Podcasts about beit hamikdash

Welcome to Daily Bitachon Welcome to Daily Bitachon. Having completed Sha'ar Habechina , we are now going to switch to a more timely topic. We find ourselves in the month of Tammuz , which brings the fast of the 17th of Tammuz, followed by the month of Av and its respective fast. I would like to spend some time understanding the deeper dimensions of these months. Personally, seeing how perfectly planned and intricate the events of Jewish history are always provides a powerful chizuk in emunah , which naturally leads to deeper bitachon . To fully appreciate this, we need some background. We are not in a rush, so we will take our time to truly understand it. This framework is based largely on the teachings of the Ben Ish Chai (in Parashat Devarim ), where he discusses these concepts at length. The Three Dimensions of Conflict: Place, Person, and Time First, the Ben Ish Chai notes that the twelve months of the year are fundamentally broken down into four sets of three, aligned with the solar cycle—what we know as the four seasons. Secondly, we know that from the womb, there was a perpetual struggle between Yaakov and Esav . They fought over everything in existence, categorized by the classic framework of Place, Person, and Time . These are the three core dimensions of our existence: a person lives in a place and moves through time . Place: They struggled over the land of Eretz Yisrael . Person: They struggled over who would hold the status of the Bechorah (the birthright). Time: They struggled over who would control the different seasons of the year. The Summer Cycle: Grabbing the Heel Looking at the summer cycle, Yaakov claimed the spring months of Nissan, Iyar, and Sivan —the three months of Chodesh Ha'aviv . This is a beautiful, spiritually rich period: Nissan contains Pesach, Iyar holds the bulk of Sefirat Ha'omer, and Sivan brings Matan Torah. Yaakov Avinu fought for these three wonderful months and claimed them as his own. Then, the intense heat of the summer begins—a period of strict, intense judgment. This is where Esav takes over. This aligns with the fact that Esav calculates by the sun, and the sun is at its strongest during this time. Esav was originally slated to receive Tammuz, Av, and Elul . However, the Torah emphasizes that Yaakov grabbed Esav's heel at birth, earning him the name Yaakov (from Ekev , meaning heel). This teaches us that each of these three-month cycles has a "heel," or a tail end. Yaakov pulled the heel of this summer cycle—the month of Elul —back into his own domain. This converted what would have been an equal three-and-three split into an unequal four-month to two-month split in favor of Yaakov. The Winter Cycle: Venahapoch Hu We see the exact same pattern repeat during the winter months. Tishrei, Cheshvan, and Kislev belong to Yaakov. Tishrei is the month of the High Holidays. Cheshvan, though it contains no holidays, serves as the time to review and process the spiritual gains of the Chagim . Finally, Kislev brings the light of Chanukah. The next three months— Tevet, Shevat, and Adar —should have belonged to Esav. Tevet contains the fast of Asara B'Tevet . Shevat shares a root with the word Shevet , which means a whipping stick or a staff of judgment, signifying that Shevat also carries an element of strict justice. Adar was also supposed to belong to Esav, but once again, Yaakov grabbed the heel of the cycle and pulled Adar back. This is the deeper secret behind the phrase Venahapoch hu —it was completely turned around. Ultimately, this leaves Esav with only four distinct months of intense judgment throughout the year: Tammuz, Av, Tevet, and Shevat . The Spiritual Mechanics of Heat and Cold It is fascinating to see how something as everyday as the twelve months and the changing seasons trace back to the foundational conflict between Yaakov and Esav. Furthermore, the winter and summer concepts relate directly to the ideas of severe cold and severe heat. What do hot and cold have to do with our spiritual lives? It might sound intense, but our tradition teaches that while Gehenom is made of fire—which is what most people know—there is also a Gehenom of snow. There is a realm of extreme heat (like the Sahara Desert) and a realm of extreme cold (like the North Pole). Both are incredibly difficult environments for life. These two extremes correspond to the two primary ways we stumble: Intense Heat: This represents the burning pursuit of desires and lust. Intense Cold: This represents a state of freezing, spiritual paralysis, and laziness. In the winter months, our primary challenge is to overcome the "cold" of laziness and not simply stay in bed. In the summer months, our challenge is to control the "heat" and not follow our desires. The Gehenom of fire is the consequence of chasing unbridled passion, while the Gehenom of snow is for frozen apathy. Esav is constantly trying to entrap us in these two areas. As Rashi notes, when Esav walked in to receive a blessing from his father Yitzchak, Yitzchak saw Gehenom open up behind him. Esav is the one who ultimately aligns with Gehenom , while Yaakov and his children inherit Gan Eden and Olam HaBa . Historical Precision as a Source of Chizuk These spiritual dynamics repeat themselves every single year. As we overcome the specific trials of the summer and winter, we emerge clean. The calendar is not random or haphazard. Tammuz and Av are months of strict judgment because they are Esav's remaining summer months of intense, severe heat. It is no coincidence that this was the exact time of year the Beit HaMikdash was destroyed by fire. The historical convergence is remarkable. The First Beit HaMikdash , the Second Beit HaMikdash , the Spanish Inquisition, and the outbreaks of both World War I and World War II all heavily converged around this specific window of the year. Rav Eliyahu Lopian once beautifully remarked that if the enemy only realized that the Jewish people actually derive a chizuk in emunah from the fact that these tragic events repeatedly happen at the exact same calendar window, they would have intentionally chosen a different time to attack us! Recognizing that everything is so precisely designed and orchestrated by Hakadosh Baruch Hu is profoundly comforting. It serves to strengthen our emunah and bitachon , giving us the tools to navigate and elevate these challenging times of the year.

