Welcome to the Whole Haftorah (an analysis of the haftorah and how it connects to the Parshah). Also, enjoy my prior episodes detailing my favorite insights from the Parshah.
In order to go out to war,You had to be a naki to your core!Hilchos Shabbos has many details,Don't make or even talk about business sales!
Be careful about making a false oath,Our midos have to follow our torah growth.Stay far away from lies,Be a kiddush hashem in everyone's eyes.
If someone asks you for advice,Your answer needs to be precise.If someone wrongs us, it is hard to budge,But the Torah instructs us not to hold a grudge.
It is crucial to be careful with food,And to go out of our way not to be rude!Hurtful speech can cause so much pain,Money can be returned, but words remain!
To be pious,You must avoid all things related to arayos.To steer clear of sin, we need many fences,We need to be careful about all of our senses.
Business laws have many nuances to understand,Theft has a way of sticking to our hands.The desire for money is very appealing,So we must be extra careful to avoid stealing.
It is easy to avoid the most obscene, But from the small sins, we also need to be clean. Avak lashon hara is an example, Of the types of sins easiest to trample.
Stay focused, don't let comforts interfere, And don't be consumed by irrational fears. On our mission to become more complete, We can't be worried about a lion in the street!
When you recognize the טוֹב, You'll realize that you owe a great חוֹב! Hashem gives us our needs that are unique, Zehirus and zerizus share the same techniques.
As the seconds tick by, A mitzvah might pass by. Zerizus is required, To build your desire!
Just a little laziness, we can lose our way, Doing nothing will lead to decay. We need zerizus to be at our best, Because an object at rest will remain at rest!
You can throw away your whole life's goal, With one small quip or an eye roll. Most of your actions depend, On who you chose to be your friends.
We can get so busy that our time goes down the sink, Not leaving us any time to think. The yetzer hara has a strong allure, The yetzer hara is the illness, and the Torah is the cure!
Hashem never overlooks a good or bad deed, Even the rightous, punishment can be decreed. The world cannot stand only on דין, So hashem allows us to repent for our sins.
To get zehirus, learning Torah is essential, A fire burns within us to reach our full potential. It is too late once we are in the grave, So now is the time to work on how we behave!
This world is compared to a confusing maze, The only way to succeed is to consider our ways. Without contemplation, our world can be dark, But the Torah can provide us with a much-needed spark!
It is crucial to save time for contemplation, And consider your final destination. Without zehirus, it is like we are blind, But with some thought, the correct path we can find!
Like a peasant trying to woo a princess, The holy soul is hard to impress. There are many distractions this world deploys, It is mitzvos the soul most enjoys!
We are put in the middle of a strong war, Faced with a test of what we are living for. We have the yetzer harah both in front and behind, Our goal is to have d'veykus on our minds!
The Ramchal promises to be our coach, He takes us through a step-by-step approach. Learning mussar requires introspection, Mesillas Yesharim sets us off in the right direction!
This is the intro to the Path of the Upright, Studying mussar gives us insight. The Ramchal says he teaches nothing new, But we might forget, so we must constantly review.
The Chafetz Chaim stresses the importance of going to shul, Our tefillah will be answered in full. There is good to be gained, just by answering amen!
The yetzer hara promises a person many years, But it is only a matter of time before those disappear. Guard your ears, mouth, and eyes, Those who listen to rebuke are counted among the wise.
Because of the theft a person commits, We won't save him if he falls into a pit. If we all work to on being better, The Torah won't lack even one letter!
Without fear, there's no wisdom, and without wisdom, there's no fear. Words of lashon hara makes our torah disappear. Rabbi Yochanan sold his field, For the Torah his assets would yield.
To set yourself apart, Have clean hands and a pure heart. One that hits his friend in secret will be cursed, Theft is bad but words are worse!
The nation was disgusted with their food, So an attack of venomous snakes ensued. Their lashon hara was not proper, So they had to get atonement from a snake made of copper!
