Parsha with Rabbi David Bibi

 What does it mean to trust HaShem when things are getting
worse, not better? In Parashat Va’era, Moshe is sent back to Pharaoh again and
again—only to see the burden on the Jewish people increase. This morning’s
breakfast class explores a deeper, more demanding definition of bitachon:
not blind optimism, but the courage to believe that even hidden, delayed, or
painful processes are purposeful and guided. Drawing on the Torah’s language of
sivlot (burdens), the letter tet of tov, and the teachings
of Chazal, we confront the tension between e...

short story for Friday night Table 

This morning’s episode of Breakfast & a Class opens Sefer Shemot with an unsettling question: 

How does slavery return without chains? The Torah’s answer is not violence first, but language, reframing, and selective forgetting. Drawing from Chazal, Midrash, Zohar, and the Maharal, this shiur explores how exile begins when names turn into categories, when gratitude becomes historical footnotes, and when “being clever” replaces moral clarity. From Pharaoh’s calculated amnesia of Yosef to the Torah’s definition of Golut HaDa‘at—exile of the mind—we uncover how oppression takes root long before suffering is visible.

Without panic...

 Who really owns the Land of Israel — and why does that
question never seem to go away? 

In today’s class, we step back from slogans and
soundbites and return to the Torah itself. From Avraham Avinu walking the land
without owning it, to Moshe Rabbeinu being told at the burning bush that the
time for inheritance has finally arrived, we trace how the Torah understands
land not as something seized, but as something entrusted. Along the way, we
explore three timeless ways land is acquired — presence, recognition, and
defense — and why Am...

Not brilliance. Not charisma. Not even miracles. In this episode, we return to the
opening parashiyot of Sefer Shemot and read Moshe Rabbenu’s “résumé” the way the Torah actually presents it — not as a list of achievements, but as a
pattern of burden-bearing. From Moshe walking out of the palace to see the
suffering of his brothers, to carrying a runaway lamb on his shoulders, to
sitting on a stone while Israel fights Amalek, Chazal reveal a single defining
trait: נֹשֵׂא בְּעוֹל עִם חֲבֵרוֹ — carrying the weight of others as your own. 

Koh va’Koh is a short phrase in Shemot 2:12, but it opens a whole way of seeing. In this Breakfast & a Class, we follow Moshe Rabbeinu’s moment of decision — “Vayifen koh va’koh… vayar ki ein ish” — and build, step by step, from the simplest peshat into a deeper understanding of why “koh” keeps showing up at moments of transmission in the Torah. We explore the hidden structure behind the number 25, the “Ohr HaGanuz,” and the kind of clarity that isn’t sunlight, but perception — the ability to see beyond the immediate moment into what will be born from our choices.

Duration: 00:17:55

 In this week’s EJSNY 11AM class, we open Parashat Vayechi with one of the strangest questions Ya‘aqob Avinu ever asks: “מִי אֵלֶּה?” — “Who are these?” He’s looking at Ephraim and Menasheh — and yet Chazal insist this isn’t a grandfather forgetting faces. It’s a question of absence. Because Yosef was meant to father twelve shevatim, and only two stand before him. From there we enter the hidden world beneath the words: Yosef’s test with the wife of Potiphar, the meaning of that startling Baraita, the Zohar’s language of “lost potential,” and the Ohr HaḤayim’s breathtaking hint inside the word בָּזֶה —...

Not when a people are enslaved—but when they become comfortable. In this mornings class on Parashat Vayechi, this class reframes galut not as geography, but as an inner condition that slowly erodes clarity. 

   It is a class about memory, identity, and the small, quiet choices that protect a soul. Not inspirational fluff—clear Torah, carefully sourced, and painfully
relevant.     

From Babylon to Broadway: The Siege Then, the Siege Now

Most people think destruction begins with fire. With shattered walls. With exile.

This class argues otherwise.

Asarah B’Tevet marks the moment before everything collapses — the day the siege began, when nothing was burning yet and everything was still reversible. Drawing from Tanakh, Chazal, and the haunting words of the prophets, this episode traces how quiet decisions, ignored warnings, and comfortable illusions brought Jerusalem to ruin — and why this fast is treated with a gravity unlike any other. It is the...

This Sunday’s breakfast class wasn’t prepared in an office or a study hall. It was spoken after to a berit milah in Yerushalayim — a Jewish child entering the fold, blessed like Ephraim and Menashe, carrying the name of a man whose quiet integrity shaped lives long after he was gone. Parshat VaYechi stops being history when blessing meets loss, when memory becomes continuity, and when responsibility replaces resentment.

In this class, we explore how Yehudah’s single step forward shattered a pattern that had haunted Sefer Bereshit for generations — jealousy, rivalry, brothers who could not...

 A great story anchors today’s special edition of
“Breakfast & a Class” on Parashat Vayigash, dedicated le‘iluy
nishmat Adele bat Victoria—a woman of clear vision and honest
realism. At the center is Yosef’s thunderclap moment: “אֲנִי יוֹסֵף”—not
a reunion scene, but a preview of the day when our own narratives collapse and
truth stands in the room. Why were the brothers struck silent even after regret
and teshuvah? Because the most dangerous lie isn’t what others tell us—it’s
what we tell ourselves. 

Through the “$300 wine” illusion, the “above-average driver”
m...

This morning’s class was recorded in Jeruslem, at 7:00 in the morning, in a synagogue where “Breakfast and a Class” meant something very different.

