Weekly Newsletter Volume 5, Issue 13, Parshas Shemos

January 18, 2025; 18 Tevet, 5785 Sponsored anonymously for the Refuah Shleimah of Yair Nissan Ben Sara

QUESTION: My children are eligible for Child Health Plus in New York State which is a free health insurance program for children of low-income families. I happen to know that the upper income eligibility limit for a family of four is $126,800 per year.  My current salary is just under this limit and my manager has just offered me a raise which will put me over the limit. Since I do not want to give up this family  health care benefit, am I permitted to refuse the raise so I can maintain my eligibility?...

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Weekly Newsletter Volume 5, Issue 12, Parshas Vayechi

January 11, 2025; 11 Tevet, 5785 Sponsored anonymously for the Refuah Shleimah of Yair Nissan Ben Sara

As Yaakov Avinu nears the end of his life, he makes a request of his son, Yosef: "Place your hand under my thigh and deal with me with kindness and truth; please do not bury me in Egypt." (Bereishis 47:29)

The Midrash Tanchuma (3:1) raises an intriguing question about this verse. Why does Yaakov specify to be dealt with both "kindness and truth"? Is there such a thing as “kindness and falsehood”? The Midrash explains further by offering a folk saying that reflects a false kindness: "When your friend's son dies, share his sorrow (be kind to him); but when your friend dies, cast off your sorrow."...

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Weekly Newsletter Volume 5, Issue 11, Parshas Vayigash

January 4, 2025; 4 Tevet, 5785 Sponsored anonymously for the Refuah Shleimah of Mordechai Binyamin Chaim Ben Miriam Rivkah

There was a groom in Vilna that married into a very wealthy family. However, soon after the marriage took place, the groom abandoned his wife and disappeared, likely because he was overly anxious or scared and perhaps regretted getting married (however the story as told, does not give the reason why he deserted his wife).  

After two years had passed, the groom relayed the story of the abandonment to another man whom he had happened upon. That person happened to look very similar to the groom...

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