To accomplish the first plague, the Plague of Blood, God tells Moses to instruct Aaron to stretch the staff over the waters. It is so strange that Aaron, as opposed to Moses, was chosen to be the messenger to carry out this plague. The Medrash explains: When Moses was...
Written by Paula Levin Listen to, watch or read the news on any given day and you will find war, famine, refugees, imminent nuclear disaster, poverty, murder, abuse, corruption and the list goes on. It can leave you feeling anxious and sad, with a very bleak prognosis...
The Torah tells us that if a man has built a house but has not lived in it, he may not fight in a war, because if he should die, another man will live in his house. This, says Rashi, is a situation of great anguish. Some things in life just seem unfair. Why should...
KINDNESS RE’EH The verse tells us that we should not harden our heart or shut our hand before a poor person. We can understand that shutting our hand refers to withholding financial assistance. But what does it mean to harden one’s heart? The Ibn Izra explains that...
“I will give grass in the field for your animals and you will eat …” (Devarim 11:15) – God promises to provide for animals before providing for people. So too, the Talmud instructs that a person should feed his animals in the morning before he himself eats. By caring...
“Honour your father and mother”. The fact that God included this mitzvah in the Ten Commandments, demonstrates its importance. A child fulfils this mitzvah by caring for his or her parents, especially when they are elderly, weak or sickly. The Sefer HaChinuch explains...
