Shalom and welcome back. “And these are the mishpatim that you will place before them.” (Shemot/Exodus 21:1) Rashi explains the word “ואלה”, “and these” it adds on to the first [words]. Just as the first ones ( the Ten Commandments ) are from Sinai, so too these are from Sinai. The Torah is telling us […]
Sweet and Good Torah
Parshas Yisro
What is the most important event in History? The Jewish people receiving the Torah is the most incredible of all events in World History. We live in a world now, where it is hard to believe that it happened. But in the year 2448 ( 1313 B.C.E) on the 6th of Sivan, which was a […]
Vayechi
Shalom, welcome back. In this parshah Ya’akov Aveinu (Jacob) passes away at the age of one hundred forty-seven. There is a concept in Torah called ma’aseh avot siman banim (the actions of the fathers is a sign for the children). Meaning whatever Avraham (Abraham), Yitzhak (Isaac) and Ya’akov did, is repeated in Jewish History. So […]
Chanukah
The miracle of Chanukah came during an ideological war between the Greek Empire and the Jewish people. The Greeks believed only in the physical world, defined by logic and reason. They worshipped the human being as the center of the universe. The highest wisdom, they felt, was the human intellect, human rights are the highest morality. […]
Vayeishev
Shalom, welcome back. This week we see the greatness of Yosaif (Joseph). The secret of his greatness is that through all his yisurim (suffering, trials), Yosaif remains connected to Hashem. He doesn’t fall into self pity or depression, and this allows him to be a tzadik (righteous) in all his tests. Not only does he […]
Vayishlach
Shalom, welcome back. This week’s parshah is the confrontation between good and evil. Yakov (Jacob) is the embodiment of emet (truth) and tiferet (beauty or splendor). He is confronted by his twin brother Eisav, coming with 400 warriors to kill him. Yakov is returning from exile to Eretz Yisrael (Land of Israel). He left a […]
Parshas Chayei Sarah
Shalom, this week’s parshah describes the second generation of the Jewish people, with the siduch (marriage arangement) of Yitzhak (Issac) and Rivkah (Rebecca). Last week’s parshah describes the miraculous birth of Yitzhak, and concludes with him offering his life during the Akeidah. Yitzhak was 37 years old when he allowed his father Avraham (Abraham) to […]
Parshas Vayeira
Shalom, this is the very first Sweet and Good Torah. We want to offer some sweet and good words of Torah filled with ruchniyot (spiritual), to go with our delicious food which is the gasmiyut (physical). It is a great parsha (portion of Torah) for me to begin, because 42 years ago I was born […]