What Will Be Left After You Die? KORACH | STUMP THE RABBI (273)https://youtu.be/d5coOhL8B4wAs people age, they become more and more concerned about leaving a legacy or something special in this world before they die. In parashat Korach we learn that despite Korach's enormous wealth, not a penny of it was left in this world. But why? Wouldn't it have been better to leave the money for Am Yisrael to use to build the Beit HaMikdash or something special? Korach was wicked, but the trillions of dollars he had did not have a soul or body to sin with. Why waste so much money? While this question seems trivial, the answer is a deep lesson about the temporary amount of time we have in this world, which we call life, and a special message to all who are busy building a legacy. This will be followed by question and answers from the live online audience. Learn, Share, Enjoy and Be Holy.#KorachTorahPortion #ParashatKorach #RichestPersonInTheWorld #ElonMuskTrillionaire #RichestJewishFamily #Torah #Jewish #RabbiYaronReuven #Jews #God #inspiring #motivation #OrthodoxJudaism #Judaism #elonmusk

The Rebbe discusses the roles of the Levi'im during the periods of the Beit Hamikdash and in contemporary times. He explains the perpetual obligation to guard the sanctuary and how it spiritually manifests today. He stresses that while their duties have evolved, they remain crucial in safeguarding holiness. https://www.torahrecordings.com/likutei-sichos/013/005_002

B"H Anti-Zionists are kind of right

Welcome to Daily Bitachon, our special Erev Shabbat series. Today, we are exploring the depth behind Retzei , the addition to Birkat Hamazon so vital that if we forget it on Friday night or Shabbat day (excluding Seuda Shlishit ), we must repeat the entire Grace After Meals. Let's walk through it word by word: The Essence of Rest Retzei Vehachalitzenu: "May it please You, Hashem our God, and strengthen us through Your commandments, specifically the commandment of the seventh day." HaShabbat HaGadol VeHaKadosh HaZeh: "This great and holy Shabbat." Keep those two words— Great ( Gadol ) and Holy ( Kadosh ) —in mind, as they are the recurring theme of this prayer. Ki Yom Zeh Gadol VeKadosh Lefanecha: "For this day is great and holy before You." We ask God for three things: Nishbot Bo: Let us rest. Nanuach Bo: Let us be content. Venit'aneg Bo: Let us find joy. How do we achieve this? Not through physical hobbies like tennis or lounging by the pool, but Kemitzvat Chukei Retzonecha —as ordained by Your will. God defines true Menucha (rest) through the observance of the thirty-nine Melachot . The Ultimate Consolation We then transition to a heartfelt request: Ve'al Tehi Tzara VeYagon... "May there be no distress or grief on our day of rest." Suddenly, we pivot to Jerusalem: VeHareinu BeNechamat Tziyon... "Show us the consolation of Zion speedily in our days." Why the shift to the Beit Hamikdash ? Because God is the Ba'al Nechamot , the Master of Consolation. The ultimate comfort is seeing the Temple rebuilt. We say: Vegam She'achalnu Veshatinu... "Even though we have eaten and drunk, we have not forgotten the destruction of Your Great and Holy house ( Beit'cha HaGadol VeHaKadosh )." The Four Dimensions of Greatness and Holiness Notice the pattern. We have now seen "Great and Holy" applied to: Shabbat (Holy Time) The Beit Hamikdash (Holy Place) Then we plead: "Do not forget us forever... for You are a Great and Holy King ( El Melech Gadol VeKadosh )." 3. God (The Source of Holiness) 4. The Jewish People (The Holy Nation) Finally, on holidays or Rosh Chodesh that falls on Shabbat, we add: V'shimcha HaGadol VeHaKadosh Aleinu Karata —"Your Great and Holy Name is called upon us." The Sanctuary in Time Shabbat and the Beit Hamikdash are intrinsically linked; Shabbat is effectively a "Temple in time." We see this in Lecha Dodi , where we pivot from greeting the Shabbat Queen to praying for Jerusalem ( Mikdash Melech Ir Melucha ). We do the same in Hashkivenu on Friday night. The parallels are everywhere: The Candles mirror the Menorah. The Two Loaves mirror the Lechem Hapanim (Showbread). The Wine mirrors the libations. The Zemirot mirror the songs of the Levites. Activating the Connection Holiness ( Kedusha ) means separation and uplifting. On Shabbat, we are no longer tied to the mundane. As the Iyun Tefillah explains, while "the holy ones" who praise God " וקדושים בכל יום יהללוך סלה "are often cited as angels, Abudarham explains they are also the Jewish people who separate themselves from worldly matters. When you embrace this holiness, you achieve greatness ( Gedulah ). Every Shabbat is an opportunity to enter this "sanctuary in time" and elevate ourselves. And as the Pele Yoetz says, bad enough that we don't think about the Beis HaMikdash while we eat. When we're saying the words even though we're eating, we didn't forget about the Beis HaMikdash . At least when you're saying that line, think about the Beis HaMikdash . And the truth is, Retzei is put in between the requests about Rachem and Boneh Yerushalayim . We're sticking this Shabbat prayer in the middle of building Jerusalem, because that's what you're supposed to be thinking about on Shabbat . And when we remember God, God remembers us. We tell God, we didn't forget about You. Don't forget about us. You want your name to be remembered by people of power. When I was looking for my house that I currently live in, I asked a real estate agent and she put my name down and I didn't get a call from her. Obviously, I wasn't on the top of the list. I was walking into an event and she was walking out and she says, "Oh, I think I have an idea for you." I wasn't on her mind and then when I was, she took care of me. You're walking out of shul and you meet the Shadhan . "Oh, I have a good idea for your daughter." You weren't on their mind. Of course God knows everything, but there's a concept of Zichronot . יעלה ויבא ויגיע ויפקד ויזכר זכרוננו . On Rosh Hashanah we talk about Zichronot . In order to activate God, that's called Zichronot . We have to activate our connection to Him. And that's what's supposed to be happening every Shabbat . The time of connection, the time that we activate our feelings for the Beis HaMikdash and we plead with God. We're not forgetting about You and Your house. You're not sitting at Your table surrounded by Your family. I'm sitting at my table surrounded by my family. I think of God that's, so to say, all alone. Like the Gemara in Berachot 3a says that God says, "Woe to a father that his children have been exiled from his table." God is all alone. He's a father without His children around His table. And that's what we think about on Shabbat .

