R'eh: The Secret to Jerusalem

by Baruch Gordon

Baruch Gordon explores the reasons why "Jerusalem" isn't directly mentioned throughout the entire book of D'varim, but rather is constantly referred to vaguely as "The place that G-d will choose from amongst the tribes to cause his name to dwell there."

Q&A: Difficulty Believing in the Mashiah

Q: I have lately begun to pay more attention to the words of the prayers and understand them. Everything was OK until I got to the end of the morning prayer where it says, "I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Mashiah." I asked myself if I truly believe this, and I concluded that I don't really, and certainly not with perfect faith. So meanwhile I say, "I try to believe…"

My questions are: 1. Am I allowed to change the words this way? 2. How can I believe in the coming of the Mashiah, when no one knows who he is or when he will come? In addition, this whole thing seems to be just an optimistic forecast about "what could happen any day," when really we know that it's already been 2,000 years and it hasn't happened... Why should I believe that one day all the dead will rise to life, a building will descend from the sky, and all the enemies will die? Even with all my creative imagination, I don't see this happening.

P.S. Can you write me where it is written in the Tanakh [Bible] about what is supposed to happen when the Mashiach comes, and if not, who made this all up?

Mashiach by Israeli artist Yehoshua Wiseman

R'eh: Giving Our All Brings Redemption

by Rav Yehuda HaKohen, visionmag.org

Soldiers from Netzah Yehuda IDF army unit

“Then it shall be that the place where HaShem, your G-D, will choose to rest His name – there shall you bring everything that I command you: your olah offerings and your (peace offering) sacrifices, your tithes and what is raised of your hand, and the choicest of your vow offerings that you will vow to HaShem.” (D’varim 12:11)

Rashi explains this verse to mean that a person should bring korbanot to HaShem only from the best of what is in his possession.

600,000 Israelis Returned The Shkhina

by Rav Moshe Kaplan, meirtv.com/en

Rav Moshe Kaplan explains how the modern growth of Jews living in the Land of Israel has affected the world spiritually...and so has allowed for certain realities to come about in this world practically as well.

Ekev: "So the Commandments Won't Be New to You"

By Baruch Gordon

In this week's parsha, Baruch Gordon looks at a message from Torah's most famous commentator, Rashi: We must keep the mitzvot (commandments) while in Exile so they won't not be new to us when we return.

Torah Is More Than Just a Book

by Rav Moshe Kaplan, meirtv.com/en

Rav Moshe Kaplan discusses how the state of Exile became second nature to Jews and how their understanding of "Torah" changed as a result. He then explains how to move beyond the 4 amot(!) in order to get back to our natural state of being.

Ekev: "These Nations Are More Numerous Than I"

by Rav Yehuda HaKohen, visionmag.org

Israel from space

Ekev opens and closes with challenging ideas meant to condition the Jewish people towards properly fulfilling our mission. Early in the Sidra, Moshe instructs Israel, saying “You will devour all the peoples that HaShem, your G-D, will deliver to you; your eye shall not pity them, you shall not worship their gods, for it is a snare for you.” (D’varim 7:16)

On this verse, the holy Ohr HaḤaim makes reference to a statement by King Shlomo that “showing compassion to the wicked is cruelty” (Kohelet 12:10).

He further explains that contrary to the opinion that displaying mercy is at all times a positive trait, our Torah teaches there to be situations in which compassion can actually be harmful. When facing the enemies of Israel, who are by definition the enemies of the Kadosh Barukh Hu (Rashi on Bamidbar31:3), we must understand the need to don external traits of cruelty seemingly at odds with Israel’s inner nature.

V'et'hanan: Why Is Diaspora Life Like Idol Worship?

by Baruch Gordon

In this week's parsha, Baruch Gordon explains how Jews living in Diaspora are strengthening their host nations' cultures and systems of belief and values - an act that is tantamount to worshipping their gods!