The coffee was finished. Instead there was arak. It was a yahrzeit morning, and the setting was Zecher le-Avraham — a domed synagogue built in memory of Avraham Picciotto, just off the old railway line where tracks once carried people away and life has since grown back around them. From that quiet, early-morning space, surrounded by children, grandchildren, and the layered emotions of being in Israel during a week of Kaddish, this class unfolds.

<...

Vayigash opens like a courtroom hanging over a cliff: Binyamin is “caught,” the goblet is the evidence, and the verdict is already on the table. But then Yehudah steps forward — not with clever legal arguments, and not with polite diplomacy — but with a different kind of power: responsibility. In this episode, we follow Yehudah’s fierce approach to Yosef, the moment he abandons “policy” and pleads the case of a broken father, and the breathtaking line that should never exist in any normal justice system: “Take me instead.”

And then Yosef breaks — not from weakness, but from holiness. C...

 Set
against the convergence of Chanukah, Shabbat, and Rosh Ḥodesh Tevet, this
episode reveals why the darkest month of the year is not a verdict — but an
invitation. Through hidden light, candlelight placed at the threshold, and
Torah that reaches beneath nature itself, we learn how channels can be
sweetened, redirected, and illuminated. This is not about escaping your path.
It is about carrying light into it — and discovering that what felt like
blockage was always waiting to be transformed.  

 Why do we embrace truth when it benefits us — and resist
it when it costs us? In this powerful Breakfast & a Class, we explore one
of the most unsettling patterns in human nature: how the same facts can lead to
completely opposite moral judgments depending on comfort, self-interest, and
perspective. From Pharaoh’s embrace of Yosef to his rejection of Moshe, the
Torah exposes a hypocrisy that isn’t ancient history — it’s alive in every one
of us. 

Drawing on Midrash, Talmud, Zohar, sifrei mussar, and a
memorable stor...

 From the stones of the Kotel at sunrise to the darkness of Yosef’s prison cell, this episode is about the kind of power we forget words carry. Parashat Miketz opens with “Vayehi miketz shenatayim yamim” — two years that Chazal trace back to two phrases Yosef says: “zekhartani… ve-hizkartani.”
How can Yosef—Mr. Bitachon—be “punished” for a simple request? We unpack
Midrash Tanchuma’s sharp language and discover something unsettling: speech
doesn’t only describe reality — it can set the terms of reality. 

And in a week when Jewish hearts are already
raw—especially after...

This morning’s podcast explores the quiet but demanding avodah of bitachon—trust in Hashem—through the life of Yosef HaTzaddik. Drawing on the teachings of our Rabbi and mentor, Rabbi Abittan זצ״ל, a תלמיד of the Ḥazon Ish, we examine his powerful lesson that bitachon is the greatest test of our generation. Yosef’s journey—from the pit, to prison, to the palace—reveals what true trust looks like when every outcome seems uncertain and every door appears closed.

As we enter the holiday of Ḥanukkah, this episode connects Yosef’s unwavering faith to the lights we kindle against all odds...

 We
all love candlelight. It softens a room. It quiets a home. It makes everything
feel spiritual. But the Torah never treats light as ambiance. From the very
beginning of Creation, light is so much more: Vayomer Elokim yehi or — vayehi
or - “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” 

Or she’adam tsofeh bo misof ha’olam ve‘ad sofo - “A light with which one
could see from one end of the world to the other.” 

Perhaps
the question we can ask is not, Do you s...

What if your dreams are more than scattered images of the night? This morning’s Breakfast & a Class Podcast takes you deep into the world of Yosef HaTzaddik and the hidden architecture of dreams in the Torah. From prophetic visions to frightening nightmares, from Yosef’s rise in Egypt to the terrifying power of interpretation described by Chazal, this episode reveals how dreams can shape destinies—and how your words can shape your dreams.

 strip away the fantasy of perfection and replaces it with something far more real: the holiness of recovery. From Yehudah’s words “Tzadkah mimeni” to David’s “Chatati LaHashem,” we uncover why Jewish kingship is built not on flawlessness, but on return. If you’ve ever failed, fallen short, or wondered if it’s possible to truly start again — this class is for you.

 

We live in a world of instant gratification—instant answers, instant fixes, instant results. But the Torah offers a very different vision of how real growth happens. In this powerful class on the words “Vayavo Ya‘aqov shalem”, we uncover a deeper truth hidden in Rashi and Midrash Rabbah: although Ya‘aqov’s healing began immediately, his journey to becoming truly shalem—whole in body, wealth, and spirit—took years. Through sharp insight, relatable modern analogies, and timeless Torah sources, this class reframes how we look at recovery, rebuilding, and spiritual progress.

We then step into the world o...

Today’s Erev Shabbat Breakfast and a Class will be wonderful to share with your family at the table on Friday night or on Shabbat day

We explore one of the quietest but most profound moments in Parashat Vayishlaḥ. After Ya‘aqov makes peace with his brother, he settles for eighteen months and builds two kinds of structures: permanent homes for his family and fragile huts for his animals. Yet he names the entire place not “Batim — Homes,” but “Sukkot — Huts.” Why? What message was he sending his children, his descendants, and the world about compassion, leader...

 In this morning’s Breakfast and a Class, we explore one of the most mysterious scenes in the Torah: the hug and kiss between Ya‘aqov and Eisav. Why does the Torah place dots over the word va-yishaqehu—“and he kissed him”? Was it love, or was it hatred? And what does this ancient encounter have to do with the world we walk into every single morning—our businesses, our challenges, our families, and the culture that surrounds us? 