Why is the Beit Hamikdash allowed to "force" someone to pay money they pledged (without a specified amount) when the burden of proof is on the "claimant"?

How to "bring" meal-offerings without a Beit Hamikdash and 3 takeaways from the Masechet.

The letter encourages the recipient to continue advancing spiritually, drawing inspiration from the concept of the Beit HaMikdash as a holy dwelling dedicated to divine service. It emphasizes infusing daily life with holiness, awe of Heaven, and the warmth of Chassidus. https://www.torahrecordings.com/rebbe/igroskodesh/017/008/6223

The Midrash says at the beginning of Parashat Tazriya, regarding a woman giving birth to a baby boy: give praise to the name of Avraham Avinu, who came from afar, as it says, וַיִּרְא אֶת הַמָּקוֹם מֵרָחֹק . The Mefarshim are bothered: what does Avraham Avinu have to do with this parasha, and why do Chazal refer to him as "the one who came from afar"? The Chidushei Harim explains that starting with the woman who gives birth, the parasha speaks about different individuals who may feel pushed away by Hashem. The woman who gives birth to a boy has a certain form of tum'a. She is not allowed to eat korbanot for forty days, which means if she gave birth before Pesach, she would not be able to bring the korban Pesach—not on Pesach Rishon, nor on Pesach Sheni. She may think to herself: I was involved in performing a great mitzvah, and now I am banned from the Beit HaMikdash. The next parasha speaks about someone who contracts tzara'at. The Gemara says tzara'at is a mizbe'ach kapara—a mizbe'ach that gives the person kapara. Some explain that it is yesurin shel ahava —afflictions of love. Not every case of tzara'at comes as a result of a sin. When a person is suspected of having tzara'at, he must be in quarantine for a week or two. If it is confirmed, he must be isolated away from everyone. He cannot attend shul, pray with a minyan, or answer Kaddish. He may feel: why is Hashem pushing me away like this? Further on, the parasha speaks about other people who become tameh through no fault of their own. They may feel the same sentiments. Imagine a family on their way up to Yerushalayim for one of the shalosh regalim, attempting to bring a korban to Hashem on the Chag, and after their long travels, they arrive at the Beit HaMikdash and discover that the man of the house has become tameh and cannot participate at all. It will definitely feel like Hashem is rejecting him. For those instances, the Midrash tells us to see what Avraham Avinu would do under such circumstances. Avraham spent his entire life teaching the world about Hashem. All he wanted was a child who would continue in the same path. After decades of waiting, he finally received a miracle child at an advanced age. Imagine the love Avraham had for this child. As the child grew, Avraham was able to teach himTorah and the ways of Hashem. Imagine the love Avraham had for Yitzchak at age five—much greater than at his birth. The love he had at age ten was even greater. He invested so much time and energy into Yitzchak, who was to continue his life's mission. Then, when Yitzchak was thirty-seven, in the prime of his life, Hashem told Avraham to slaughter him. In one second, all of Avraham's hopes and dreams were being denied. All of the love he had for his son was about to make this task extraordinarily difficult. He could have felt, "All I am trying to do is promote the name of Hashem in the world, and now He is pushing me away." Yet Avraham said to himself: if this is what Hashem wants me to do, then this is what I want. Instead of feeling rejected, he marched forward with zerizut and did Hashem's will to the best of his ability. This was one of the greatest acts of service of all time. Hashem was not distancing Avraham. He was elevating him. Hashem never distances anyone. A person may feel distanced, but that is only because he does not understand the ways of Hashem. When a person becomes tameh, it is not Hashem saying, "I do not want your korban." It is Hashem saying: "I want a different service from you now. I want you to accept that this is what is best for you, and serve Me from the place I have placed you." For that, a person will gain far more than he would have from bringing the korban. When people feel that Hashem is not interested in their service, yet they still do the best they can, that service elevates them enormously. Hashem may appear to be far from us at times, but He is always close. He always wants our avodah, no matter how it may seem. If we strengthen ourselves during those times and continue to serve Him joyfully, to the best of our ability, we will rise to the greatest levels.

Every morning, near the end of Shacharit, we say Shir Shel Yom—the Psalm of the Day, once sung by the Levites in the Beit HaMikdash. It feels like a closing note. Something we say and move past. But it's not random—and it's not just a memory of the Temple. Each day's psalm was chosen with precision. Each one reflects a different dimension of the world—and a different way we are meant to live within it. What if your week isn't just a cycle of days… but a structured opportunity to imitate God? In this video, we explore how Shir Shel Yom quietly shapes the spiritual architecture of your week—and how it can transform the way you step into each day. Once you see it, you won't say it the same way again. Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congregation in Hampstead, Quebec, and an adjunct professor at McGill University Faculty of Law. ADATH is a modern orthodox synagogue community in suburban Montreal, providing Judaism for the next generation. We take great pleasure in welcoming everyone with a warm smile, while sharing inspiration through prayer, study, and friendship. Rabbi Whitman shares his thoughts and inspirations through online lectures and shiurim, which are available on: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5FLcsC6xz5TmkirT1qObkA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adathmichael/ Podcast - Mining the Riches of the Parsha: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/mining-the-riches-of-the-parsha/id1479615142?fbclid=IwAR1c6YygRR6pvAKFvEmMGCcs0Y6hpmK8tXzPinbum8drqw2zLIo7c9SR-jc Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3hWYhCG5GR8zygw4ZNsSmO Please contact Rabbi Whitman (rabbi@adath.ca) with any questions or feedback, or to receive a daily email, "Study with Rabbi Whitman Today," with current and past insights for that day, video, and audio, all in one short email sent directly to your inbox.

