Dear Parents,

Who is actually standing? The declaration:אתם נצבים היום כלכם לפני אלקיכם ראשיכם שבטיכם  is usually translated as: "You are all standing today before Hashem: the heads of your tribes…" However, the literal translation of the words ראשיכם שבטיכם is: “your heads, your tribes,” and Rashi is the one who teaches that it should...

Dear Parents,

There is a mitzvah of simchah in connection to bikkurim: ”ושמחת בכל הטוב אשר נתן לך ד‘,” And you shall rejoice in all the good Hashem your G-d has given you. If Hashem gives a person all his needs and he comes to the בית המקדש with his bikkurim, of course he will be happy! If a person is poor and has no...

Dear Parents,

How do we learn a lesson from the case of the “wayward” son, the בן סורר ומורה? The תורה advises that because of the parents' recognition of his temperament and behavior that will almost inevitably lead to robbery and perhaps murder, he should be put to death “at the stage in life when he is still innocent,” rather than...

Dear Parents,

Aharon's lighting the menorah in the mishkan is the title of this week's parsha. Rashi explains the Torah found it necessary to tell us ויעש כן אהרון “Aharon did so” in order to praise Aharon that he did not change from the command of HaShem.

However, the Sfas Emes points out that Aharon’s...