This episode takes you deep into the kabbalistic framework of Tohu and Tikkun—chaos and repair—and shows how Ya‘aqov become...

In this week’s podcast, we uncover one of the most breathtaking Midrashim in Parashat Vayetze — the real reason Ya‘aqov Avinu arrived in Ḥaran penniless, carrying nothing but a staff. It wasn’t poverty, and it wasn’t neglect. It was because the love Yitzḥak once showed a deeply flawed grandson stopped a murder and saved the entire future of Am Yisrael. One act of warmth, years earlier, changed the destiny of the Jewish people. And from there, we trace a pattern that repeats through history: how a moment of kindness to a child can echo for generations —...

This week’s episode uncovers one of the most hidden structures in the Torah: the cosmic war between the twelve channels of kedushah and the eleven forces of tum’ah. When Ya‘aqov completes the twelve tribes, the universe tilts. Suddenly Eisav’s eleven chiefs, Haman’s eleven klipot, and the eleventh foul ingredient of the Ketoret all fall into place. Why does Ya‘aqov bow, but Mordechai refuses? Why does Yosef singe Eisav like flax? And why does holiness never settle at ten,
and never tolerate eleven, but triumphs only at twelve?

“Taryag Shamarti — The Torah That Never Leaves a Jew”

Parashat Vayishlaḥ — Sunday Morning Breakfast Class Edition 

Life doesn’t pause for Torah. Ya‘aqov Avinu reminds us of that this week. For twenty long years he lived in the chaos of Lavan’s house — working nonstop, raising a family, navigating danger, and grinding through the pressures of daily life. Yet when he prepares to face ‘Esav, he sends one cryptic message: “עִם לָבָן גַּרְתִּי — I lived with Lavan… and I held onto all 613 mitzvot.” What does that even mean? And why would ‘Esav care? Our rabbis reveal a deeper truth: Torah isn’t only what you learn —...

Ya‘akov Ish Tam — master of balance, not a naïve soul.

This episode explores why HaShem waited for Ya‘akov — and only Ya‘akov — to father the Twelve Tribes. We contrast Avraham’s Chesed and Yitzḥak’s Gevurah with Ya‘akov’s Tiferet, the balanced center that brings holiness into everyday life.

Drawing on a penetrating insight from Rabbi Yissocher Frand, we uncover how Ya‘akov, the “simple man,” could stand toe-to-toe with Lavan the deceiver — and how Esther, the woman of silence, learned when silence becomes a sin.

This is a deep dive into middot...

This week’s 48-minute lunch class follows Ya‘aqov Avinu on the road out of Be’er Sheva — alone, stripped of everything — and uncovers the hidden drama that Chazal wove beneath the surface. We explored Eliphaz standing over him with a sword, the terrifying choice between Esav and Yitzḥak, the shocking gilgul that transforms Eliphaz into Onkelos, and the painful wound that produces ‘Amaleq. The class brings together Midrash, Zohar, Rema MiPano, and Rashbi to reveal how one hesitant moment of decency can echo across centuries and reshape Jewish destiny.

If you’ve ever wondered how Heaven handles i...

In this mornings class inspired by an insight by our dear friend Terry Oved, we follow Ya‘akov Avinu into the darkest house in the Torah — Lavan the sorcerer — and discover how twenty years of deceit, manipulation, and spiritual danger forged the strength that finally allowed him to face Eisav.

Drawing from Midrash, Zohar, and Pirkei de’Rabbi Eliezer, we uncover the hidden layers behind the words “עִם לָבָן גַּרְתִּי” and how Ya‘akov walked through fire without losing himself.

This is the story of the strength you don’t know you have until the moment you need it.

A powerful lesson for...

L’N Rabbi Jay Marcus, HaRav Yaakov Zvi ben Harav Yosef Yechezkel zt”l

In this morning’s class, we walk with Ya‘akov Avinu into the darkness — and discover the spark that has carried our people through every exile.

From Har HaBayit to 1492, from Janowska to today, this is the story of the pintele yid that refuses to die — and the miracle of living in a generation that finally has a home to walk toward with keys in our pocket ! 

Kislev enters in darkness, but it carries the oldest light in creation.

This shiur uncovers why Rosh Ḥodesh Kislev is called a mini–Yom Kippur, how Ya‘akov reclaimed the month from Eisav, why the pasuk “וַיַּרְא יֹשֵׁב הָאָרֶץ הַכְּנַעֲנִי” forms its divine permutation, and how the 36-hour hidden light of creation flows into the 36 flames of Ḥanukah.

We explore Rivkah’s fear, Eliyahu’s demand for clarity, and the avodah of Kislev: no more split identities, no more “wishy-washy.”

A powerful, urgent call to enter the Gate of Light with truth, vision, and Teshuvah. 

Our Class today uncovers the hidden meaning behind Yitzḥak’s wells—and the secret of the waters of the mikveh. From Ramban and Midrash to the Sefat Emet and Rav Kook, guided by the Shvilei Pinchas, we discover how digging beneath the layers of dust reveals the “be’er mayim ḥayyim” within us, and how immersion in water reconnects us to creation, purity, and the divine spark waiting to rise.

In this week’s episode, we revisit a powerful Shabbat conversation exploring the passing of Sarah Imeinu, the Satan’s final strike, and the mystery of how Heaven sees what we cannot.