Was the menorah in the Beit Hamikdash lit for 24 hours a day?

This week is Parashat Tzav as well as Shabbat HaGadol . On Shabbat HaGadol , the final Shabbat that the Jewish People were in Mitzrayim , Hashem commanded them to begin the process of offering the Korban Pesach . Why did Hashem command the Jews to take the sheep for the korban four days before they were going to offer it? The Midrash answers, the time of the Geula had arrived but the Jews did not have the merits to be redeemed so Hashem gave them an additional commandment regarding the korban to help them. Look how precious a mitzvah is! Even the preparation of the Korban Pesach was able to give the Jews the merit to be redeemed. The parshiot we are reading now are discussing the korbanot . The pasuk says when a Jew brought a korban, it was considered a ריח ניחוח לה' – it brought up a pleasing aroma to Hashem. What did Hashem love so much about a korban ? Perhaps we can explain from a question asked by the Acharonim : Why is it that the construction of the Mishkan did not override Shabbat while the offering of korbanot did? Seemingly, the building of a home for the Shechina to dwell in should be more important than offering sacrifices there. Rabbi Menashe Reizman quoted the sefer Nachat Yaakov who answered that the construction of the Mishkan was primarily done by Hashem. It was not humanly possible for a person to put it up, as the pasuk says הוקם המשכן. Many of the vessels as well were made by Hashem. The Menorah, for example, Hashem told Moshe to throw it into a fire and the Menorah came out. All the embroidery was miraculously made. Regarding the construction of the Second Beit HaMikdash, there were enormous stones, some 30 feet tall. How was it possible for a person to lift them so high upon a wall. The Yerushalmi says, when the people made the effort, Hashem miraculously lifted those stones for them. So therefore, since the Mishkan and the Beit HaMikdash were made by Hashem, although it was very important to Him, that did not override Shabbat. The korbanot , however, were performed exclusively by us. All of the difficult tasks involved in bringing a korban were done by the sweat of the people and Hashem loved their deeds so much. He loves when we put toil in to fulfill a mitzvah. That is what is so precious to Him and that even overrides Shabbat. Although today we cannot put in the same efforts of offering an actual korban , there's still a lot that we can do. The Midrash at the beginning of this week's parasha brings a mashal about a king who was traveling through the desert and his good friend came there to give him a basket of figs and a barrel of wine. The king told him, "You have honored me greatly by coming all the way here to give these thing to me." The friend replied, "My master, the King, this is just a small token of the honor that I want to give you. When you come back to your palace, you'll see there how much honor I'm really going to give you." That's the mashal. The nimshal is Hashem tells us, "זאת תורת העולה – You have honored Me by bringing a korban olah ." And we tell Hashem, "This is just a small token of the honor that we're capable of bringing You. When You come back to Your palace, there we're going to give You the real honor." This Midrash is obviously talking about today's time when we can't offer a real korban . So what temporary honor are we giving Hashem? Learning about the korbanot , drawing lessons from the korbanot . That in it of itself is so precious to Hashem and He considers it like we are honoring Him. But we tell Hashem, "Soon, when You bring back the Beit HaMikdash, there we're going to truly honor You, the way we're supposed to." As for today, we're still learning the lessons of korbanot , we're seeing how precious the nitty gritty involvement of a Jew in a mitzvah is to Hashem. We hope that just like Shabbat HaGadol was the last Shabbat for the Jews in Mitzrayim , so too it will be our last Shabbat in this long exile. B'ezrat Hashem, we should see the rebuilding of the Beit HaMikdash and be able to bring Hashem true glory inside of it. Shabbat Shalom.

Minchá – o momento mais poderoso do dia.

What types of offerings may gentiles bring in the Beit Hamikdash?

In today's Daily Zohar, we continue in Parshat Tzav with the deeper meaning of the priestly garments, the korbanot, and the work of unifying the worlds. The Zohar explains that the Kohen wore garments of flax, bad, and that this word itself hints at something singular, something unified. These were not merely garments for honor or beauty. They were garments of holiness, garments that symbolized the power to bind the outer diversity of life back into divine oneness. The Zohar connects these garments to the realm of Binah, to the level associated with the Holy of Holies and with Yom Kippur. The service of the Kohen, and especially the elevation of the korban olah, is about raising the external world back to its higher root. The garments themselves reflect this function. They serve as vessels of unity, drawing the scattered dimensions of life upward into holiness. This also explains why they are described as having the power to ward off impurity, so that the forces of distortion and spiritual negativity cannot draw nourishment from the side of holiness. The deeper teaching here is that everything in existence has its source in holiness. Even what appears fallen or dark only survives because some spark remains rooted above. The work of the Temple was to elevate the side of holiness so clearly and powerfully that the forces of impurity could no longer draw from it. In that sense, the korbanot were not only offerings. They were acts of spiritual ordering. They restored proper alignment. They reestablished a hierarchy in which holiness stood revealed as the true source of life. The Zohar then turns to the mystery of Adam and the animal. The human being, Adam, contains within himself both male and female, and has the capacity to bind together the higher structures of Atzilut. Through the korban, the person is able to elevate the animal dimension, the physical and instinctive layers of life, by raising the sparks hidden within them. The Kohanim through their service, the Levites through their song, and the Israelites through their prayer all participated in this act of elevation. The sacrifice was never only about the animal itself. It was about transforming the animal within life and within the self, and returning it to its source. From there, the Zohar opens the mystery of the birds brought as offerings. Not every bird could be used. Specifically, the dove and the pigeon carry this secret. They correspond to the right and left sides, to Chesed and Gevurah, and their offering hints to the unification of these two forces. The Zohar links them as well to the angels, especially Michael on the right and Gabriel on the left. Their elevation symbolizes the uplifting of the spirit of holiness, the raising of Malchut from below so that she can be united above. In this way, the offering of the birds becomes part of the greater work of joining heaven and earth, right and left, male and female, above and below. This is why the Temple service mattered so deeply. It created a sustained space of holiness through which the upper and lower worlds could be aligned. In the absence of the Beit HaMikdash, the world often feels fragmented, random, and disjointed. Yet the Zohar reminds us that the longing for the Temple is really the longing for a revealed center of holiness through which everything can once again be ordered, elevated, and made whole. The Temple was not just one holy site among many. It was the spiritual axis through which the structure of holiness could be felt throughout creation. The teaching concludes with a profound point: the poor person who brings a dove or pigeon does not sustain the world in the same way as the larger animal offerings, yet through that offering, a unity is still caused above.

