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Parsha Lech Lecha 5769: 2nd Look; Aliyah — By Call or By Persecution?

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By Moshe Burt

This 2nd Parsha HaShevua takes some of the points from the original, brings additional points and wings it as to the modern-day Matzav.

“Hashem said to Avram, Go for yourself from your land … to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation…” (Breish’t, Perek 12, posukim 1 & 2) Lech Lecha, the “Aliyah Parsha.”

Rashi writes on the posukim;

“For your benefit and good. It is there that I will make you a great nation …” (Rashi on Breish’t, Perek 12, posuk 1) read more

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Parsha Lech Lecha 5769: Aliyah — Back to the REAL WORLD

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by Moshe Burt

“Hashem said to Avram, Go for yourself from your land … to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation…” (Breish’t, Perek 12, posukim 1 & 2) Lech Lecha, the “Aliyah Parsha.”

Rashi writes on the posukim,

“For your benefit and good. It is there that I will make you a great nation …” (Rashi on Breish’t, Perek 12, posuk 1)

Sefat Emet asks;

“if G’d himself promised… that the move would be for his good and his benefit, why should this have been such a great test?” It seems that it was exactly because of Hashem’s promise to him that the test was of greater magnitude because when Avram actually went, he did so “as Hashem had spoken to him.” (Breish’t Perek 12, posuk 4) read more

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Parsha Noach 5769: Compromising Principles for “Larger Cheshbonot”

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by Moshe Burt

There is a Midrash Says at the end of Parsha Breish’t which is prelude to No’ach and the Mabul. It speaks about Hashem, as it were, Bemoaning His Making of man. The Melachim say to Hashem that they would do far better than man and would sanctify Hashem’s Name. So they came down and were more evil than man.

The Melachim were referred to in Torah as “the sons of judges”, “the lofty ones” for “they took for themselves wives from whomever they chose. And so evil (Gilui Aroyot) became the “right of passage” expected by the “lofty ones” — the powers to be of the era and this evil became institutionalized, read more

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Parsha No’ach 5769: No’ach and Avraham Avinu; Their Generations and Ours

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by Moshe Burt

We read in our parsha that “These are the generations of No’ach: No’ach was a righteous man and perfect in his generations, and No’ach walked with G’d.” (Sefer Breish’t, Perek 6, posuk 9.) The Imrei Shefer comments on the Midrash regarding the words; “These are the generations of No’ach …” that the flood was directly attributable to No’ach’s behavior. According to the Midrash, “he [No’ach]… caused the flood by not protesting against the corrupt actions of the members of his generation.” (Torah Gems, Aharon Yaakov Greenberg, Sefer Breish’t, page 56) read more

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Parsha Breish’t 5769: New Beginnings; Lessons for the Jews

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By Moshe Burt

Somehow, not being rabbinic or a Talmud Chacham, it has always seemed difficult to put a true and deep meaning of Hashem’s creation to words.

In Hashem’s expression of creation; “Breish’t, Bora, Kelokim.” (“In the beginning, Hashem created the heavens and the earth”, Sefer Breish’t, Perek 1, posuk 1) Torah surely wasn’t referring to that big 7 run 7th inning by the Red Sox in game 5 of the ALCS vs the Tampa Bay Rays where they trailed 3 games to 1 and 7-0 in the game; you know the one, ‘In the big inning.’ read more

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Parsha Ha’azinu 5769: Hashem’s Hester Panim — Then and Now?

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by Moshe Burt

Shem Mishmuel describes Ha’azinu as;

A poem which Moshe Rabbeinu recited to Klal Yisrael… It discusses the uniqueness of Klal Yisrael, their future, how they should conduct themselves, how they will stray, and how Hashem will treat them mercifully. (Shem Mishmuel, Rabbi Shmuel Bornstein, Parsha Ha’azinu, pge 433)

He further indicates that there has been connection, since the Mabul — “the great Flood” between the original 70 souls of B’nai Yisrael and the 70 primary nations which emerged after the Mabul to where the B’nai Yisrael, were they to achieve individual and collective full spiritual potential and righteousness, would impact for good upon the nations to which they were connected. read more

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Parsha Vayeilech 5769: Hakhel and Leadership by Example

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by, Moshe Burt

It has been said that our Parsha Vayeilech is the among the shortest and often the most overlooked Parsha in Torah. It rarely stands for leyning on its own.

Most often it is leyned with Parsha Nitzavim and so, when it is read on its own, the are machklosim as to where certain of the aliyot end.

But our Parsha comes to speak at length about the Mitzvah of Hakhel — the communal gathering which took place every seven years; that is at the beginning of the year following the end of the Sh’mittah year. read more

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Parsha Nitzavim 5768: Hashem’s Covenant of Unity and Those Who Would Negate It

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by Moshe Burt

Parsha Nitzavim begins; “Atem Nitzavim HaYom…Today you are standing before Hashem, your Lord… You are thus being brought into the covenant of Hashem, your Lord, and [accepting] the dread oath that He is making with you today. He has established you as his nation, so that He will be a G’d to you…” (Devarim, Perek 29, posukim 9-12)

L’l Mode U’Lamed comments on these first few p’sukim of Nitzavim noting;

That all members of Klal Yisrael, from the greatest of leaders to the simplest woodcutter, stood together as equals before Hashem…. Thus the poor woodcutter who is devout in his ways and who raises his children as true Jews is elevated to the same level as the wealthy supporter of Jewish causes. No man should consider himself too insignificant to be a partner in the covenant between the Jews and Hashem. (L’l Mode U’Lamed on the Weekly Parsha, Parsha Nitzavim, page 183) read more

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Parsha Ki Tavo — The Scales of a Mitzvah (Not Mets vs Phillies)

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by Moshe Burt

Parsha Ki Tavo continues in the same theme track with last week’s Parsha Ki Teitzei, as well as the string of previous Parshiyot in discussing Mitzvot which teach kindness, compassion and attentiveness to others.

Ki Tavo begins with the Halachot of Bikkurim — the first fruits which were brought to the Kohen as both thanksgiving and rememberance of Pharaoh’s cruelty and Hashem’s deliverance of B’nai Yisrael from Mitzrayim to a land flowing with milk and honey. Our Parsha then enunciates the laws concerning Ma’aser and it’s declaration regarding the required tithes. read more

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Parsha Ki Teitsei 5768: Unity and the Consequences of Not Crying Out

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By, Moshe Burt

Parsha Ki Teitsei teaches numerous Mitzvot such as; returning lost items to their rightful owners, loaning money to one’s fellow Jew free from interest, what one is permitted to or prohibited from taking from another Jew as loan security, Shatnes (wool and linen together), Tzitzit, and dealing fairly and truthfully with one’s fellow Jews in business. The Maftir Aliyah of our Parsha tells us collectively to remember, for all time, the actions of Amalek who attacked B’nai Yisrael when they were weak while blotting the rememberance of Amalek from the earth. We remember the Amelek without, as well as the Amalek within; lo nishcach v’lo Nislach — we won’t forgive and we won’t forget. read more

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