Rashi and Midrash describe Sarah’s death in terms that at first glance are troubling: shock, confusion, and the Satan’s manipulation. But the deeper reading reminds us of a fundamental principle — Sarah’s 127 years were exact, allotted, and perfect. The Satan can disturb perception, but he cannot write decrees. Her passing was not a tragedy created by chaos, but the precise conclusion of a life li...

“Chayei Sarah isn’t about death — it’s about what remains alive.”

This week’s class explores why the Torah places life and death in the same breath, the mystery behind the seven burials in the Cave of Machpelah, and how Sarah’s passing became the first eternal foothold of Am Yisrael in the land.

We also revisit the unforgettable story of a premature eulogy — and what it teaches us about who is truly alive.

If you’ve ever wondered what it means to leave a legacy that endures, this is a class to hear and discus...

“Hidden Greatness — The Hesped of Sarah Imeinu”

Why does the Torah record a eulogy only twice — once for Sarah, once for Ya‘akov?

What made Sarah’s hidden life more powerful than public greatness?

A class on tzniut, hidden chessed, and the kind of greatness HaShem reveals — not the world.

This week’s Tuesday morning class goes into a part of Chayei Sarah nobody talks about.

Avraham gives “gifts” to the sons of Keturah and sends them east — but gives everything to Yitzḥak. Rashi calls those gifts shēm tum’ah — spiritual power without holiness.

The Vilna Gaon shows the word “הַפִּלַגְשִׁים” hides a warning: פָּלַג־שֵׁם — a split Name. The relationship held only half of HaShem’s Name.

In this class we uncover: why Avraham refused the Ketubah, how a missing letter reveals a cosmic struggle, and why only Yitzḥak carries the full Shem HaVaYaH.

Sometimes the deepest secrets...

This week’s class in Chayei Sarah isn’t about Avraham or Rivkah.

It’s about the man nobody looks at.

Eliezer — called “cursed” by Noach, rejected by Avraham, overshadowed at every turn — is sent on the most sacred mission of the generation: find Yitzhak’s wife. And on that journey, something unbelievable happens.

He doesn’t just succeed.

He transforms.

From cursed to blessed.

From servant to saint.

From outsider… to one who enters Gan Eden alive.

What changed?

One test. One insult. On...

What does it mean to pay full price for something that matters?

Avraham didn’t just bury Sarah.

He planted the first permanent stake of the Jewish people in the Land of Israel.

This episode reveals:

By special request, I’m reposting this class on the Akeidah — recorded back in 2020. This version presents a different approach to the Akeyda: a deeper and more midrashic look at what really happened on Har HaMoriah. Many people have asked for it again, and here it is — unchanged.

This class explores a bold Midrashic theme: that at the Akeidah, Yitzchak experiences a form of death and resurrection. Drawing from four Midrashic sources, the shiur shows how Chazal describe Yitzchak’s soul leaving him as the knife reaches his neck and returning when the angel calls out. From this mom...

Discover how Sarah’s reaction in Parashat VaYera teaches us never to underestimate who Hashem chooses to deliver your blessing.   

 He challenged Heaven. 

He passed the Akeidah. 

And he walked home as if nothing happened. 

This week’s episode reveals the power of staying grounded
— in success and in struggle. 

Avraham Avinu teaches us the secret: Greatness doesn’t
need applause. 

The Voice That Opens Heaven — Your Own

Avraham’s first prayer in the Torah wasn’t a prayer at all — it was an argument.

In this class, we explore why Hashem wants your words, not perfect words.

And we’ll see what happens when people finally speak to Him… directly.

 Last Friday, just after sunrise minyan at the
Kotel, I was talking with friends when one of the guys from New York spotted me
and gave me a huge hug proclaiming loudly, “Rabbi Bibi, one of my favorite
rabbis, they miss you in Miami.”  

Before I could answer, someone else said, “Yes,
that’s him.” 

No words. Just a hug. 

As I walked toward the plaza to record a class,
a young man from America approached me. 

“I know Egypt, Babylonia, Greece, Rome… but what is this?” 

H...

 A lion’s roar in the ark. 

A wound that never healed. 

And a truth that echoes at the Kotel today — More than we
do for the poor, they do for us. 

This week’s class, “Noaḥ and the Lion,” explores the
hidden power of kindness that sustains the world, through Midrash, Zohar, and
timeless lessons for our own lives. 

Reflections for Rosh Ḥodesh Ḥeshvan / Parashat Noaḥ 

 Two words — ḥatufim and ḥamas — define our times. 

Join us for a powerful journey from Parashat Noaḥ to today’s headlines, revealing how the Torah foresaw the moral collapse of a world that takes instead of gives — and how we can rebuild it through compassion, truth, and giving back.  

Sources

• Genesis 6:11; 21:1

• Deuteronomy 25:13–19

• Exodus 21:16

• Targum Onkelos ad loc.

• Bereshit Rabbah 12:8

• Rashi to Deuteronomy 25:15

• Rabbi Pinchas Winston, Parashat Noaḥ, 2025

and
suggest, with classic sources, that Torah and tefillah keep the of
heaven and earth in motion. If you want a no-nonsense take on how your siddur
sustains the world, this one’s for you 

Sources Cited

1. Bereshit 1:1; 2:5–7; 2:3

2. Rashi ad loc.

3. Bereshit Rabbah 10:9, 12:8

4. Tehillim 33:6, 9; 104:30; 115:16

5. Yirmeyahu 33:25

6. Devarim 8:3

7. Zohar II 161a

8. Nefesh Haḥayyim, Shaʿar Alef 2; Shaʿar Daled 

  “Whose Side Is God On? — The Tower That Never Fell” 

From Gaza to Babel — from protest lines to prayer lines —
everyone thinks Heaven agrees with them. 

