Positive Commandments א מִצְוָה רִאשׁוֹנָה מִמִּצְווֹת עֲשֵׂה, לֵידַע שֶׁיֵּשׁ שָׁם אֱלוֹהַּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר “אָנֹכִי ה’ אֱלֹהֶיךָ” (שמות כ,ב; דברים ה,ו). 1 The first of the positive commandments is to know that there exists God, as it is written “I am the LORD, thy God” (Exodus 20,2; Deuteronomy 5,6). ב לְיַחֲדוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר “ה’ אֱלֹהֵינוּ, ה’ אֶחָד” (דברים ו,ד). 2 …
Category: Torah
Mishneh Torah
Negative Commandments 1 The first of the negative commandments is not to entertain the thought that there is any god but the LORD, as it is written “thou shalt have no other gods” (Exodus 20,2; Deuteronomy 5,6). 2 Not to make a graven image, neither to make oneself nor to have made for oneself by…
What does the word “leimor” mean?
“Va’eschanan el Hashem b’eis ha’hi leimor.” What does the word “leimor” mean in this context? Ramban writes in Shmos 6:20 that the word “leimor” means to articulate clearly, as opposed to “amira m’supekes.” “Vayidaber Hashem el Moshe leimor” means (according to Ramban) that Hashem gave Moshe some message and charged him with the task of…
TORAH: DEVARIM
Torah Reading: DEVARIM, Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22 Isaiah 1:1-27. THE BOTTOM LINE As always, we commence the reading of the book of DEVARIM (Deuteronomy), the last of the Five Books of Moses, on the Shabbos preceding the fast of Tisha Be’Av (9th Av) commemorating the destruction of the Holy Temple. Tisha Be’Av is a call to Teshuvah…
Laws of Torah Learning on Tisha B’av
• The study of Torah is prohibited on Tisha B’Av because Torah brings joy to those who study it. One may study Iyov, Eicha and the somber portions of Yirmiyahu (Ta’anit 30a). • It is also permissible to study the laws of mourning (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 554:2). • When studying the appropriate portions, one…
LET’S STUDY ONKELOS PINCHAS
STUDY GUIDE PINCHAS (CHAPTER 25:10–30:1) SUMMARY OF THE TORAH PORTION Phinehas is rewarded by God for his daring and courageous act with a covenantal guarantee of a perpetual priesthood for his descendants; Moses is commanded to kill the Midianites for attempting to undermine the Israelite nation by seducing them to commit acts of sexual immorality…
BAMIDBAR
UNIVERSAL TORAH: BAMIDBAR By Rabbi Avraham Greenbaum Torah Reading: Numbers 1:1-4:20 Haftara: Hosea 2:1-22. IN THE WILDERNESS It was fitting that the Giving of the Torah took place in no-man’s-land amidst the stark desolation of the Wilderness. Here no temporal king could claim that he played host to the event, thereby meriting a special share…
KNOW YOUR BIBLE:
BS”D KNOW YOUR BIBLE: I Chronicles 11-12 Study Notes by Avraham ben Yaakov I CHRONICLES CHAPTER 11 “And all Israel gathered themselves to Israel to David…” (v 1). With the setting of the star of King Saul, the star of David now shone forth in all its radiance. The present chapter and the next tell…
The Everlasting Mitzvah
Question: Are there differences in actual Torah laws among the Sephardic, Ashkenazi, and Yemenite customs? Why is it not possible to make a decision that Jews of all backgrounds should rule on Halacha in the same manner? Answer: The Rambam (Chapter 9, Halacha 1 of Hilchot Yesodei Ha’Torah) writes: “Something written explicitly in the Torah,…
Understanding Torah
Reb Yochanan Sofer writes that he remembers when he began to attend to his grandfather Reb Shimon Sofer zt”l for several hours during the day, the remaining hours that he utilized for learning were tremendously productive. In only a short period of time, he was able to understand the depths of the Gemora and the…
TORAH READING SHABBAT
On Shabbat May 9 the Torah reading in Israel will be BEHAR while in the Diaspora the Torah reading will be the portion of EMOR. Students in Israel please scroll down this email for the commentary on BEHAR. DIASPORA TORAH READING SHABBAT MAY 9: EMOR UNIVERSAL TORAH COMMENTARY By Rabbi Avraham Greenbaum Torah Reading: Parshas…
Pirkei Avos
Is Torah a Burden? Part II Chapter 6, Mishna 2(b) By Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld “Rabbi Yehoshua ben (son of) Levi said, on every day a heavenly voice emanates from Mount Horeb, announcing: ‘Woe to them, the people, because of the affront to the Torah.’ For anyone who does not study is called ‘rebuked,’ as the…
Yeshua Centered Judaism 
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