Torah Learning with Ari

Why does the Torah go into such detail in describing the location and specific date that Hashem commanded Moshe to count the Jewish people? What is the idea that righteousness is associated with a mountain, while judgment and wickedness are associated with a pit of darkness? What is the relationship between the darkness that the…

What is so special about the regular talk of the people of Eretz Yisrael (Israel)? What is the unique message of the poor person who was once rich? What is the wrong approach to the poor person? What happens to the rich person who can’t share his wealth and belittles the poor man? What is…

What is the concept of the ‘seventh’ month – Tishrei, which hosts the day of Rosh Hashana? How does the word Shevi’i-Seventh relate to the word Shevuah-Oath? Why was an oath necessary when Avraham completed his challenge with the binding of Yitzchak – wasn’t that a time of love – why did Hashem make an…

Why is the command for the service of the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) on Yom Kippur prefaced with the mention of the death of Aharon’s sons? Why was this command given six months before it was to be performed? In the order of the parshas, starting with Vayikra, why do we interrupt the description of…

What is the idea behind the spiritual disease of Tzara’as-Leprosy? What is the concept of the Tzara’as-infected house? Why does the Torah preface this description with speaking of when the Jewish people enter the land of ‘Canaan?’ Why was Israel first referred to as the land of Canaan? How was Eliezer, the offspring of Canaan,…

Why did Nadav and Avihu drink wine as they entered the Holy of Holies when the Tabernacle was finally completed? Why did Shlomo Hamelech (King Solomon) marry the daugther of Pharaoh when he completed the building of the Beis Hamikdash (Temple)? Why did he drink wine at that time? What is the depth of the…

Why are the Jewish people referred to as Yordei Hayam – “Those who went down into the sea?” Why was their revelation greater than that requested by Moshe on Har Sinai? When will we experience that type of revelation again? Why are the angels unable to have the kind of direct experience that we are…

Why does the Torah speak in a seemingly repetitious way when speaking about the Korban Olah? What is the relationship of a broken heart to the building of the Beis Hamikdash (Temple) in Jerusalem? Why do we speak on Pesach at the Seder about our return to Eretz Yisrael and the building of the Beis…

What happened to the prophesy of the nations of the world with the advent of the Mishkan? What is the difference between the prophesy of the Jewish prophets as opposed to the prophets of the nations of the world? Why does the Torah refer to Hashem speaking to Bilam as ‘Vayikar’ – ‘happening’ to speak…

Why was the final completion of the Mishkan-tabernacle left to Moshe to do? Why did he need to lift it if it was lifted miraculously? What is the concept of the Crown? What is the ‘crown that Shlomo’s mother crowned him with?’ What is behind the reference to the people of Israel first as a…