Aaron’s descendants, it had been given only to Aaron and his sons who were anointed with him, and to their children whom they would beget after their anointment. Pinchus, however, who was born before that and had never been anointed, had not been included in the kehunah until now. And so, we learn ...

Shiva Asar BeTamuz Reflections: By Rabbi Y. Dov Krakowski

Today, the seventeenth of Tammuz, marks the beginning of a time period known traditionally as the "Bein Hameitzarim". "Bein Hameitzarim" refers to the days between the 17th of Tammuz and Tisha beAv. The Pesukim in Eicha describe how all our enemies and our troubles succeeded in harming us during this time period. We then indeed suffered horrible calamities. Tisha beAv was the day that both Batei-Mikdash were destroyed. Tisha beAv marks the start of our current exile. Beginning today and ...

HaRav Zev Leff: Parshas Balak

The Essence of the Jewish People “G-d said to Balaam,” You shall not go with them! You shall not curse the people, for it is blessed” (Bamidbar 22:12) Ibn Ezra asks why Hashem did not permit Balaam to curse the Jewish people since He could have easily protected Klal Yisrael from the effects of any curse. He answer that Hashem knew that the Jewish people would soon sin at Ba’al Pe’or, and if Balaam had cursed Klal Yisrael, the world would have attributed the subsequent plague which ...

Parsha Potpourri: Parshas Balak

Vayakam Bilam ba'boker vayachavosh es asono Vayeilech im sarei Moav (22:21) After finally receiving permission from Hashem to go with Balak's agents, Bilaam awoke early the following morning and saddled his donkey to prepare for the trip. Rashi explains that Bilaam had such personal hatred toward the Jews that when he received his coveted permission to travel to curse them, he awoke early and personally prepared his donkey with alacrity so that he could leave quickly. Hashem remarked, ...

B'Ohel Haneviyim: Parshas Balak 5773

This week's Haftorah is read from Micha. The reason it was selected to accompany Parshas Balak is clear: the Haftorah recounts what transpired between Bilam and Balak and how Hashem responded to it. The Navi tells us about how one day our savior (Mashiach) will come); how one day we will become the undisputed world leader. The Navi also describes to us the unfortunate birthing pains that will lead up to Mashiach's coming. The Haftorah begs the following question: what does the story of Bilam ...

Vertluch: Parshas Balak

We find in this week’s parsha that Hashem tells Bilam not to go with the emissaries of Balak. As the pasuk says Hashem tells Bilam, “You shall not go with them! You shall not curse the people because they are blessed.” (22; 12) Later on, we find that the Torah relates how Hashem grants Bilam permission to go, as it says ‘Hashem came to Bilam at night and said to him, “If these men have come to call for you, arise and go with them, but the word I speak to you-that you shall ...

HaRav Zev Leff: Parshas Chukas

Reasons and Tastes The Midrash (Kohelles Rabbah 7:23) relates that Shlomo Hamelech made a special effort to understand the reasons for parah adumah (the red heifer). IN the end he concluded that the subject was still far from his understanding. Parah adumah remained the classic example of a chok, a Divine Law whose purpose completely eludes us. The Gemara (Sanhedrin 21b) explains that the reasons for the mitzvos were not revealed because in each case in which reasons were given even Shlomo, ...

Parsha Potpourri: Parshas Chukas

V'dibartem el ha'sela l'eineihem v'nasan meimav v'hotzeisa lahem mayim min ha'sela v'hishkisa es ha'eida v'es be'iram (20:8) Although Parshas Chukas begins by describing events which took place during the second year of the Jewish people's sojourn in the wilderness, Rashi writes (20:1) that the parsha then skips 38 years to discuss episodes that occurred during the last of their forty years of wandering in the desert. By that point, all of those who were destined to die in the wilderness had ...

B'Ohel Haneviyim: Parshas Chukas

This week's Haftorah is from Shoftim. It tells us the story of how Yiftach rose to power. The reason that this Haftorah is chosen for parshas Chukas is because the war Yiftach fought was a war on the very same land as Klal-Yisroel fought for in the Sedra. The story of our Haftorah carries with it a tremendous lesson in its own right. Chazal tell us “Yiftach Bedoro KeShmuel Bedoro” – that “Yiftach in his generation was like Shmuel in Shmuel's generation”. Yiftach was, it would seem, ...

Vertluch: Parshas Chukas

This weeks parsha begins with the commandment of the para aduma. The parsha begins with the words ‘zos chukas haTorah… (19; 2). The gemara in Berachos (63b) learns from the word ‘zos’ that “from where do we know that the words of Torah are not retained except by one who kills himself over Torah? For it says ‘zos; zos haTorah Adam ki yamus b’ohel…’ The aforementioned gemara is a reference that a person must kill himself over Torah in order that he should retain its holy ...