Category: Weekly Parsha

Parshas Aikev

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Parshas Aikev (5774)
by Mordechai Dolinsky

9:4/5/6—“Don’t think that it was because of your tzidkus that you inherited the land.” The simplicity is that you are lacking in the quantity or quality of the mitzvos but the pasuk attributes it to: כי עם קשה עורף אתה. In the words of the pasuk it is not the lack of tzidkus but stubbornness; the lack of flexibility to see, to understand, to be sensitive. Miles and miles to write about but just a hint for those who are seeking the truth.

Have a wonderful, meaningful Shabbos.

Tisha B’Av

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Tisha B’Av (5774)
by Mordechai Dolinsky

It is difficult to understand why Tisha B’Av, the saddest day of the year is patur from Tachanun because it is referred to as a מועד which means that it is a יום טוב, a time of simcha. Can it be that just because of the simple reference to the word מועד the אבילות should get a דין of Yom Tov?

After we cut away all the fulfillment of the mitzvos of Yom Tov and the celebration the main inner point is the closeness with Hashem. On Tisha B’Av after we cut away the איכה, all the kinos and the many tears the essence, the inner point, is the closeness to Hashem. This could be the מועד.

Parshas Devorim 5774

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Parshas Devorim (5774)
by Mordechai Dolinsky

1:8 Rashi says באו ורשו את הארץ. If you had not requested the meraglim you would have conquered Eretz Yisroel without any weapons!! A lack of belief and trust brings us to the need of what we could have been saved from.
Principle of principles for everything in life.

Moshiach, come and turn over Tisha B’Av to a day of salvation.

Have a wonderful Shabbos of yeshuos and hatzlachos.

Parshas Masai

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Parshas Masai (5774)
by Mordechai Dolinsky

34:54 The chalukah was על פי גורל. It wasn’t a tool for fairness but rather the extension of the pure Yad Hashem.

Rashi says that the clarity and the expression of the boundaries was for the fulfillment of the mitzvos; not for the nationalistic information for Eretz Yisroel. Tremendous light.

Have a wonderful Shabbos. Hashem should protect all of Clal Yisroel.

Parshas Matos

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Parshas Matos (5774)
by Mordechai Dolinsky

31:6 Rashi brings that one of the reasons that Pinchas was selected to lead the war against Midian was to avenge his great-great grandfather Yosef HaTzadik for the great wrong Midian did by selling him as a slave. We must say that the act was certainly deserving for Pinchas to lead the war for their destruction. They certainly knew clearly the עוולה of selling him. This is one of the great foundations that Hashem makes it clear to the one that is tested. They also were able to discern the greatness of Yosef from the spectacular appearance of his face.

This foundation holds its truth for all times and for all people;
השם שיודע הכל tests us ביושר. Let’s take inspiration from this. השם ירחם על עמו ישראל ad we should be zocheh to see the geula b’karov.

Have a wonderful Shabbos.

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Parshas Matos (5774)
by Mordechai Dolinsky

31:6 Rashi brings that one of the reasons that Pinchas was selected to lead the war against Midian was to avenge his great-great grandfather Yosef HaTzadik for the great wrong Midian did by selling him as a slave. We must say that the act was certainly deserving for Pinchas to lead the war for their destruction. They certainly knew clearly the עוולה of selling him. This is one of the great foundations that Hashem makes it clear to the one that is tested. They also were able to discern the greatness of Yosef from the spectacular appearance of his face.

This foundation holds its truth for all times and for all people;
השם שיודע הכל tests us ביושר. Let’s take inspiration from this. השם ירחם על עמו ישראל ad we should be zocheh to see the geula b’karov.

Have a wonderful Shabbos.

Parshas Pinchas

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Parshas Pinchas (5774)
by Mordechai Dolinsky

26:12 HKB”H informs Moshe עלה את הר העברים הזה וראה את הארץ. Hashem informs Moshe Rabeinu to see this and then pass away as the way of all flesh as a result of Mai Merivah and that he can’t enter E.Y.. The pasuk passes without any exclamation, no taanos, how Moshe Rabeinu accepts the gzar din without any complaints, so smoothly. The greatness of Moshe Rabeinu, his complete bitul to and acceptance of the Will of HKB”H. So beautiful, so befitting for Moshe Rabeinu.

Hashem should protect Klal Yisroel and we should be zocheh to see the geula sh’layma with the coming of Mashiach.

Parshas Balak

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Parshas Balak (5774)
by Mordechai Dolinsky

How much chizuk and inspiration do we get from Balak & Co. for his persistence in wanting from Bilaam a verbal, negative spiritual expression. However it was, it was verbal. How much significance this has for our avodas hatefilah.

Have a wonderful Shabbos.

Parshas Naso

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Parshas Naso (5774)
by Mordechai Dolinsky

6:13 At the end of the nezirus the pasuk says—יביא אותו אל פתח אוהל מועד and Rashi says he brings himself. This is one of the 3 places that R’ Yishmael darshens the את—that he is doing it to himself. One the 3 is where it says ויקבור אותו בגיא—he buried himself. It is difficult to understand the essence of this. Perhaps we can say that the depth is that a person in actuality is a conglomeration of his spiritual part, the neshama which is a חלק אלוק ממעל and a materialistic part which is the נפש בהמית. There is a high level that a person can reach where he can split himself and actually focus and have a consciousness of his spiritual part which is he himself in actuality and feel the נפש בהמית as a separate entity which is under his jurisdiction to deal with. This we can say was the intention of Hillel Hazakain when he went to eat he claimed to serve a guest in his house meaning his נפש בהמית which he related to as a separate entity. This is also the depth of concept that Moshe Rabeinu buried himself—that his spiritual side was so strong that he was able to deal with the body as an entity and bury it. This especially true for Moshe that his דבקות in Hashem was on an exceptionally high level. This can also help us understand that which Rashi says that Hashem buried Moshe, perhaps referring to the high level of Elokus.

In these days before the coming of Moshiach, the days of darkness, we should appreciate that we have the ability to fulfill the mitzvos of Hashem, to be a source of light to a dark world, and do it with mesiras nefesh and with great simcha.

Have a wonderful Shabbos.

Parshas Korach

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Parshas Korach (5774)
by Mordechai Dolinsky

Perhaps the most awesome, important areas in avodas Hashem is our devotion to direct continuing the line of emes. Korach tampered with this and was consumed in the ground; the pure emes cannot be tampered with. Klal Yisroel bears the awesome responsibility of emes for the world, and any interference has to be eradicated. 16:19 Rashi brings that Klal Yisroel was captivated by Korach through laitzonus; with wrong shitos they were on their guard because that is the worst of the worst; laitzonus you can sneak through.

Hashem help us, keep us to shitas haemes in a generation of laitzanus.

Have a wonderful Shabbos and a month of yeshuos.

Parshas Shlach

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Parshas Shlach (5774)
by Mordechai Dolinsky

Rashi at the beginning of the parsha (13:2) brings a most astounding statement; Hashem went along with the request of Klal Yisroel to send meraglim giving them the material to err. “Lamaan lo yirashuha”—so that they won’t deserve to inherit the land. Perhaps we might explain this obvious difficulty that the mere requesting of the spies showed an awesome lack of trust and confidence in Hashem. Living in Eretz Yisroel is not just a matter of receiving real estate but living there demands having the constant realization of the presence of Hashem on the highest level and absolute trust in Him.

We must always and everywhere work on the feeling of the presence of Hashem as the mitzvah of tzitzis at the end of the parsha calls out to us.

Have a wonderful Shabbos.