Sodom
Balak – Final Refinement
Why does Hashem lead the Jewish people to a place where they will sin? What is the significance of the waters of Shittim that the Jews drank of, which was also the spring that the people of Sodom drank from? Why does the midrash seem to make a clear connection to Abraham, sodom and the…
Read MoreVayetze – Spiritual Transitions
Why does the ladder represent so many different things: the temple, Mount Sinai, four exiles? Why do the angels who destroyed sodom return here? Why were they out of commision for 138 years? Why are they all of a sudden returned to their post now? How could the angels say something wrong? What does it…
Read MoreLech Lecha – Abraham's War and the Final War
What is the importance of the story of the war of the five kings vs. the four kings? What do our sages mean when they say that the war was about killing Abraham? Why does Abraham not accept the people of Sodom into his own care? What is the connection between this and the story…
Read MoreBalak – 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…
Read MoreSuccos-Vzos Habracha – Riding the Willows
What is the concept of the willow branch? Why is it taken separately on Succos? Why does Hashem ‘ride on the willows?’ Why do the souls of Sodom return before the Messiah comes? Why does King David’s soul and Moshiach’s soul descend from an illicit union? Why are Reuven and Yehuda placed next to each…
Read MoreLech Lecha – Avraham and Canaan
Why do the people of Canaan inhabit the holy land? Why does Hashem seem to send Avraham to specifically do his outreach with the Canaanites? What is Sodom’s connection to Avraham? What is the king of Sodom’s connection to MalkiTzedek? Why was Canaan cursed by Noach to be a slave to Shem? Find out in…
Read MoreVayera – Times of transition
Why does Hashem send the same group of angels to inform Avraham and Sarah of Yitzchak’s birth and cure Avraham, who continue on to destroy Sodom? Why do these two events occur concurrently? Why does Rashi say that Hashem ‘took the sun out of its sheath?’ What is the connection to the time before Moshiach…
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