This week’s class, “Whose Side Is G-d On?”, exposes the
spiritual blindness that turns faith into fiction — and the miracles we miss
when we stop looking up.  

 Why did Hashem choose ravens — the most unlikely of birds
— to feed Eliyahu the prophet? In today’s class, we attempt to uncover the
secret connection between the raven, the ketoret, and the soul of every Jew. 

When the sky darkened and the first raindrops fell,

Noaḥ hesitated at the door of the תֵּבָה.

Centuries later, Mosheh faced the same test — and changed history.

This is the story of faith, humility, and Hashem’s confidence in you.

 Peace
treaties signed, yet war rages. 

But
what if this chaos was predicted not by pundits, but by Shlomo HaMelekh himself? 

Podcast Description:

In this powerful post–holiday class, we explore the question that lingers after the shofar’s echo fades: What now? Through the stories of Kayin and Hevel, Noaḥ, and the teachings of the Ba‘al Shem Ṭov and the Lubavitcher Rebbe, he reveals that the true work of teshuvah begins when the inspiration ends — when we stop blaming others and take ownership of our lives. “הַדָּבָר תָּלוּי בִּי – The matter rests with me” becomes a call to action: to carry the holiness of the Yamim Nora’im into the ordinary days ahead, turning awareness into daily renewal.

Tonight, all of Israel waits breathlessly.

On הוֹשַׁעְנָא רַבָּה — the night of sweetening judgment — hearts tremble and lips whisper the same plea: that our brothers and sisters be returned, that harsh decrees melt into mercy.

In this special lecture from אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, delivered exactly two years after the tragedy that began on שְׁמִינִי עֲצֶרֶת תשפ״ד, Rabbi David draws us into the mystery of the five willow strikes — the five final letters of the Hebrew alphabet — and how each one transforms divine judgment into compassion.

Join us for The Five Strikes of Mercy — Sweetening Judgment on the Soft Earth — a journey from sorrow to renewal, from the closed

What do two identical goats — one brought to the Holy of
Holies, the other cast into the wilderness — reveal about the deepest secret of
teshuvah? 

Join us to discover how Yom Kippur teaches us to climb
from fear to love, and even transform sins into merits.  

LeZecher Nishmat my grandfather who passed away as we entered Yom Kippur, David Gindi HaKohen Ben Sarina and his great great grandson, Shimon Chai Ben Moriyah Bracha Devora 

 36 Hours Before Rosh HaShanah - The King is here. Hashem is knocking. Don’t miss the moment. Join us for “The Elevator Up – Answering the Knock Before the Gates Close.”  

 Let me share a story that Rabbi Elimelech Biderman brings
down, one that hits straight to the heart. 

The Krasna Rav tells a story which brings these words of
Rashi alive. 

There was a boy in Bnei Brak losing his eyesight. His
condition was deteriorating rapidly. The best doctors in Israel shook their
heads: nothing mor...

Why do the Righteous suffer and the Wicked prosper - from Moshe’s glimpse of the tefillin’s knot to Rabbi Akiva’s vision of the crown — and discover how to enter Rosh HaShanah seeing every decree as הטוב והמטיב. Based on Rav Pinchas Friedman, The Shvilei Pinchas .... As we mention, this is a re-recording of the Seuda Shelishi Class - A dear friend who attended the class wrote and I am humbled by his words: I want to tell you how truly grateful I am. You are not just my rabbi — you are my David. The Devar Torah you gave on tefillin wiped me...

Today’s shiur, inspired by Rabbi Yissocher Frand, dives into Moshe Rabbeinu’s final charge in Parashat Nitsavim: “וּבָחַרְתָּ בַּחַיִּים” — “And you shall choose life.” What does it mean that HaShem not only gives us the choice but tells us which path to take? And how is that lifnim mishurat ha-din — above and beyond the letter of the law? As we approach Rosh HaShanah, we’ll uncover the Torah’s most encouraging secret: that a single, sincere choice can reshape our entire judgment, counted in Heaven as if it were already done.  

As Moshe gathers every Jew — leaders and laborers, children and converts — he reminds us that נִצָּבִים is not passive standing, but purposeful positioning: a charge renewed each Rosh HaShanah for every generation.

 Ki Tavo – Rav Avraham Pam and The Gift of Time 

This week’s parashah, Ki Tavo, begins with the mitzvah of
bikkurim—bringing the first fruits to Yerushalayim. The farmer didn’t just
deliver the fruits. He made a declaration, retelling the story of our people:
“Arami oved avi”—from Lavan chasing Ya‘akov, to the slavery in Mitzrayim, to
Hashem redeeming us with a mighty hand. 

Why? Because gratitude is not just giving—it’s
remembering. We don’t only thank Hashem for the fruit; we thank Him for our
histo...

The Boat That Saves Us - Ki Tabo

Ki Tavo el ha’aretz… — When you come to the Land… (Devarim 26:1).

This week’s parashah begins with a mitzvah of gratitude: bringing the first fruits to the Beit HaMikdash. For us, it also stirs deep gratitude — that so many of our children and grandchildren are already settled in Eretz Yisrael. Baruch Hashem, the dream of two thousand years has become their daily life.

And yet, alongside the joy is a touch of sadness. Fac...

 In this week’s Daf Yomi (Horayot 5a), the Gemara
discusses the status of a tevul yom — one who immersed in a mikveh but has not
yet waited for sunset. 