Din & Daf: Conceptual Analysis of Halakha Through Case Study with Dr. Elana Stein HainThe mishnayot of chapters 4 and 5 of Menachot mention flour offerings brought as korbanot by a non-Jews to the Beit Hamikdash. In this shiur, we will examine the logic and parameters of offerings by non-Jews inside and outside the Mikdash.Menachot 73Dr. Elana Stein Hain – dinanddaf@hadran.org.ilFor more Din and Daf: https://hadran.org.il/channel/din-daf/

The pasuk says in this week's parasha Vayikra , אדם כי יקריב מכם קרבן לה' מן הבהמה מן הבקר ומן הצאן" תקריבו את קרבנכם– when a man brings a korban from amongst you to Hashem, it should come from animals, either cattle or flock." The mefarshim are bothered by the placement of the word מכם – from you. Seemingly, it should have said "אדם מכם כי יקריב קרבן – a person from amongst you who brings a korban ." One explanation given is that Hashem is telling us, when we give a korban, He doesn't just want an animal, rather אדם כי יקריב מכם קרבן – He wants us to sacrifice of ourselves as well. How so? מן הבהמה – we need to go against our animalistic natures. מן הבקר – refers to the animals who are bold, we need to go against our bold nature when it comes to avodat Hashem. And מן הצאן refers to animals who are bashful, we need to go against our bashful nature when it comes to avodat Hashem. For example, if someone has the opportunity to help the masses but he feels, "Who am I? It's not my place." That is when he needs to go against his bashful nature and say, "I'm doing the will of Hashem and this is what it calls for me to do." And if someone was wronged or shamed, and he could easily get back at that person who inflicted the harm, that is when he needs to sacrifice his brazen nature and instead act humbly, like Hashem wants, and keep quiet. Although we are not able to physically bring korbanot today in the Beit HaMikdash, we could offer korbanot of ourselves all the time by overcoming our nature to do the will of Hashem. If someone has been praying for something for a long time, and instead of his situation improving, it only got worse, his inclination will tell him, "Why bother? Prayer is not helping anyway." At that moment, he has an opportunity to offer a korban to Hashem and say to himself, " Tefila is what Hashem wants from me. Although I don't feel like doing it, I'm going to go against my inclination and I'm going to continue praying with all of my heart." If someone has been trying to get married for years without success, his inclination will tell him, "There's no point in continuing to try, nothing's working anyway." At that moment, he can offer a korban to Hashem and say, "It's the will of Hashem for me to get married, and therefore I'm never going to stop trying. If someone was having trouble conceiving and then, after a long difficult process, when she was about to give birth to a child, lo alenu , she lost it. Her inclination might tell her, "How can I ever go through that again? I have a few children already and Hashem is making it so hard for me to have more. I might as well just stop. Why do I need all this extra pain for nothing?" At that moment, she can go against her inclination and offer a korban to Hashem and say, "I was trying to do Hashem's will by bringing more children into the world. I know Hashem will reward me for every bit of pain that I went through in trying to do His will. Results are not in my control, but efforts are. Hashem always determines what's best for me. And therefore, I'm going to continue trying to do His will, no matter how difficult it is." Each person, in his or her own circumstances, can offer the greatest korbanot to Hashem all of the time. Shabbat Shalom.

Chazal tell us that when Mashiach arrives there will be a magnificent seudah known as the Seudat HaLeviathan. At that great meal will be present all the righteous who ever lived—Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov, Moshe and Aharon, together with the great leaders and tzaddikim of all generations. At that seudah, David HaMelech will rise and lead Birkat HaMazon. Afterward, the Ramami Pano writes that Mashiach Tzidkeinu will come out and distribute dessert to everyone present. Those desserts will consist of the fruits that have been growing in Gan Eden since the creation of the world. Originally, Hashem commanded Adam HaRishon to eat from the fruits of Gan Eden, but he was banished before he had the opportunity to do so. Since that time, fruits have been growing in the lower Gan Eden that exists in this world, and they will be distributed to all of Klal Yisrael after Birkat HaMazon at that seudah. Then Mashiach will take out almonds that had been growing on the staff of Aharon HaKohen in the Kodesh HaKodashim and he will make the berachah of boreh peri ha'etz upon them. It is known that almonds have the ability to calm a person from anger. At that moment, all the tension and pain that accumulated during the long exile will instantly disappear. Then Moshe Rabbeinu will appear holding the original Luchot that we were meant to receive. In their merit the knowledge of Torah will reach an unprecedented level. Torah will never again be forgotten. The yetzer hara will be nullified and the malach hamavet will be driven away forever. Those will be the most glorious days in the history of the world. After a period of time living in the era of Mashiach, the next stage—Olam Haba—will begin. The Gemara in Masechet Berachot teaches that in that world there will be no eating and no drinking. Rather, the tzaddikim will sit and derive pleasure from the radiance of the Shechinah. The Or HaChayim writes in Shemot that there is no pleasure in this world that can compare to the pleasure of seeing the Shechinah in the next world. Every Jew longs to merit that experience. Our rabbis explain that just as in order to enjoy food in this world our mouth and throat must function properly, so too in order to experience the spiritual pleasure of the Shechinah, the part of the body through which that pleasure is received must also be spiritually refined. That part of the body is the eyes—the windows to the neshamah. The pasuk in Yeshayahu says: עֹצֵם עֵינָיו מֵרְאוֹת בְּרָע מֶלֶךְ בְּיָפְיוֹ תֶּחֱזֶינָה עֵינֶיךָ "One who closes his eyes from seeing evil—his eyes will behold the King in His beauty." The Midrash explains that this pasuk means that whoever guards his eyes from looking at improper things will merit to see the beauty of the Shechinah. The Gemara in Masechet Kallah teaches that someone who turns away from such aveirot—even if he is an ordinary Yisrael—becomes worthy like a Kohen Gadol offering a korban olah on the mizbeach, and he will merit to benefit from the radiance of the Shechinah like the malachei hasharet. One of the ways of Hashem is that when He wishes to elevate a person to an especially high level, He first gives him a very great test to overcome. For nearly two thousand years the world has been waiting for the rebuilding of the Beit HaMikdash. For generations we have waited for the coming of Mashiach. Now, as we approach the month of Nisan—the time most auspicious for redemption—we are being tested with our eyes more than ever before. Perhaps this is Hashem's call for us to elevate ourselves to greatness and to make our eyes worthy of receiving the ultimate pleasure of basking in the radiance of the Shechinah. Now is our opportunity to shine. If we can guard our own eyes and guide our children away from seeing things they should not see, we can become elevated to the level of the Kohen Gadol. With Hashem's help we will then merit the ultimate reward—our eyes beholding the radiance of the Shechinah for all eternity.

