August 2021 -

Written by: Rabbi Mordechai Raizman The Sounds of the Shofar As we approach Rosh Hashana, a beautiful teaching comes to mind. In the Sefer Sifsei Chaim written by Horav Chaim Friedlander, ZT”L, he poses the following question. Why are there three different sounds to the shofar?  There is a tekiah (long blast), a shevarim (a

Written by: Rabbi Mordechai Raizman In this week’s Torah portion Rashi teaches us about the concept of the mitzvah Gorreres which means that when one does one mitzvah it draws one to do another one afterwards.  One who performs the mitzvah of Shiluach Hakan will have opportunities that follow it such as building a fence

Written by: Rabbi Avrohom S. Moller This week’s parsha opens with the mitzvah of Bikurim, the obligation to present our first produce of the the land as a gift to Hashem in the Bais HaMikdash. Rashi, at the beginning of Beraishis, quotes a Midrash Rabbah that the mitzvah of Bikurim is the reason that Hashem

Written by: Rabbi Avrohom S. Moller The first commandment of this week’s parsha is,  “שֹׁפְטִים וְשֹׁטְרִים תִּתֶּן – לְךָ בְּכָל-שְׁעָרֶיךָ – You shall designate for yourself judges and enforcers in all of your communities.” This verse teaches us that we must create a judicial system in every Jewish community. This is the mainstay of a

Written by: Rabbi Mordechai Raizman Open Your Eyes This week’s Torah portion, Re’eh, starts with the phrase “Re’eh anochi nosayn lifnaychem hayom borcha uklalla – See what I have placed before you today, the blessings and curses.” Rav Moshe Feinstein, ZT”L, asks why is it that the word re’eh is written in a singular vein