Purim

Balak – Threshold Immorality

After 540 years of existence as the Jewish people, why do they face such a great test in licentious behavior just as they are entering Israel? What is parallel to Avraham and his interaction with Sodom as he is about to conceive Isaac? What is the concept of the ‘Shittim River’ which causes those who…

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Tzav and Purim – North and South

Why is the korban olah (fully burnt sacrifice) related to the north, while the shelamim (partly burned, partly eaten) is related to the south? Why are the concepts of exile, Gog and Moshiach related to the north, while redemption, Gog’s fall, and the rebuilding of the Temple related to the south? Why can’t a northerly…

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Tetzaveh – Mishkan and Purim

Why do we have two Parshios that speak of the construction of the Mishkan before and after the sin of the Golden Calf? What is the depth of the concept of Purim, where Hashem brings an aspect of the light of redemption into the beginning of the story – a cure before the sickness? What…

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Terumah – Expansion in Constriction

What is the significance of the fact that the Holy Ark carried those who carried it? And that it took up no space? And that Hashem spoke to Moshe from on top of the angelic figures that stood upon it? And that it corresponds to Hashem’s throne? What is the significance of giving charity at…

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Noach – Illusion and Reality

If water is a creative force, why is the world being destroyed by water? What is the connection between the cooling of the waters and cooling of the anger of Achashverosh in the story of Purim? What is the parallel between the water’s destruction here, and the water’s destruction of the Egyptians as the Jews…

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More on seventy

It was prophesied that there would be seventy years between the first and second batei Mikdash. Nobody knew when the count started, so there was confusion as to when the second Beish Hamikdash was to be built. This was the root of the party of Achashverosh, and how he thought he could take out and…

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Nitsavim-Vayelech – Today

Why does Moshe keep repeating the word ‘today?’ What is the concept of today? How is it related to Moshe Rabenu’s death? How is it connected to Rosh Hashana? What was Haman’s mistake about Moshe’s date of death? Find out in this week’s Parsha Podcast. Running time: 22:11

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Emor – Transforming the physical

Why is this time period referred to as the counting of the omer? What is the significance of the sacrifice? And why is it brought on the second day of Pesach, as opposed to the first day? What about the korban omer creates the merit for the entrance into Israel? What is the connection between…

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Purim-Pesach-MBY

If we follow the line of thought of the previous post, we find that the month of Nissan, centering around Pesach is a very great tikkun – the completion or bringing out of the nine month tikkun from Av until Adar Beis. What is interesting is that if we go back to the story of…

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Tzav and Purim – secret of seventy

What is the concept of seventy and seven? What is the significance of the seventy years between the two temples? Why is the gematria of wine (יין) and secret (סוד) both seventy? What is the depth of the idea of the seventy nations and the seventy offspring of Yakov? Why does the story climax with…

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