fire
Vaera- Balancing Fire and Ice
Why is the seventh plague – hail – the first that is performed by Moshe alone? Why is there a stress on the fact that he raises his hands ‘to heaven?’ What does it mean that Moshe has power over heaven and earth? Why does the hail coexist with fire? Why does Hashem’s mercy join…
Read MoreDevarim & Tisha b'av – Stars and Fire
What is the difference between the light of stars and the light of fire? Why does the verse mean when it says that we will be like the stars and also numerous? How will the Jewish people be like Hashem in the future, and how do we access that light now? What is the central…
Read MoreVayakhel – Active and passive relationship
Why does Shabbos introduce the mishkan? Why are the prohibitions of Shabbos based around the acts of creating the mishkan? Why is fire/cooking the one melacha singled out? Why is cooking referred to as making a fire and not simply cooking? Why is it permitted to cook on Yom Tov? Find out in this week’s…
Read MoreBK 62 – Watching haystacks
What does Rashi mean (ד”ה חטין וחיפן בשעורים) when he says that when a person is supposed to protect a haystack, and it seems to be made of barley, that he will not watch it well? One possiblity is that barley does not get burned as easily, thus it requires less carefullness. Another possibility is…
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