7 key takeaways from this study The world reeks of death, but God creates a distinct aroma of life. The unique incense in the Mishkan/Temple and the “soothing aroma” of burnt offerings contrast with the stench of death from sin (beginning in Genesis 3, developed in Romans 5). God's presence and appointed patterns (incense, offerings, festivals) mark out a different “smell” in the world. The Tabernacle is a beachhead of Heaven on earth. Like D‑Day or Incheon, God establishes a beachhead in history through Avraham, Israel, and the Mishkan, then breaks out into the nations. Israel is not an accidental or failed project; it is God's chosen instrument to bring life and blessing to all nations. Redemption is a cycle and a journey, not a one‑off event. The seven festivals (Pesach, Matzot, Shavuot, Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret) form a yearly pattern of ransom, reform, and regeneration. Israel's journey from Egypt to the Land pictures our own journey from bondage to freedom, from old life to being “born again” as a new people. Yeshua is both the Pesach Lamb and the fragrance of life. His blood on the “doorposts” blocks the destroyer and the wrath against the kingdom of oppression. In 2Corinthians 2, believers become the “fragrance of Messiah” — to some, an aroma of life; to others, an aroma from death to death. The “ministry of death” and the “ministry of the Spirit” are connected, not enemies. The Torah engraved on stone exposes sin and death (ministry of death/condemnation), but within it is also the pattern of reconciliation (sacrifices, priesthood, appointments). In Messiah and by the Spirit, that same pattern reaches its fullness: the Word written on hearts, not just on stone (2Corinthians 3; Romans 7–8). Believers are now the living Mishkan and a letter from Messiah. We are living stones (1Peter 2) and living sacrifices (Romans 12), a spiritual house and royal priesthood. Our lives function as a letter and as incense — visible and fragrant testimony of whom we've been with and who indwells us. True tikkun olam (renewing of the world) begins from the inside out. Material help (food, housing, etc.) is vital but incomplete if the inner “hole” in people is never addressed. God planted Israel — and now the enlarged people of God — to bring inner transformation (by the Spirit, through the Word and Messiah), not just external patching of problems. The rock song “That Smell” has a refrain common to reflections about the interplay between self-destruction and death: “Can’t you smell that smell? … The smell of death surrounds you.” Scripture similarly uses the senses to contrast the smell of death versus the aroma of life. This picture is rooted first in Gan Eden, the Garden of Eden. When Adam and Chavah (Eve) chose the tree of the knowledge of good and evil as their source of wisdom, sin entered and death spread to all humanity (Genesis 3; Romans 5:12). Since then, the world has carried a spiritual stench. Decay, corruption, and suffering permeate human history. Humanity tries to mask that smell. Medieval plague doctors stuffed their beak-like masks with flowers and herbs to cover the odor of death. Modern professionals who deal with death use ointments and tricks of the trade to do the same. In the same way, people attempt to paper over spiritual death — pleasure, distraction, ideology, even religion without transformation. Yet Scripture presents a different kind of aroma. Not a mask, but a change at the root. God introduces קָרְבָּנוֹת korbanot (things that “draw near,” offerings) and קְטֹרֶת ketóret (incense) in the מִשְׁכָּן Mishkan, (“dwelling place,” Tabernacle). These are not mere rituals. They become signs of Heaven's answer to the smell of death. Unique aromas in the Mishkan The Torah gives a precise, non-copyable recipe for the incense on the golden altar in the Holy Place (Exodus 30:34–38). That fragrance must never become a common household scent. It belongs exclusively to the presence of God. When someone smells that aroma, there should be only one association: the dwelling place of the Holy One, blessed be He. In the Heichal (Holy Place), just before the פָּרֹכֶת paróchet (veil) that guards the קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים Kódesh HaKodashim (Holy of Holies), the golden altar sends up a continual column of smoke. This is not about air freshening. It is a constant symbol of heavenward attention, prayer, and worship. Outside, in the courtyard, another aroma rises from the מִזְבֵּחַ הָעוֹלָה mizbeach ha’olam (altar of burnt offering), the bronze altar. The Torah calls those offerings a רֵיחַ נִיחוֹחַ reach nichóach (“soothing aroma to the LORD,” Leviticus 1:9, 13, 17). From a human nose's point of view, burning animal flesh, hide, and hooves is not soothing. Yet in God's economy, it is the people's total gift — coming in, going up in smoke — that pleases Him. Therefore, two key aromas emerge: The bronze altar: the whole burnt offering, life laid down. The golden altar of incense: continual fragrance of worship and intercession. Both speak to the same reality. The smell of death fills the world, but God establishes particular, holy aromas that signal reconciliation and life. The Mishkan as a demonstration of life The Mishkan is not just a religious structure. It is a visible, mobile demonstration of life. It is the dwelling place of the Creator of heaven and earth, the One who gives and restores life. The people bring offerings. They draw near. They receive cleansing and communion. The presence of God in their midst redefines the camp. Later, King David longs for a more permanent resting place for the Divine Name. He notes the mismatch: he lives in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains under tent curtains (2Samuel 7:2). Eventually, the בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ Beit HaMikdash (“House of the Dwelling,” the Temple) in Jerusalem becomes that resting place. Even then, Scripture insists that no building can truly contain God. Solomon prays: “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have built!” 