The Torah says explicitly (Vayikra 11:32): 

 וְטָמֵא
עַד־הָעָרֶב וְטָהֵר 

“…he shall be tamei until evening, and then he shall be
tahor.” 

The question jumps off the page: 

If immersion in the mikveh purifies, why is it not
enough? 

Why must the Torah insist on waiting for הֶעֶרֶב שֶׁמֶשׁ? 

The Gemara 

 • Horayot 5a: discusses a tevul yom
who is...

Yesterday , in Parashat Ki Teitzei, the Torah said: 

 כִּי־תֵצֵא לַמִּלְחָמָה
עַל־אֹיְבֶיךָ 

“When you go out to war against your enemies.” 

  This week, in Parashat Ki Tavo, the language shifts: 

 וְהָיָה כִּי־תָבוֹא
אֶל־הָאָרֶץ 

“And it shall be when you come into the Land…” 

 The transition is profound. 

 • Ki Teitzei is about going out—facing struggle and battle, both external and internal. 

 • Ki Tavo is about coming in—arriving at blessing, permanence, and sanctity. 

The mekubalim explain: if you want to “come in” to blessing,
you must first “go out” for others. When you lift another Jew, you are really
lifting t...

 The Torah tells us: 

לֹא־יָבֹא עַמּוֹנִי וּמוֹאָבִי בִּקְהַל ה׳… עַל־דְּבַר אֲשֶׁר
לֹא־קִדְּמוּ אֶתְכֶם בַּלֶּחֶם וּבַמַּיִם בַּדֶּרֶךְ בְּצֵאתְכֶם מִמִּצְרָיִם וַאֲשֶׁר
שָׂכַר עָלֶיךָ אֶת־בִּלְעָם בֶּן־בְּעוֹר… (דברים כ״ג:ד–ה). 

  “An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of Hashem… because they did not greet you with bread and water on the way when you left Egypt, and because they hired Bil‘am son of Be‘or to curse you.” 

  Now wait. Let’s be honest. Which crime sounds worse? Moav
hired Bil‘am to curse, to destroy, to annihilate. Amon? They just didn’t bring
out some bread and water. At worst, a breach of etiquette. 

 So why does the Torah treat them equally? Why are they both forever excluded from joining Am Yisrael?  

“Two Wars and the Calf in Between” — uncover why the Torah repeats כִּי־תֵצֵא לַמִּלְחָמָה twice, and what it teaches us about Elul, seliḥot, and responsibility for one another.

he first appearance is in Shoftim:

כִּי־תֵצֵא לַמִּלְחָמָה עַל־אֹיְבֶיךָ וְרָאִיתָ סוּס וָרֶכֶב עַם רַב מִמְּךָ לֹא־תִירָא מֵהֶם כִּי ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ עִמָּךְ הַמַּעַלְךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם. (דְּבָרִים כ׳:א׳)

Here the Torah speaks about a communal war — the entire nation arrayed against the enemy. The Kohen gives his powerful speech: “Do not fear, for Hashem is with you.”

The Malbim points out: this refers to a milchemet mitzvah — an obligatory war of defense or conquest, commanded by Hashem. Holy and necessary — but dangerous. War means bloodshed, and bloodshed can desensitize a people.

Which is why, immediately after this section, the Torah turns to eglah arufah.

Eglah Ar...

You are Never Alone – Shoftim 5785 

(Based on Rabbi Elimelech Biderman שליט״א, with additional story from Rabbi Shlomo Farhi שליט״א) 

 My friends, imagine this: you’re walking on a long, empty road. Not a car in sight. No phone service. No flashlight. The world is dark, the wind whistles, and your footsteps echo. Suddenly, you ask yourself—am I truly alone?  

From the arrogance of guests demanding beachfront huts to the discipline of kings carrying a Sefer Torah, today’s episode explores the Torah’s timeless cure for ego: remembering not who we are, but Whose we are.” 

 This week’s parashah, Shoftim, commands us to build a
society of justice. In a powerful op-ed, Charles Kushner warns French President
Macron about the rise of antisemitism in France. What does this teach us about
the mitzvah of dinim, the legacy of Dreyfus and Herzl, and the courage each of
us must find in Elul?  

In this Rosh Hodesh class we uncover the hidden Name of Elul — ה־ה־ו־י — concealed
in a single pasuk of the Torah. Why is Elul’s Name spelled through
endings, not beginnings? Why does it unite Binah with Malkhut? And how
does this month become, in the words of the ḥasidic masters, the
“neshamah yetera of the year”? Join us as we explore the Arizal, the
Bnei Yissaschar, the Baal Shem Tov, and more, to prepare our hearts for
the Yamim Nora’im 

Pre-recording of Seudah Shelishi class: “עֲשֵׂר
תְּעַשֵּׂר – Tithing the Head, Ruling the Heart” 

Join us as we explore how Ya‘akov Avinu’s pledge of ma‘aser
teaches us to crown the mind over the heart, turning even the yetzer hara
into a force for good through the joy of Torah. 

Introduction 

My friends,
as we gather this Shabbat afternoon, I want to take you straight into the heart
of our parashah — Parashat Re’eh based on the teachings of the Shvilei
Pinchas – Rabbi Pinchas Friedman  

The Torah
tells us: 'עַשֵּׂר תְּעַשֵּׂר...

In Memory of Rabbi Wein 

Every single day — not once in a while, but every day — in our synagogue, there are people in line at the door asking for help.

Some we recognize, some are strangers passing through.

They come with letters, envelopes, sometimes with tears.

