Mishnas Chayim Parshah Posts

Fascinating weekly parshah posts

The Festival of Sukkos – a History-Parshas Emor

By |2021-06-23T14:20:31-04:00May 8, 2022|

(The following is based largely on a dissertation contained in K’motzei Shalal Rav, parshas Emor, pp. 313-316). One of the main features of this week’s parshah is the extensive section involving the various mo’adim (festivals). The Torah employs a fairly basic pattern in treating this subject: it lists a given festival, mentions its unique service or practice and proceeds to the next. Thus when discussing Pesach, for example, the Torah includes the [...]

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Love Your Neighbor… as Yourself?-Parshas Kedoshim

By |2021-06-23T14:18:12-04:00May 1, 2022|

We are all familiar with the overarching directive appearing in this week’s parshah: “V’ahavta l’rei’acha kamocha – You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Vayikra 19:18). And, as we know, it is most central to our overall Torah fulfillment; as the Medrash relates in the name of R’ Akiva: וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ - זֶה כְּלַל גָדוֹל בַּתּוֹרָה – “‘V’ahavta l’rei’acha kamocha’ is a primary principle of the Torah” (Bereishis Rabbah 24:7). And yet, with all of that – when we really [...]

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Pesach and Hagomel-Parshas Metzora

By |2021-06-23T14:13:39-04:00April 3, 2022|

(The following is based primarily on a dissertation of R’ Yeruchem Olshin in his sefer Yerach L’moa’dim [Pesach, vol. II,§ 17].) What was so bad about the experience of the Jewish people in Mitzrayim (Egypt)? To many, this might not seem like a particularly difficult question. What was so bad about it? What wasn’t so bad about it? It entailed years and years of backbreaking, torturous labor, Jewish babies were routinely [...]

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Health Concerns-Parshas Tazria

By |2021-06-23T14:11:23-04:00March 27, 2022|

R’ Yitzchak Zilberstein relates an episode involving a certain individual who required an operation. This man was considered to be in overall decent shape, but, as is wont to occur, a certain localized health matter warranted surgical intervention. Keeping the Doctor Away... It was what happened next that was most unusual. The man recovered nicely from his operation, only to discover... that he required another operation in [...]

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The Glory of the Stinicus marinus-Parshas Shemini

By |2021-06-23T14:07:22-04:00March 20, 2022|

(The following is based on an exposition recorded in P’ninim Mi’shulchan Gavohah, parshas Shemini.) How do we know if a given fish is a kosher one? The Torah in this week’s parshah supplies the identifying characteristics: it must possess both fins and scales (Vayikra 11:9). Piscatorial Puzzle It seems straightforward enough. The issue arises, however, from an interesting piece of information imparted to us by the Mishnah (Niddah 6:9): כֹּל שֶׁיֶּשׁ [...]

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How Wicked is the Rasha?-Parshas Tzav

By |2021-06-23T13:39:43-04:00March 13, 2022|

Perhaps one of the most familiar aspects of the Pesach Haggadah is the passage of the Arba Banim, the Four Sons to whom we relate the notion of the Exodus. At the same time, it may also be one of the least understood. Who exactly are these individuals? What do they represent? What is the meaning of their questions – and the answers we supply? These questions actually [...]

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