A Jew in Galut [Exile]?!

by Rav Moshe Kaplan, meirtv.com/en

Rav Moshe Kaplan takes a look into a Torah source that states that Jews who live in the Land of Israel - it's as if they have a G-d; and Jews who live outside the Land of Israel - it's as if they have no G-d. How can the Torah say this?? Watch to find out.

V'et'hanan: There's No 'Changing G-d's Mind'

by Rav Yehuda HaKohen, visionmag.org

Tefila

“And I implored HaShem at that time, saying, ‘My L-rd, HaShem, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand, for what power is there in the heaven or on the earth that can perform according to Your mighty acts? Let me now cross and see the good land that is on the other side of the Jordan, this good mountain and the Lebanon.’ But HaShem became angry with me because of you, and he did not listen to me; HaShem said to me, ‘It is too much for you! Do not continue to speak to Me further about this matter. Ascend to the top of the cliff and raise your eyes westward, northward, southward, and eastward, and see with your eyes, for you shall not cross the Jordan. But you shall command Yehoshua, and strengthen him and give him resolve, for he shall cross before this people and he shall cause them to inherit the land that you will see.’” (D’varim 3:25-28)

The numerical value of the word V’et’ḥanan (and I implored) is five hundred and fifteen. The Midrash Rabbah teaches that Moshe implored the Kadosh Barukh Hu five hundred and fifteen times that he be permitted to enter Eretz Yisrael. HaShem commanded him to stop at this point because had Moshe implored one more time, he would have elevated himself to a new spiritual height that would have permitted him to cross the Jordan River.

Forgetting Israel and Tisha B'Av

by Rav Moshe Kaplan, meirtv.com/en

Rav Moshe Kaplan delivers a "shock treatment" for Jews in the Diaspora who have forgotten the centrality of Eretz Yisrael.

[8-minute video]

Tisha B'Av: Making Tefilot [Prayer] Real

by Rav Yehuda HaKohen, visionmag.org

If we could understand the reality of what the world is actually missing, we would not be able to concern ourselves with what we can or cannot eat, buy or listen to during this period of national mourning.

Second Temple burning

Tisha B'Av: Mourning the Past or Action for the Future?

by Rav Netanel Yosiphun, yeshiva.org.il

Model of the third Holy Temple (Shutterstock)

The renowned Rav Chaim Yosef David Azulai, known as the Chida, once came upon a Jewish town during his travels, and saw the women cleaning and painting their homes on Tisha B'Av afternoon. The Chida believed this was forbidden on Tisha B'Av, as it represented joy and distraction from the mourning for the Holy Temple and Jerusalem, and counseled the local rabbis to ban it immediately.

When he entered the synagogue, the Chida saw some women whispering and pointing at him. He asked what they were saying, and was told that they were saying, "That holy rabbi from Jerusalem said that the Mashiach will not come this year!"

The Chida could not understand how they had reached that conclusion, and one woman finally explained,

D'varim: Are Rabbinic Rulings Divinely Inspired?

by Rav Yehuda HaKohen, visionmag.org

The Spies

“They took in their hands from the fruit of the land and brought it down to us; they brought back word to us and said, ‘Good is the land that HaShem, our G-D, gives us!’ But you did not wish to ascend, and you rebelled against the word of HaShem your G-D.” (D’varim 1:25-26)

Moshe rebukes the Children of Israel, not for their sin but for that of their fathers who had already perished in the desert. This seemingly unwarranted admonition serves to create within Israel a feeling of collective responsibility and to offer the people an opportunity to correct the major shortcoming of the previous generation. In order to correct past transgressions, however, it is first necessary to internalize what actually took place. And in order to clearly appreciate this teaching, we must identify who the “they” are that Moshe refers to in his rebuke.

Don't Forget Torah Centrality of Eretz Yisrael!

by Rav Moshe Kaplan, meirtv.com/en

Rav Moshe Kaplan looks at a story told in the Talmud that highlights the ultimate centrality of the Land of Israel in the Torah and Jewish life.