And if you think about it — many of them come hoping that today will be the day their prayers are answered.

There’s a danger here.

Not that we’ll stop giving — but that we’ll start giving without feeling.

That our hands will sta...

Testing Hashem Halacha 08112025

Devarim 6:16: “לֹא תְנַסּוּ אֶת־ה׳ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, כַּאֲשֶׁר נִסִּיתֶם בַּמַּסָּה”

“Do not test Hashem your God, as you tested Him at Massah.”

This forbids challenging Hashem to “prove” Himself by fulfilling our conditions. The Torah is recalling the incident in Shemot 17:1–7:

• The people had no water and demanded:

“הֲיֵשׁ ה׳ בְּקִרְבֵּנוּ אִם אָיִן — Is Hashem in our midst or not?”

• They challenged Moshe to “prove” that Hashem was with them.

• That place was called Massah (“testing”) because they tested Hashem by saying, “Is He among us or not?”

Sefer HaChinuch Mitzvah 435

The prohibition is to set up a situation in which we demand Hashem prove Himself, as though we will only trust Him if He fulfi...

Sefer hachinuch lists 22 Misvot this week. One is not to forsake the levi.

Halacha of the Day on “לא לעזוב את הלוי” — Not to forsake the Levi (Sefer HaChinukh mitzvah 505 in most editions).

1. The mitzvah is from Devarim 12:19:

“הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ פֶּן־תַּעֲזֹב אֶת־הַלֵּוִי כָּל־יָמֶיךָ עַל־אַדְמָתֶךָ”

“Guard yourself lest you forsake the Levite all your days upon your land.”

The Levi’im were not given a portion of land in Eretz Yisrael — their livelihood came from the ma’aser rishon (first tithe) that the other tribes were commanded to give. This mitzvah warns us not only to fulfill the technical requirement of giving the ma’aser, but also to maintain an ongoing relationship of support and respect for th...

 How many times do you need to hear something before it
becomes part of you? 

Once? Twice? Ten times? 

Moshe Rabbenu gathers the people one last time, and he
doesn’t teach them anything “new.” No fresh miracles. No dazzling wonders. He
retells stories they already know. He repeats. Again. And again. 

הוֹאִ֛יל מֹשֶׁ֥ה בֵאֵ֖ר אֶת־הַתּוֹרָ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את לֵאמֹֽר׃ 

“Then Moshe undertook to expound this Torah…” (דברים א׳:ה׳) 

Why the repetition? Because Moshe isn’t lecturing. He’s
engraving. He’s searing memory into the soul of a people. 

And as we approach תִּשְׁעָה בְּאָב, our national day of
m...

תְּקַע בְּשׁוֹפָר גָּדוֹל לְחֵרוּתֵנוּ.

וְשָׂא נֵס לְקַבֵּץ גָּלִיּוֹתֵינוּ.

וְקַבְּצֵנוּ יַחַד מֵאַרְבַּע כַּנְפוֹת הָאָרֶץ לְאַרְצֵנוּ.

יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה אֱלֹקינוּ

וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, שֶׁכָּל טִפָּה וְטִפָּה שֶׁל זֶרַע שֶׁיֵּצֵא מִמֶּנִּי לַבַּטָּלָה, בֵּין בְּאוֹנֶס בֵּין בִּרְצוֹן, בֵּין בְּשׁוֹגֵג בֵּין בְּמֵזִיד,

בֵּין בְּעֵר בֵּין בְּיָשֵׁן, בֵּין עַל יְדֵי בֵּין עַל יְדֵי אֲחֵרִים, שֶׁלֹּא בְּמָקוֹם מִצְוָה,

עֲשֵׂה לְמַעַן שִׁמְךָ הַגָּדוֹל וְהַנּוֹרָא הַיּוֹצֵא מִפָּסוּק תֵּהִל בַּל וְיִקָּרֵנוּ, שֶׁתַּחֲזִירֵם לִמְקוֹמָם בִּמְקוֹם הַקּוֹדֶשׁ.

The Killer’s Prayer

You didn’t mean to kill.

Maybe a tool slipped from your hand. Maybe you looked away for a second. It doesn’t matter now. Someone died, and the Torah says you must go — to the עיר מקלט.

Exiled. Alone. Separated from your family.

Maybe it feels like you’re in Iowa, and your whole life — your wife, your kids, your parents — are all back in New York.

And every day in exile… you pray.

Not for forgivene...

The Torah tells us that if someone makes a vow or swears an oath to bind themselves, they must not profane their word—“כְּכָל־הַיֹּצֵא מִפִּ֖יו יַעֲשֶֽׂה” — he must do exactly as he has said.

 In Jewish law, vows are serious matters. A neder or a shevuah is not just a passing statement. It creates a personal prohibition. And to dissolve such a vow requires either an expert—יָחוֹל לְהָתִיר נֶדֶר—or a בית דין של שלושה הדיוטות.

But what’s striking is how the Torah introduces this mitzvah.

Usually, when Moshe receives a mitzvah to transmit, it’s passed from him to אַהֲרֹן, then to his sons, the זְקֵנִים, and finally to all of בְּנֵי...

 This is an origin story I had never heard and I’m fairly
sure that most of you have not heard it before either.  

And here’s how it goes: 

Yehoshua’s father was a righteous man. He and his wife had
no children. He prayed passionately for a child, and at last, Hashem answered
his prayers.  

Yehoshua’s mother noticed that although she had become
pregnant, her husband was still not happy. He was crying and fasting even more
than before. Overwhelmed by his c...

