There are moments when life feels settled, when the world seems to be moving along familiar tracks and even its difficulties feel manageable because they fit into patterns we recognize ... For the Jewish people, that feeling is not new ... Always moving ... .
This week, we enter the Three Weeks, a period unlike any other on the Jewish calendar, a time of mourning for events that took place centuries ago ... The Bais Hamikdosh was the place where Heaven and earth met ... We have learned how to navigate golus ... .
For many people, this Shabbos marks the beginning of the “CountrySeason.” Tens of thousands of Yidden head for the hills, to their summer homes, to what we used to call bungalows, although, by now, most are anything but. That got me thinking ... • • • •.
Among the many tragic episodes recorded in the Torah, few are as perplexing as the story of Korach. Korach was no ordinary man. Chazal tell us that he was exceptionally wealthy, exceptionally wise, and among the distinguished leaders of Klal Yisroel... .
This week, in Parshas Shelach, we learn about the saga of the meraglim, which is one of the most tragic episodes in the Torah ... The journey from Mitzrayim was nearly complete ... They reported facts as they saw them. Much of what they said was true ... .
Those at the Adirei HaTorah event on Sunday participated in something extraordinary. They saw tens of thousands of bnei Torah gathered together. They saw roshei yeshiva, rabbonim, yungeleit, baalei batim, fathers and sons ... They would see a miracle ... .
Mountains are central to our history. The first mountain we encounter is Har Hamoriah, where Avrohom Avinu approached to bring his son Yitzchok as a korban. On that mountain, malochim appeared to Avrohom and Yitzchok ... They remain that way until today ... .
Chazal instituted that Parshas Bamidbar is always lained on the Shabbos preceding Shavuos, and that connection is deeply significant ... He saw individuals ... He heard me ... Rav Shach looked at him quizzically and said, “But I’m speaking now to Lipschutz.” ... .
As we learn the parsha each week and study the words of different meforshim, there are, invariably, ideas in the Torah that feel less like commentary and more like a quiet unveiling of history itself ... The Tochacha is like a cascade of consequences ... .
This week again, the news can lead a person to feel uneasy. Talks to end the war with Iran and curb their nuclear ambitions failed to materialize. The Israeli ceasefire with Lebanon was extended, but Hezbollah continued its attacks on Israel... .
Following the news these days can leave a person feeling whipsawed. One day, the United States and Israel are striking Iran, determined to dismantle its nuclear ambitions ... The next day, a ceasefire is imposed ... But we live differently ... I am too busy ... .