The Library

We are all Abraham-in Training. Click above for an inspiring 1-minute video clip.

“So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed from east. Thus they parted from each other." When Lot departs to his own way, the Torah says that he traveled from Beth El to the plain of the Jordan, from the east to the west (westward). (That...

This amazing idea is from the holy Netivot Shalom on the parsha. He says that the Dor haMabul destroyed their ability to feel guilt or pain when doing an avairah. Where did it all start? "וַיִּרְא֤וּ בְנֵי־הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־בְּנ֣וֹת הָֽאָדָ֔ם" - the sons of nobles SAW the ...

The Gemara in Chulin (139b) asks, where can we find “Haman” (from the story of Purim) in the Torah? Says Rav Masnah, "from the pasuk after the sin of the Eitz Hadaas when Hashem asks Adam: 'Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?'” In Lashon Kode...

Most of us have so many blessings to be thankful for in our lives, but the Yetzer Hara tries to make us believe that we MUST have that one “forbidden fruit.” He tries to convince us that Hashem is withholding the ONE THING we want most because He really doesn’t have our...

The differences that human beings have, in their separate spiritual journeys, are illustrated to us in the Torah almost at its very beginning, with the story of Kayin and Hevel. It may not have been an innate shortcoming in Kayin. His mother had named him "Kayin" out of...

When the Torah tells us about the prohibitions of seeking answers about the future through sorcery, it says in the Pasuk, "תמים תהיה עם ה' אלוקיך - You should have a perfect (faith) with Hashem your G-d." The Torah is teaching us not to worry about the future and instead ...

וַיְהִ֗י בְּשַׁלַּ֣ח פַּרְעֹה֮ אֶת-הָעָם֒ וְלֹא-נָחָ֣ם אֱלֹקים דֶּ֚רֶךְ אֶ֣רֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים כִּ֥י קָר֖וֹב ה֑וּא כִּ֣י | אָמַ֣ר אֱלֹקים פֶּֽן-יִנָּחֵ֥ם הָעָ֛ם בִּרְאֹתָ֥ם מִלְחָמָ֖ה וְשָׁ֥בוּ מִצְרָֽיְמָה: וַיַּסֵּ֨ב אֱלֹהִ֧ים | אֶת-הָעָ֛ם דֶּ֥רֶךְ הַמִּדְבָּ֖ר יַם-ס֑...

Chazal say, מעשה אבות סימן לבנים– "the deeds of our Fathers are a sign for the children". There are so many parallels between the Yidden’s sojourn in the desert and our journey through Galus until the ultimate redemption. The Exodus from Egypt was supposed to lead to ...

Bilam understood this very well. When Bilam was not allowed to curse Bnei Yisroel, he advised the Moavim to send out their daughters to entice the Jewish men. "The G-d of the Jews despises immorality. If you can cause them to be nichshal, G-d Himself will punish them for...

A few questions on the Parsha of מי מריבה, (Chukas: 20): 1.When the Yidden complained that they didn’t have water, they said things like “Halevai we would have died with our brothers… and why did you take us out of Mitzrayim to die, etc…”. This is the same way of speaking...

Parshas Beha'aloscha describes in great detail how, when the cloud lifted, the Jews would journey, and, when it came down, they would camp. It repeats this again and again. The Nesivos Shalom learns from this a lesson in avodas Hashem: There are times in our lives, whe...

It is very important to point out that G-d, Almighty will constantly defeat the enemies of Israel. Parshat Mishpatim could not be clearer on the subject. "I shall send MY FEAR before you and I shall confound the entire people among you shall come; and I shall make all of...

Mankind has been placed in a literal “Gan Eden” today. Most of us have good wives, beautiful and healthy children, nachas, parnasa, and all the comforts and conveniences of the 21st century. We have bathrooms in our homes, hot and cold running water, heating and air-condi...

The Torah says Haggar put Yishmael under a tree, walked two bow shots away so as not to see him die from thirst and sat down to cry. The malach opened her eyes and she saw a well. The pasuk says: "She walked, she filled up her water skin, and gave the boy to drink." Wher...

The Pasuk says (Shemos 21:26) "If a man hits the eye of his servant or the eye of his maidservant and damages it, to freedom he shall send him in place of his eye". When a person can’t control what he looks at he becomes a slave to the Yetzer Hara. But the Pasuk is tell...

As Avraham Avinu approached Mitzrayim the Torah writes he noticed Sarah's beauty. Until now, Rashi says, he never noticed her beauty, but as a result of an incident (Avraham saw her reflection in the water, as Medrash writes) he saw her. Was this because Sarah was a Tza...

The Torah says that at the time of the flood sexual immorality was ubiquitous and theft was commonplace. At first, these seem to be two separate issues. However, the Rabbis explain that one leads to the other, and I’d like to talk about how this process works. There are...