1Kings 8:27 NASB95 Still, God chooses to cause His Name to dwell there. 1Kings 8 describes the cloud of glory filling the house, echoing the cloud that once filled the Mishkan (Exodus 40:34–35). The Temple becomes a focal point for all nations. Solomon prays that foreigners who come and pray toward this house would be heard in heaven, so that “all the peoples of the earth may know Your name” (1Kings 8:41–43). This is already the blueprint for a “house of prayer for all nations” (Isaiah 56:7; cited in Matthew 21:13). Israel's sanctuary is never meant to be a private club. It is the visible evidence that Heaven is taking up residence on earth. Israel as God's beachhead On D‑Day, Allied forces established a beachhead in Normandy, France, to free Europe from Nazi Germany. It was not enough to land. They had to break out or be crushed on the shore. Similarly, in the Korean War, U.N. forces nearly lost the peninsula, pushed back to Busan. The landing at Incheon became a new beachhead, which allowed a breakout that trapped the enemy. Israel is Heaven's beachhead on earth. God calls Avraham out of Ur, promises him a land, seed, and blessing for all families of the earth (Genesis 12:1–3). That calling grows into a nation, enslaved in מִצְרַיִם Mitzrayim (Egypt), then redeemed at Pesach (Passover, Exodus 12). Pesach marks the beginning of months (Exodus 12:1–2). It is the start of a journey from bondage to freedom, from one kingdom to another. Yet, before Israel can enter the Land, the first generation must die in the wilderness. The second generation enters. In that sense, Israel must be “born again” before entering the rest of the Land (cf. Numbers 14; Deuteronomy 1–2). From this angle, the cycle of the מוֹעֲדִים mo'adim (appointed times) — Pesach, Chag HaMatzot (Unleavened Bread), Shavuot (Pentecost), Yom Teruah (Feast of Trumpets), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles), and Shemini Atzeret — traces a pattern of ransom, reforming and regeneration. Heaven is not just visiting. Heaven is establishing a front line. That beachhead pushes outward until it fills the earth. Ministry of death and the ministry of the Spirit Paul in 2Corinthians 2–3 writes that God “manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place” (2Corinthians 2:14, NASB95). Believers become a fragrance of מָשִׁיחַ, Mashiach (Messiah, Christ) to God (2Corinthians 2:15–16): To those being saved, an aroma from life to life. To those perishing, an aroma from death to death. This is the same theme as the Mishkan. The same incense that delights God may expose death in those who reject Him. Paul contrasts two kinds of “letter” using Greek terms: γράμμα grámma: the written letter, that which is engraved or inscribed. ἐπιστολή epistolḗ: a letter or epistle, a communication sent. In 2Corinthians 3, he speaks of “the letter” (grámma) that kills, but “the Spirit” that gives life (2Corinthians 3:6). He points to the “ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones” — the tablets given to Moshe (Moses, 2Corinthians 3:7). This ministry came with glory. Israel could not stare at Moshe's shining face (Exodus 34:29–35). Yet Paul does not pit Torah against the Spirit. Instead, he uses a classic Hebrew קַל וְחֹמֶר kal va-chomér (light and heavy) argument. If the ministry that condemns comes with glory, how much more will the ministry of the Spirit overflow with glory (2Corinthians 3:8–9). The תּוֹרָה Torah (instruction) on stone reveals sin and pronounces death. It says, “Here is life, here is death. Choose life!” (Deuteronomy 30:19). At the same time, embedded in the Torah are the patterns for reconciliation — offerings, priesthood, the Day of Atonement. The “ministry of death” exposes the need. The “ministry of the Spirit” accomplishes the inward change. Paul says: Not that we are adequate in ourselves… but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. 2Corinthians 3:5–6, NASB95 The בְּרִית חֲדָשָׁה brit chadasháh (new covenant) promise in the Prophets includes God writing His Torah on hearts, giving a new spirit and a new heart, and cleansing from iniquity (Jeremiah 31:31–34; Ezekiel 36:25–27). This as fulfilled in Messiah Yeshua. From tablets of stone to tablets of the heart In 2Corinthians 3, Paul changes imagery. He says the believers themselves are his “letter” (epistolḗ), not written with ink but “with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts” (2Corinthians 3:3). The transformation of people becomes a visible epistle, read by all. This directly connects back to Moshe. Moses' face reflected God's glory because he spoke “face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend” (Exodus 33:11). That relationship left a visible mark. Israel asked him to veil his face because the radiance unsettled them. Paul explains that a spiritual veil still lies over many hearts when Moshe is read. Only in Messiah is it removed (2 Corinthians 3:14–16). When a person turns to the Lord: Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 2 Corinthians 3:17 NASB95 Then, with unveiled face, believers behold the glory of the Lord “as in a mirror” and are “being transformed into the same image from glory to glory” (2Corinthians 3:18). The pattern of Moshe, whose face shone, becomes the pattern of all who walk in Messiah by the Spirit. This does not cancel Israel's calling. Instead, it fulfills it. The Torah's goal is not abolished. It reaches its τέλος télos (goal/destination) in Messiah, who embodies Israel's mission and opens it to the nations (cf. Romans 10:4; Romans 11). ‘Living sacrifice,’ ‘living stones’ Apostles Paul and Peter address this in Romans 6–12 and 1Peter 2. Romans 6 describes identification with Messiah's death and resurrection. Believers are buried with Him through immersion and raised to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3–4). Romans 7 faces the tension: the righteous standard of the Torah confronts human inability, leading to the cry, “Who will set me free from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24). Romans 8 announces