Vayikra (9: 7) Then Moses said to Aaron: “Come forward to the altar …”
Rashi And Moses said to Aaron, Go to the altar: for Aaron was diffident […]
Parshat Shemini
Parshat Shemini
Parshat Tzav
The Mussar teachers draw three major lessons from Parshat Tzav:
Character traits can be for the good or for the bad. What matters is how we use them. And for […]Parshat Vayikra
Leviticus is a guide through the rituals and rules of the priests serving in the Mishkan, taking us ultimately to the truths found in the holy of holies. As we […]
Parshot Vayakhel-Pekudi
The Book of Exodus completes with a description of the building of the Mishkan. Just before Moses leads the Israelites in it’s construction, he reminds them that the Sabbath comes […]
Parshat Tetzaveh
Tetzaveh continues the detailed description of the artifacts and materials of the Sanctuary. It seems that the Torah has little to teach us here about spiritual development or becoming a […]
Parshat Beshelach
Shemot (14: 1-5) (Robert Alter, trans.) And the Lord spoke to Moses “… And I shall toughen Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them, that I may gain glory through […]
Parshat Bo
How do we learn from the Torah and our life experiences? What is the exodus from Egypt supposed to teach us? The Mussar teachers tell us that the Torah and […]
Parshat Vaera
A Hardened Heart
A fundamental principle of Mussar is that inner change is possible. Why then does God harden Pharaoh’s heart?
Shemot (7: 3-6) (Robert Alter, trans.) “And I on […]
Parshat Shemot
How did Moses become Moses?
Shemot (2:11) (Robert Alter, trans.) And it happened at that time that Moses grew and went out to his brothers and saw their burdens.
Rashi […]
Parshat Vayechi
How is a curse a blessing?
Bereishit (49:1-7) (Robert Alter, trans.) Assemble and hearken, O Jacob’s sons, and hearken to Israel your father. Reuben, my firstborn are you — my […]