Weekly Newsletter Volume 3, Issue 31

June 10, 2023; 21 Sivan, 5783

Parsha This week’s Parsha begins with the words to be relayed to Aharon, “When you lift up the lamps adjacent to the face of the Menorah, the seven lamps will alight.” (BaMidbar 8:2)

This Passuk (verse) is somewhat enigmatic. It appears to be saying that when Aharon lifts up the lamps to light them, the lamps will light. This would seem to be obvious, so what is the verse really telling us?

The Midrash Rabbah (BaMidbar 15:9) explains this Passuk with a quote from Tehillim (43:3), “Send Your light and Your truth, that they may lead me...” However, this too is perplexing. How does this quote explain the Passuk in this week’s Parsha?...

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Weekly Newsletter Volume 3, Issue 30

June 3, 2023; 14 Sivan, 5783

Parsha Rav Yaakov Bistriz ZT”L, was the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Gedolah of Montreal, and a student of both the Telze Yeshiva and of the Lakewood Yeshiva. In this week’s Parsha, he poses a question about the Sotah. A Sotah is a married woman who was warned not to seclude herself with a certain man with whom there is suspicion that she may be having an inappropriate relationship. If she does not heed the warning and secludes herself with this individual and is then accused of infidelity, she has the right to prove her innocence. She drinks the “Waters of the Sotah” which is provided to her by the Kohein. If she is guilty of the sordid behavior, then the waters poison her and she dies. If she is innocent, however, then she receives a special blessing...

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Weekly Newsletter Volume 3, Issue 29

May 20, 2023; 29 Iyar, 5783

Parsha Rav Shaul Brach ZT”L was the Av Beis Din (Head of the Halachic Court) of the city of Kosice in Slovakia. In his B’Heyos HaBoker he presents an enlightening interpretation of a Midrash Yalkut Shimoni (684).

The Midrash states that the nations of the world were jealous of Klal Yisroel [and complained to Hashem regarding His preferential treatment of them]. Hashem silenced them and said, “Bring to Me your documents of lineage… just as my children are bringing them!” As it says (BaMidbar 1:18) “And they assembled… and they declared their pedigrees according to their families according to their fathers' houses”....

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