The spies worried their deeds were improper, So they viewed themselves as small grasshoppers. In response to the bad report the spies said, Caleb promised they will devour the nations like bread!
If you were as haughty as a cedar tree, remember the worm, "tamai, tamai" the metzora had to confirm. Each metzora must be kept on isolation, By calling him a sinner, we don't protect his reputation.
To atone for lashon hara, the kohen gadol wore bells, A person is rewarded for the Torah he tells. A person's main pursuit, is to train himself to behave as if he were a mute
Moshe was punished with הן, That just a few days of his life remained. The roman judge's heart was hardened, But Rabbi Eliezer was quickly pardoned!
Yesef put money in his brothers' sacks, Until Yaakov was reunited, he could not relax. Yosef sat the brothers by their ages, Yehudah offered to work for Yosef without wages!
Yosef spent 10 years in prison corresponding to his 10 brothers, He spent an additional two years for relying too much on others. Yehuda deceived Yaakov with the blood of a goat, Yehuda was punished when Tamar asked, "Is this your coat?"
Hashem's presence leaves when lashon hara is spoken, And our Devine protection is broken. Don't be taken by lashon hara's charm, Because it has no benefit, only harm.
Sinas Chinam leads to destruction, It is worthwhile avoiding its seduction. On the Day of Judgement, don't forget your name, You can be punished for someone else's shame.
The Torah is compared to a loved wife, We waste so many precious moments in life. The Holy of Holies, lashon hora can reach, So on Yom Kippur, the kohen would atone for our speech!
Hashem will recount all of our conversations, Lashon hara spoken causes accusations. Avoiding lashon hara makes us immune to evil, But if spoken, it will lead to social upheaval.
Even with many mitzvos, our mouths may lead us astray, So it is imperative to guard what we say. If we give a needle, we will get a palace gate, By starting a little, we could end up with something great!
Today we are reviewing the introduction, Lashon hara can lead to destruction. The yetzer hara wears many masks, Don't distance yourself from never-ending tasks!
If you use the Torah as a guide, You'll learn to ignore insults and let things slide. Modesty, compassion, and acts of kindness define a Jew, The laws of lashon haha need constant review.
Search for the Torah like a treasure, Toiling in it provides the greatest pleasure. Despite exile from countless nations, The Torah has been kept for all generations!
Grasp onto just one branch on the tree of life, By avoiding speech that causes strife. The laws of lashon hara, society ignores, So if you avoid lashon hara, the reward is uniquely yours!
A Jew without Torah is like a fish without water, So it is crucial to educate our sons and daughters. The importance of learning cannot be overblown, Without learning, even prayer is not enough on its own.
Yaakov went to yeshiva for 14 years, That prepared him to face Lavan's sneers. Contemplate a mitzvah's reward, And the yetzer hara will be ignored!
Our abandonment of the Torah will be an indictment, Avraham offered his son, Yitzchak, with excitement. Every time the study of the Torah is ignored, We lose out on its everlasting reward.
Don't neglect Torah, heaven forbid, Make sure to teach it to your kids. The effort spent in Torah is well worth the return, So get started, because there is always more to learn!
If today there are no lambs, tomorrow there will be no rams. The Torah is magnificent, everyone that supports it is significant!
The money spent on Torah is compared to a nut, A new nut replaces the one that was cut. Zebulun is happy going out to sea, Because his success will be guaranteed!
Not learning Torah is a crime, So make sure learning is done during free time. Don't allow our Torah study to become lax, Because that makes us vulnerable to Amalek's attack!
Bear the Torah like an ox bears its yoke, We will be rewarded for the Torah we spoke. We are obligated in Torah whether we are poor or wealthy, Or whether we are old, young, sick, or healthy!
Those who learn Torah are second to none, They are so bright, they shine like the sun. The Torah has a sweet reward, And it connects a person to the Lord.