Weekly Newsletter Volume 3, Issue 13

January 14, 2023; 21 Teves, 5783

Parsha "And Moshe said to Hashem, ‘Behold I come to the children of Israel, and I say to them, ‘The G-d of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they will respond to me, 'What is His name?' what shall I say to them?’ Hashem said to Moses, ‘I will be what I will be,’ and He said, ‘So shall you say to the children of Israel, ‘I will be’ has sent me to you.'" (Beraishis 3:13-14)

In the verses above, we find Moshe Rabbeinu concerned that Klal Yisroel may not know Hashem’s name? Why was Moshe concerned? Surely Klal Yisroel would know the name (or names) of Hashem that their ancestors had passed down to them? Furthermore, if “I will be what I will be” is a new Name of Hashem, how would Klal Yisroel have even known to inquire about a new Name?...

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Weekly Newsletter Volume 3, Issue 12

January 7, 2023; 14 Teves, 5783

Parsha The first Pasuk in Parshas VaYechi tells us that Yaakov Avinu lived for 147 years. However, before telling us how long he lived, the Pasuk first tells us that he lived for 17 years in Egypt (Mitzrayim). Why does the Torah need to highlight how many years he lived for in Mitzrayim?

There is a fascinating response to this question provided by Rav Shlomo Ephraim ben Aaron Luntschitz (1550 – 1619) the author of the Kli Yakar commentary on the Chumash. But first, an introduction to his response is in order....

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Weekly Newsletter Volume 3, Issue 11

December 31, 2022; 7 Teves, 5783

Parsha The Gerrer Rebbe, Rabbi Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter (1847-1906), author of the Sfas Emes lived and led his Chassidus in Tsarist Russia which was a very difficult time for the Jewish people.

The Jews of Tsarist Russia endured horrible mistreatment under Tsar Nicolai the First. In 1827, through the issue of “The Cantonist Decree”, he tried to convert young Jewish children by forcibly placing them on a path to become Russian soldiers where the chances of remaining Frum (observantly Jewish) were perilously thin...

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