The Library

"You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together." (Deuteronomy 22:10). Chinuch explains that the two animals pull at different rates, and one or both will suffer. Chinuch explains that this applies to human relationships as well. Two people with conflicting personali...

"G-d, your G-d was with you, you lacked for nothing" (Deuteronomy 2:7) The wise King Solomon said, "One who desires money is never satisfied with what he has" (Ecclesiastes 5:9). So it is with all physical pursuits. They are insatiable. An alcoholic saw a sign on a t...

Torah taken to heart creates a spiritual light that shines within a person. Tzitzis has a similar effect, but on the body. Tzitzis creates a protective light around a person's body and even effects their thoughts. The Bracha on the Talis (the Arizal would make this Bracha...

The Torah says that Jacob was afraid of Esau, even though Hashem had promised him, "I will be with you and protect you." That promise was given when he had just left the home of Isaac and Rebecca, and was under their influence. Now, however, he had been with the wicked La...

Jacob reprimanded the shepherds who were sitting idly by the well: "Water the sheep and go graze them." The shepherds explained that they could not move the boulder that covered the well until all the shepherds came (Genesis 29:7-8). Couldn't Jacob see that there was a hu...

Isaac and Rebecca's son, Esau, married two pagan Hittite women, who were a source of agony to his parents, because they indulged in idol worship. The Midrash says that Isaac was more distressed by the pagan rituals than Rebecca, because Rebecca grew up in the home of her ...

The patriarch Abraham sends his servant, Eliezer, to find a wife for Abraham's son, Isaac. Standing at the well, Eliezer says, "I will ask a young woman for a drink. If she also offers water to my camels, I know that she is a proper match for Isaac." Rebecca gave Eliezer ...

The Torah says that Hashem spoke to Abraham after Lot had separated from him. Lot was not a spiritual person, and as long as Abraham was in his company, he did not receive any Divine communication. There is no question that Abraham retained his piety and integrity even in...

The Torah says that the generation of the Flood was destroyed because it was corrupt. The term the Torah uses for "corrupt" is chamas. The Talmud definition of chamas is taking something from another person by force, but paying for it. This is a type of thievery which a p...

The pasuk says: velo sasuru acharei levavchem ve’acharei einechem. Rashi brings from chazal: the eyes are scouts for the body. The eyes see, then the heart desires, and the rest of the body gets dragged into it as well. This raises an obvious question: the pasuk says eine...

In Parshas Vayeitzei when Yaakov Avinu came to the well and met the shepherds there, he asked them "From where do you come?" and they replied "from Charan". Explains the the Holy Noam Elimelech that Charan mean "wrath", and that the Pasuk is alluding to our spiritual grow...

G-d said to Moses, I will take the Jews out from "Sivlus Mitzrayim". The word "Sivlus" means to "suffer" and "endure", but it also means to "tolerate" and "bear". The Sfas Emes explains, that in order for G-d to take the Jews out of Mitzrayim, they had to want to leave Mi...

G-d Sent Moses to Pharaoh to take the Jews out of Egypt. However, the first time that Moses speaks to him, Pharaoh replies "I do not know your G-d, and I will not let them out". Instead, Pharaoh makes the work even harder. Moses returns to G-d and complains to him saying ...

On Pesach we say "Bikesh Lavan La'akor es Hakol" - "Lavan tried to destroy everything" (even more than Pharaoh). The question is asked, where do we find in the scripture that Lavan tried to destroy everything? The holy sefer, the "Ma'or Vashemesh" writes that Lavan is sym...

Today is the second day of Adar Alef, which equals = 208 = the name of Pinchas, who was zealous in tikkun habris and killed Zimri when he sinned with the Midianite woman. We too, need to be zealous in fixing ourselves. Sometimes, a person thinks that if he strengthens him...

When Avraham was coming to Mitzrayim with Sarah, he told her: "Imri Na Achosi At, Lima'an Yitav Li Ba'avureich, Ve'chaysah Nafshi Biglaleich" - "Say, please, that you are my sister, so they should do good for me, for you, and give me life because of you". The Ba'al Shem T...

Excerpts taken from an article at www.jewishsexuality.com The Torah portion this week, Bechukotai, is known as the portion of rebuke. The portion begins with G-d's promise that if the Jews observe the commandments of the Torah, prosperity, blessing, and peace will befall...

Sefer ha Brit, Shemirat Eynaim Our Master the Chatam Sofer wrote in The introduction to Parashat Bereshit the following: Our Sages, z'l said (Avodah Zara 20): "The angel of death is full of eyes and when the time for a person to die comes, the angel stands above his head,...