Divrei Torah

We learned recently in the daf yomi (Shabbos 105b - see below) that if someone tears a garment on Shabbos in anger he is Patur because he is not doing a constructive act but only an act of destruction. So at first the Gemara asks that it is somewhat constructive, since it...

This 15 minute talk will take you on a journey from the 10 plagues in Mitzrayim, through Kriyas Yam Suf, and all the way until Kabalas HaTorah.

The Gemara in Brochos, perek 9, says, "One who sees a gamal (camel) in a dream should know that it was decreed he should die, but he was saved from the decree." It brings from this week's parsha Va'Yigash perek 46 possuk 4, "Hashem tells Yaakov: 'I will go down with you t...

Yosef HaTzadik is teaching us an approach in life – be a minimalist!  Many try for perfection.  We feel that anything short of perfection is not worth it.  Yosef is saying “Not true.  Accomplish whatever you can accomplish, even if it does not solve the problem, even if it is not a foolproof plan.”  Doing something is better than doing nothing!

Our addictions are internal. Sometimes the external factors are unchangeable. Sometimes we accidentally see things we aren’t supposed to. Sometimes we even do it on purpose. But our Tefillah to Hashem should be to keep us strong internally.

Jewish tradition, however, does not see sex , per se, as sinful. In fact, in the right context, and when engaged in with conscious purpose, sex is seen as a positive commandment,

The existence in Gan Eden was one where there was no desire at all to look upon דבר שאינו שלו, anything else besides what one is supposed to have. And it is in this sense that Shabbat is "Gan Eden." It is when we must remind ourselves that we have everything we need, and we have no reason to look at anything else. And thus there is special importance to שמירת עיניים, avoiding improper sights, on Shabbat.

Incredible vort on Megilas Rus. The Alshich Hakadosh brings that Machlon was zoche that through the "yibum" of Boaz, Machlon's neshama came back in Oved - the grandfather of Dovid Hamelech. And his almanah Rus produced malchus. What zchus did he have? And why not his brot...

The Arizal among others[1] tells us Pinchas was a גלגל; reincarnation of Yitzchak. The following are allusions to this. A) The numerical value of פינחס is 208, Identical to that of יצחק. B) Both Yitzchak and Pinchas were Moser Nefesh:[2] Yizchak at the עקידה and Pinchas i...

www.aish.com 15 mins read Parshat Kedoshim rounds out the Torah's treatment of sexual offences by listing the consequences of engaging in the various forbidden sexual relationships outlined in Parshat Acharei Mot. One of the major hallmarks of a "mode...

Sometimes our falls stem from feelings of worthlessness. We say to ourselves, "I'm a nobody anyway, what's the difference if I fall?" We must remember how important each of us is! If you weren't needed, you wouldn't have been created. Our job is to figure out is for WHAT...

These 4 parshiyos resemble our journey in recovery. First comes Shkalim, which means we have to weigh our actions, put them in balance - the inventory. After that comes Zachor: we find the bad that has to be eliminated and we do so just like with Amalek. After we got ri...

When we were approaching חודש שבט I heard from Reb Shlomo Meyer a vort that was tremendous chizuk for me all these years. שבט ר״ת שמרם ברכם טהרם. This month, which is entirely during the weeks of שובבים is here to remind us what our goal in life is. We ask Hashem, please...

Judaism views lust as follows: We acknowledge the fact that G‑d created us with such feelings, and it’s certainly not an aberration to feel lustful. However, outside of marriage, we are expected to be sufficiently aware of our higher calling, utilize our intellect, and mu...

Avraham Avinu is instructed by Hakadosh Baruch Hu to go up to the mountain and to bring Yitzchok as a Korban. R' Moishe Rosenstein gives a very beautiful and powerful insight as to why this was such a difficult test. He says, that when someone has a test and it's in fron...

The Gemara Sanhedrin (107a) says that Dovid Hamelech requested a Nisayon, and Hashem notified him that he would be tested in matters of immorality. The Gemara learns that David had relations with his wife at that point, as a way of ensuring that he could withstand the tem...

רבי אומר, הסתכל בשלושה דברים, ואין אתה בא לידי עבירה 1 דע מה למעלה ממך, 2 עין רואה, ואוזן שומעת, 3 וכל מעשיך בספר נכתבין. We see in this משנה, that רבי says that when we look at those three things, then we won't get to an עבירה. Before we go any further, we have...

BS”D Shalom u’Brachah, to our dear Jewish brothers and sisters in Brazil, This week, before I sent my son, Rabbi Yisochar Dov Taub, shlit”a, on a Chizzuk mission to your country, several of your community activists informed us that a recently enacted law effectively preve...