Category: Weekly Parsha

Parshas Bo

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Pashas Bo (5776)
by Mordechai Dolinsky

12:1 ויאמר אל משה ואהרן-Rashi—since Aharon toiled, troubled and bothered for the mofsim as Moshe, Hashem honored him to be included in the first mitzvah just like Moshe. The great principle chesed brings Torah. Moshe’s mesirs nefesh to speak to Pharaoh brought him greatness in Torah at Har Sinai. The elders were whipped for Klal Yisroel and they were zocheh to be in the Sanhedrin. רחמנא ליבא באי—Hashem wants our hearts.

Have a wonderful Shabbos.

Shmos: בענין הברית של אליעזר

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Parshas Shmos (5776)
בענין הברית של אליעזר
by Mordechai Dolinsky

4:25 In our sedra we have this awesome episode of Moshe’s returning to Mitzrayim and was actually חייב מיתה for his negligence in performing a מילה on Eliezer and being redeemed in the last minute. The negligence was his preoccupation in settling the stayover prior to making the bris. פלא on פלא. Even for real, obvious negligence, how can we understand such a severe punishment, all the more so for this subtle lack of correct priority, for which Moshe surely had a חשבון.

Perhaps the key, the direction for understanding this great difficulty is to understand the basic meaning of the word bris milah in its simplicity. The word means an absolute commitment to a matter that has implications of importance. The bris here is expressing the kesher, the commitment and faithfulness between Hashem and Klal Yisroel. Moshe couldn’t make the bris in Midian since it would take three days to heal and this would delay Moshe’s going to Mitzrayim to free the Yidden. Now there was a stopover—Moshe felt it was important to set up for everyone first and then make the bris. Min HaShomayim they expected something different. Moshe you are on a mission for Klal Yisroel, the whole maaleh of Klal Yisroel is the essence of their connection to Hashem. The Bris crystallizes this. You should feel that the bris is the connection, and the pressure to make the bris—make the bris—make the bris. If you fail to feel this it reflects the lack of the degree of the essence of the connection between Hashem and Klal Yisroel. Moshe is chayav misah. This would mean that he is not worthy enough for the mission. I just found a Zohar that expresses this exactly. “Moshe you are running to Mitzrayim to save the Yidden, what about the bris? “

According to this it is difficult to understand how Tziporah’s act rectified the problem, for there doesn’t seem to be any connection between Tziporah’s valiant act in performing the bris and the sharp criticism on Moshe. Perhaps we can venture to present a unique insight be”h. When it was demonstrated that min HaShomayim that there was a great teviah on Moshe, and it was obvious that it because of his subtle negligence of putting the milah as the first priority, at that point Moshe himself could have made an immediate effort to rectify the situation and quickly perform the milah and also attain for himself the accomplishment of this great Mitzvah. However seeing that Tziporah was ready to start, instead of stopping her for his own benefit of the Mitzvah, Moshe forfeited this great zchus for the benefit that the milah should be fulfilled at the first possible second. This was a true rectification of the essence of the Heavenly criticism.
I thank Hashem for the insight—v’sein balibeinu l’havin ulihaskel.

Parshas Vayechi

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Parshas Vayechi (5776)
by Mordechai Dolinsky

Something very important takes place at the end of the parsha 50:3 which goes unnoticed, with the passing of Yaakov Avinu. We find that the mitzriim were extremely emotionally affected by what they understood as a great loss. How they showed their reaction was actually mind-boggling. ויבכו אנשי מצרים שבעים יום—the Egyptians cried for seventy days! Just the idea of the goyim crying for one day, just one cry, real tears flowing out of their eyes, old and young, a real total breakdown caused by a real tragedy. They obviously had a real understanding and feeling that something very deep, of supreme significance has occurred by the loss of Yaakov Avinu. The funeral procession, upon reaching the place גורן האטד experienced again a great emotional breakdown. They all went into great mourning for seven days. One would suppose that the most involved would be Yosef and his brothers and their families. However, the ones that were most extremely affected were the מצריים and as a result the כנענים renamed the location אבל מצרים.

What a deep and powerful eye-opening lesson this is for us, an explosion of light. We contemplate—what possibly could bring the entire Egyptian nation to the point of bitter tears? We must say that they had a true insight, vision, clarity of the truth, that every single thing they have in life comes through the גדול בישראל; they would be missing without the gadol something needed for every fiber of life, every fiber of their bodies, their very existence. They were tuned into the real emes. Where did they get it from, from where could they have received the great truth? This is the foundation that we as Klal Yisroel believe in. Perhaps it was one of the great gifts of חכמה that Avraham Avinu gave the מצריים when he was in Mitzrayim leaving it to be ingrained in their souls.

This gives us a great chizuk, inspiration to appreciate our Gedolim, yearn for them, and follow them. May they be granted long life.

