Parshas Yisro 1

The pasuk in our parsha mentions the name of the eldest son of Moshe Rabeinu; Gershom. Moshe gave his son this name as a remembrance of the time when Moshe
Rabeinu was a stranger in the land of Mitzrayim. From the language of the pasuk…

Parshas Beshalach 1

When Hashem led the Bnei Yisrael out of Mitzrayim, why did He specifically lead them into the Wilderness on a roundabout journey ‘towards’ the Promised Land, as opposed to guiding them ‘as the crow flies’ on a direct trajectory straight through the land of the Philistines?

Parshas Bo 1

Parshas Bo begins with a non sequitur. Hashem tells Moshe to address Pharaoh, but does not mention a word of what he is to tell him. Moshe then warns Pharaoh of the locust swarm on the horizon, however we do not find that Hashem told Moshe explicitly that מכת ארבה was to be the next plague.

Parshas Va’era 1

Rashi explains that Hashem spoke to Moshe harshly as a rebuttal to Moshe’s questioning Hashem’s actions at the end of last weeks Parsha, ״למה הרעתה לעם הזה?״ – “Why have You caused harm to this nation?” The Sifsei Chachamim points out that Rashi understood this from the לשון הפסוק of ״אלוקים״…

Parshas Shemos 1

Rashi on the words ״כי טוב הוא״ – “For he was good,” explains that when Moshe Rabeinu was born, the entire house was filled with light. Alternatively, The Medrash Rabbah explains that we learn from these words in our pasuk that Moshe Rabeinu was נולד מהול – born circumcised.

Parshas Vayechi 1

Rashi says that when a person comes to bless his children he should bless them with this very bracha that Efraim and Menashe received from Yaakov Avinu right before his passing. He should bless his children that Hashem should help them to grow up to be like Efraim and Menashe.

Parshas Vayigash 1

Why now, all of the sudden, did Yehudah charge forward? What sparked Yehuda into action at this particular junction? True, it was only now that the stage had been properly set for the ultimate showdown, but things had been spiraling out of control for a while, this was already the second journey…

Parshas Mikeitz 1

The Medrash states ״אמר ר׳ יוחנן הרשעים מתקיימין על אלוהיהם״ – “Rabbi Yochanan taught, the wicked ones stand upon their gods.” The Medrash learns this concept out from the fact that Pharaoh stood on top of the Nile River in his dream. On the other hand, we find that with regard to Tzaddikim…

Parshas Vayishlach 1

The Bais Halevi asks that if Hashem had
previously promised Yaakov Avinu that no harm would befall him, what exactly was Yaakov afraid of? What’s more, if Yaakov was scared that he may be held accountable for a sin that he had committed, the Gemara in Brachos (. ד) teaches us that in this situation…

Parsha Toldos 1

The Malbim and many others explain Yitzchok’s motives when he expressed his wish to bestow material blessing upon Eisav. Yitzchok envisioned an ideal partnership between his two sons, akin to that of Yissachar and evulun. Ideally, Eisav would go out to work and support Yaakov materially as Yaakov…