 Title: The Severed Letter and the Unbroken
Soul: Zimri, Pinchas, and the Redemption of a Cut Covenant 

This
Shabbat: A broken
letter. A severed soul. A redemption that spans lifetimes.

Join us for “The Severed Letter and the Unbroken Soul” — a journey from
Zimri to Rabbi Akiva and beyond. 

Opening:
Questions That Demand Answers 

What do we
do when we find a broken letter in a Sefer Torah? We stop. We call a sofer. We
declare the scroll pasul. One letter broken, and the Torah’s vo...

 In פַּרָשַׁת
פִּינְחָס, Hashem gives Pinḥas the ultimate gift: 

 “הִנְנִי נֹתֵן לוֹ אֶת־בְּרִיתִי שָׁלוֹם” 

“Behold, I
give him My covenant of peace.” 

(במדבר כ״ה:י״ב) 

But if you
look inside a Sefer Torah, you’ll notice something unusual: 

The word שָׁלוֹם
is written with a ו׳ קְטוּעָה—a broken vav. 

Why would
the Torah—which is תְּמוּמָה and שְׁלֵמָה—contain a broken letter? 

 Parashat
Pinḥas, we must contrast him with
another towering figure — one who also spoke with God, one who was considered a
prophet among the nations — the notorious Bilʿam. 

He’s
not on the battlefield. 

He’s
not in the beit midrash. 

He’s
not prophesying. 

He’s
collecting payment — for his wicked advice: “Send in the Midyanite women. Break
their morality, and you break their protection.” 

And
it worked. 

24,000
men of Shevet Shimʿam wa...

When Souls Leave Early—And Still Lift Us 

At
the end of Parashat Balak, we meet a hero—Pinḥas—who steps into a
collapsing world and halts a deadly plague. But according to the Mekubalim,
Pinḥas didn’t act alone. In the moment he entered the tent with spear in
hand, his soul left him in fright. And then… a miracle. The souls of his
uncles, Nadav and Avihu—who died decades earlier in Divine fire—returned to
strengthen him. They brought with them another soul: Eliyahu HaNavi. 

 The Gemara in Sotah (47a) says something shocking: 

  “As a reward for the forty-two korbanot that Balak offered, he merited that Rut
descended from him… from whom came Shlomo HaMelekh.” 

 Wait… what? 

 Balak—the man who tried to annihilate Am Yisrael—gets to be the great-grandfather of Mashiach? 

  If you told Balak that his offerings would lead to the birth of David HaMelekh, he would’ve canceled the korbanot and grilled the animals for himself. 

 He didn’t intend good. So why the reward?  

 The Torah opens the scene quietly: 

 וַיֵּשֶׁב יִשְׂרָאֵל
בַּשִּׁטִּים, 

וַיָּחֶל הָעָם לִזְנוֹת אֶל־בְּנוֹת מוֹאָב. 

— “And Yisrael dwelled in Shittim, and the people began to
stray after the daughters of Moav.” (בַּמִּדְבָּר כ״ה:א׳) 

One verse. 

No battle cries. 

Just the gentle pull of desire. Of loneliness. Of spiritual
disarmament.  

 Bilam, the wicked prophet, fails to curse Am Yisrael. But
before leaving, he whispers to Balak: 

 “אֱלֹקֵיהֶם
שֶׁל אֵלּוּ שׂוֹנֵא זִמָּה הוּא” 

— “Their G-d despises immorality.” (סנהדרין ק״ו) 

And with that advice, the Moabite plan begins. Royal
daughters of Midyan and Moav are sent to seduce the Israelites—not just with
beauty, but with hospitality, charm, and warmth. 

At first, they a...

There’s a profound Midrash:

“תָּבֹוא הָאֵם וּתְקַנֵּחַ צֹאָת בְּנָה” –

“Let the mother come and clean up the mess of her child.”

(Tanchuma, Chukat 8)

The child? Klal Yisrael, who sinned with the Egel HaZahav.

The mother? The Parah Adumah, the red heifer whose ashes bring purity.

But what’s the connection?

The Chet Ha’Egel wasn’t wild rebellion—it was panic wrapped in reason. Moshe was delayed. Maybe gone. They needed a leader. An intermediary. Their intentions were leshem Shamayim. But the Alexandrer Rebbe, the Yismach Yisrael, teaches: Duration: 00:09:03

🇺🇸 Better Than Fireworks: Giants, Mountains & Miracles

🕗 July 4th | 7:30 AM Shacharit • Followed by Breakfast & Shiur

This Independence Day, come for breakfast—and stay for a battle that shook the heavens.

A mountain lifted, ants sent by Heaven, and the “worm of Yaakov” that crushed a giant.

Discover how Moshe Rabbeinu defeated Og with nothing but spirit, and how you can too.

Better than fireworks. Bigger than Bashan.

🎙 Obedience Beyond Understanding

Parashat Chukat | Based on Yismach Yisrael, Alexander Rebbe

There’s a profound Midrash:

“תָּבֹוא הָאֵם וּתְקַנֵּחַ צֹאָת בְּנָה” –

“Let the mother come and clean up the mess of her child.”

(Tanchuma, Chukat 8)

The child? Klal Yisrael, who sinned with the Egel HaZahav.

The mother? The Parah Adumah, the red heifer whose ashes bring purity.

But what’s the connection?

The Chet Ha’Egel wasn’t wild rebellion—it was panic wrapped in reason. Moshe was delayed. Maybe gone. They needed a l...