The Danger of Breathing Poisoned Air
Balak’s and Bilaam’s attempts to curse the Jewish People span three parashiot in Sefer Bemidbar: Balak, Pinchas, and Mattot. That fact alone should give us some idea of its monumental importance. Let’s explore the story together. After Bilaam realized that … Continued
The Secret of the Vav Ketiah
We know the story. Balak hired Bilaam to curse Yisrael but was unsuccessful because Bilaam was permitted only to speak blessings upon Yisrael. Nevertheless, Bilaam devised a plan, which he knew that if it succeeded, destruction would come upon Yisrael … Continued
Moshe’s Incredible Sense of Responsibility
In last week’s article, we reviewed the six main attributes of the parah adumah (disgraced, unblemished soul, occupied fully with Torah, a tzaddik who exhibits true shiflut, yet despised by the nation) and challenged the reader to see the connection … Continued
Purification from the Filth of the Snake
In the early days of the automobile, if someone wanted to start his engine, he inserted the hand crank and turned it forcefully. Although he probably did not understand what was actually going on under the hood when he turned … Continued
Why We Must Learn the Secrets of the Torah
How do we ensure that in spite of aging physically, we never really get old? R’ Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk was one of the early leaders in the Chasidic movement. He was the primary talmid of R’ Dov Ber, the … Continued