Parshas Vayigash

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Parshas Vayigash (5776)
by Mordechai Dolinsky

45:14: The Chumash opens on one of the most emotional, dramatic scenes in history—Yosef’s revelation. It relates how Yosef and Binyamin cried on each other’s shoulders. Rashi explains that the giant explosion of emotion was an expression of sadness over both churbanos Bais HaMikdash. This is an insight from Chazal but Rashi is telling us that this is the simple pshat in the pasuk. Isn’t there enough meaning or sufficient reason for the special surge of emotion of the two brothers, sons of Rochel, and Binyamin not being in the mechira, can’t it mean its simplicity. The answer is in the next pasuk. וינשק לכל אחיו—this was the real explosion of the simple emotion. He kissed all the brothers, the simple love was the same, despite all the strife and the ordeals, Yosef loved them all greatly. All that went on was only serving Hashem, but under everything it was the greatest sincere love.

Loving our fellow yedidim is one of our greatest tests and highest fulfillment. Have a wonderful Shabbos.

Parshas Mikaitz

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Parshas Mikaitz (5776)
by Mordechai Dolinsky

There are no words and no way to express the awesome סעיתא דשמיא that Yosef experienced once that the hashgacha, הקב”ה, decided his journey through the tunnel of darkness had ended. The level of his yeshuah, his success, his greatness, was complete immeasurable. Yosef earned it with his mesiras nefesh.

Some of the greatest gifts of Hashem are not always appreciated and their depths and awesomeness are not realized. Paroh’s appointing of Yosef to the position mishneh l’melech is incomprehendable for many reason. It might be a diyuk 41:37 Paroh’s appointment was O.K. for him and his servants—what happened to the chachamim and chartumim? Possibly it was only to his avadim because it made no sense. Yosef earned, Klal Yisroel earned the nissim of Chanukah. We are earning, and let’s keep earning.

Have a wonderful Shaabos. Chanukah and Rosh Chodesh.

Continual Chanukah Inspiration

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Why didn’t Chazal initially institute the concept of mehadrin which is to change the amount of candles being lit each day? The truth is for the essence of פירסומי ניסא one candle a day is sufficient to proclaim the great miracle. Regarding the eight days of Chanukah, each day has its own significance and greatness. The changing of the amount of candles each day is to bring to our attention to focus on each day–that each day is a יום טוב בפני עצמו, to be inspired, to be enlightened and to be motivated to come close to Hashem. Use it, use it, use it.

A freilichen Chanukah.

Parshas Vayaishev

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Parshas Vayaishev (5776)
by Mordechai Dolinsky

Perhaps the greatest difficulty I ever encountered in the Chumash appears in this parsha. Yaakov, after witnessing the awesome hatred the shvatim had towards Yosef, nevertheless sent him on a suicide mission, and so it surely was. As it turned out when the encounter took place the shvatim implemented exactly what was expected. What was especially difficult to understand was that there was absolutely real reason to send Yosef. The greatest פלא was how and why Yosef subjected himself to this. Does kibud av stand above such a situation?

The brothers were jealous and had the great animosity for the special attention, admiration and love that Yaakov showered on Yosef but the truth was that this was not all small personal favoritism in any way. It was absolutely only for Hashem and Klal Yisroel. For the borthers it was a nisayon and it was possible for them to rise to the challenge. Yaakov had the greatest opportunity to prove this and it was so important for them to understand that it wasn’t a personal favoritism that he sent Yosef to prove this. There was no way in the world he could have done this in a better way. If there was a single drop of petty favoritism on Yaakov’s part it would have been totally impossible for him to send Yosef.

This seems to me as a דבר אמת and I thank Hashem for the insight.
Have a wonderful Shabbos and a significant, meaningful, freiliche Chanukah.

Parshas Vayeitzei

There are mutliple issues that are difficult to understand in the parsha–Rochel selling her night for the dudaim. Yearn to understand and Hashem will help.

Have a wonderful Shabbos.

Parshas Toldos

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Parshas Toldos (5776)
by Mordechai Dolinsky

Yitzchok was the amud of avoda, korbonos and tefilah, a complete bitul to Hashem, making it comprehendible the lack of sensitivity to Esav’s shortcomings. Rivka had the maalah of the סור מרע of Yitzchok and had the sensitivity to pick up his negative traits. Being to spiritual can lead to an unawareness.

Have a wonderful Shabbos and a chodesh of geulah.

Parshas Chayei Sara

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Parshas Chayei Sara (5776)
by Mordechai Dolinsky

We find (24:67) that there was a unique connection and bond between Yitzchok and his mother, Sara. Without question there was a special reason for this. We must know that Sara, being an עקרה, meant that giving birth was a complete physical impossibility. How did the awesome phenomenon of having Yitzchok come about? Rashi 15:5 explains that when Hashem called Avraham Avinu outside ויוצא אותו החוצה ואמר הבט נא השמימה וכו’and Rashi explains: הוציאיו מחללו של עולם והגביהו למעלה מן הכוכבים. When Hashem called Avraham Avinu outside under the Heavens and declared to him that he was no longer under the stars but above, the stars represented the mazalos, meaning the natural order of the Creation. These are the tools that are the realization of the manifestation of the world. The implication of this is so far reaching and infinite. Yitzchok Avinu was born from Sara, from the special Divine blessing. Avraham and his progenity resemble conventional human beings but we are not. Yitzchok felt a special connection with his mother, Sara Imeinu, who was the shaliacha of the Divine means of how Yitzchok made his presence into this world.

This is the secret and basis of the glorious and miraculous history and present existence of Klal Yisroel.