Parshas תזריע begins with a woman who gave birth. This is read in the appropriate time, since כלל ישראל was born as a nation on Pesach. If the woman gave birth to a son, there is a seven day טומאה period, similar to a Nida. Then the son has a Mila, her טומאה ends, and then there is a thirty three days of טהרה, after … Continue reading ADV Parashat Tazria-Metzora
שמיני בס”ד In a leap year, the Parsha read usually after Pesach is אחרי מות, which also speaks of the passing of נדב ואביהוא. The number of pesukim in Parshas שמיני is ninety one, and the סימן given is עבדיה. The truth is, the concept of שמיני and of עבדיה are opposites, the eighth being עולם השכר or ימות המשיח, and עבד- יה is the … Continue reading ADV Parsha Shmini
The Rishonim say that the connection between Parshas צו and Pesach, is that in Parshas Tzav, we learn of the mitzvah of הגלת כלים. All the flour offerings throughout the year, except the קרבן תודה (ten out of forty loaves), which was not a חיוב, and the שתי הלחם on שבועות were of matza- לא תאפה חמץ . In the בהמ”ק, there was a taste … Continue reading ADV Parsha Tzav
The word bina is related to the word livnot, meaning “to build”, for this is the essential quality of bina. The abstract, non-dimensional, incomprehensible point that represents chochma is expanded and built into a three-dimensional structure, sometimes compared to the physical dimensions of length, breadth, and depth. In the context of sefirot they signify three aspects of bina, each with its own unique relationship to the other sefirot. 1) The “depth” of bina is the aspect of bina which … Continue reading Expanding our understanding
ויקרא בס”ד Parshas ויקרא is referred to as תורת כהנים, the most difficult of the five חומשים. The months of Elul and Adar are sister months, both the last months of the year- אלול is ר”ת איש לרעהו ומתנות לאביונים, where in Adar, we’re involved with performing this mitzvah. In Elul we read of מחיית עמלק in כי תצא, and in Adar in פרשת זכור. … Continue reading ADV Parashat Vayikra
The שבת of ויקהל פקודי usually connectsאדר toניסן , Purim to Pesach- נסמך גאולה לגאולה. Nisan is the month that the yidden were redeemed and will be redeemed. In ויקהל, Moshe gathered all the yidden and began teaching them the לט מלאכות. Shabbos was taught before this, but not the מלאכות. The Midrash says that Moshe would gather the yidden every Shabbos, hinting to the … Continue reading ADV Parasha Vayakhel/Pekudei
C hapter S ixteenMesillat Yesharim ־ C hapter 25 In Mesillat Yesharim chapter 25, he writes how to acquire ahigh level of fear of Hashem. The way to acquire this awe is tocontemplate two very true things. The first is that the Presenceof Hashem exists in every place in the world and He himselfwatches over everything, small or big. Nothing is hidden fromHis eyes, neither … Continue reading DIVREY YA’AKOV Lesson 16
בס”ד כי תשא Parshas כי תשא has many hints to the י”ט of Purim. In פסוק ל:כג, one of the main spices of the שמן המשחה is mentioned- בשמים ראש מר דרור, where Unkeles translates as מירה דכיא, which more or less make up the name מרדכי. In pasuk כט, describing this שמן המשחה, Rashi uses the words כי כן יסד המלך, a phrase from … Continue reading ADV Parashat Ki Tisa
תצוה פרשת זכור בס”ד The Zohar says there are 53- גן Parshios in Chumash, but there are really fifty four. There are many opinions that זאת הברכה is not counted as a Parsha, since in חו”ל this Parsha is never read on שבת. There are other opinions that נצבים and וילך are considered one, and others hold the same with מטות ומסעי. The חידא says … Continue reading ADV Parashat Tetzaveh / פרשת תצוה
The Gospel of Peter – Patristic References The following is transcribed from M.R. James in The Apocryphal New Testament (Oxford: Clarendon Press 1924). Here I place the notices of it that are found in the Church wrtiers. There are but three. Origen on Matthew, x. 17. (They of Nazareth thought that Jesus) was the son of Joseph and Mary: but the brothers of Jesus some (founding on a … Continue reading The Gospel of Peter
Between שקלים שבתand זכור פרשת there is a הפסקה, so that Moshe could internalize what he already received. The main theme of the Parsha is ועשו לי מקדש ושכנתי בתוכם Hashem created this lowly world in order to have a דירה בתחתונים. This is Hashem’s desire, his רצון, which is above דעת. We have to make ourselves into a receptacle for the שכינה to dwell, and thus fulfilling the ושכנתי בתוכם, in the hearts of every yid. The … Continue reading ADV Parashat Terumah
שבת שקלים משפטים בס “ד Parshas משפטים is jammed packed, besides the many mitzvos that are written in it. This Parsha is the conclusion, the נעילה of the ימי השובבים, in a regular year. It is also the first of the four Parshios that are read surrounding the great י”ט of Purim- שקלים. It is also שבת מברכים אדר, that prepares us for פורים. At … Continue reading ADV Parsha Mishpatim