the answer in Messiah and the Spirit. Romans 9–11 then wrestles with Israel's calling. Did God plant Israel only to abandon her? Paul answers “no.” Israel is like an olive tree. Natural branches may be cut off for unbelief. Wild branches (from the nations) may be grafted in. Yet the root — God's covenantal work in Israel — supports all (Romans 11:17–24). God did not create Israel “to be nothing.” He created Israel to fill the earth with blessing. Then Romans 12 begins: Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God…. Romans 12:1 NASB95 This is Mishkan language. Instead of animal life going up in smoke, the believer becomes a living sacrifice. Life is placed on God's altar. The mind is renewed. Behavior changes (Romans 12:1–2). This is the practical outworking of Mishkan lessons in everyday discipleship. Similarly, 1Peter 2:4–10 speaks of coming to Messiah as a “living stone” rejected by men but choice and precious to God. Those who come to Him become “living stones… built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1Peter 2:4–5 NASB95). Peter applies titles from Exodus 19 — “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession” (1Peter 2:9) — to this community. This is not replacement but expansion. God takes the original calling of Israel and extends it through Messiah to Jew and Gentile together, without revoking Israel's promises (Romans 11:28–29). The Mishkan pattern is now embodied in a people, not just a building. True tikkun olam: Reformation from the inside out The modern interpretation of תיקון עולם tikkún olám (repair of the world) often focuses on social, political, or environmental repair. These are not unimportant. Feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, and protecting the vulnerable echo the Torah's concern for the widow, orphan, and stranger. However, this study stresses that if tikkun olam stays external, it never truly repairs the world. It may become a sophisticated game of “whack‑a‑mole,” hitting surface problems while deeper issues in the human heart remain untouched. Housing a person without addressing the “hole” within may leave the core problem unsolved. Likewise, nations may shift policies without healing the underlying rebellion, idolatry, and fear. Through Israel and through Messiah, God's plan is ransom, reform, and regeneration. This involves: Cleansing from sin and death (Pesach, Yom Kippur). Ongoing formation as a holy people (Torah, Shabbat, mo'edim). Final renewal of creation with new heavens and a new earth, where death and pain are no more (Isaiah 65–66; Revelation 21:1–4). This work begins in the heart, by the Spirit, through the Word. It then flows out into practical mercy, justice, and witness. Guarding the Word and avoiding counterfeits The study also warns about those who “peddle the word of God” for profit (2Corinthians 2:17). The Greek term there describes a dishonest merchant. Such teachers may start well, building trust with correct first steps, then make a subtle or dramatic leap into error. If hearers are not grounded in Scripture, they may follow. In an age of YouTube prophets and endless online content, discernment becomes essential. Believers are urged to sow to the Spirit rather than the flesh (Galatians 6:8), which includes prioritizing serious engagement with the written Word over sensational voices. The TaNaKh and New Testament together, read in context, with attention to continuity and fulfillment. The Mishkan, the festivals, the prophets, the Gospels, and the epistles form one coherent story. That story centers on Messiah Yeshua and God's desire to dwell among His people and renew the world. The aroma that remains The bronze altar of the Mishkan speaks of what goes up in smoke — old life, old bondage, old attachments. The golden altar of incense speaks of what continues — prayer, worship, intercession. Revelation portrays an altar of incense and speaks of “the prayers of the saints” rising before God like incense (Revelation 5:8; 8:3–4). Some of those saints are martyrs, killed for bearing witness behind enemy lines. Their lives were not wasted. Their aroma still rises. For those in Messiah, life in this age may still carry the smell of death all around. Yet, in the midst of that, God creates a new fragrance. The people of God, Jew and Gentile, become: Living sacrifices on the altar. Living stones in the temple. Letters written by the Spirit. Incense rising before the throne. To some, that aroma will expose death and provoke hostility. To others, it will signal life, hope, and the nearness of the Kingdom. In either case, the fragrance belongs to Him. As Paul writes: For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 2Corinthians 2:15 NASB95 In a world saturated with the smell of death, God is forming a people who carry the fragrance of life, rooted in Israel's calling, fulfilled in Messiah, and empowered by the Spirit. The post From smell of death to fragrance of life: The Gospel in Israel’s Tabernacle (Exodus 12; 2Corinthians 2–3) appeared first on Hallel Fellowship.

Welcome to Daily Bitachon on our Friday afternoon special Shabbat edition. The Sefer Yereim , written by one of the Rishonim, Rabbi Eliezer of Metz (Volume 2, Siman 410), teaches us that just as there is a mitzvah to fear the Beit HaMikdash , there is also a mitzvah to fear Shabbat. Now, as we know, there is no single definitive list of the 613 mitzvot in the Torah; while the Gemara tells us the total number is 613, many Rishonim count them differently. The Yereim specifically chooses to include the "Fear of Shabbat" on his list. What is his source? The Gemara in Yevamot 6a points to a comparison between Shabbat and the Beit HaMikdash , as it says in Vayikra 19:30 : " את שבתותי תשמורו ומקדשי תיראו " —"You shall keep My Sabbaths and fear My Sanctuary." Just as there is a mitzvah to fear the Sanctuary, so too there is a mitzvah to fear Shabbat. The Gemara continues by clarifying: " לא משבת אתה מתיירא " —"It is not Shabbat itself that you fear," " אלא ממי שהזהיר על השבת " —"but rather the One who commanded the Shabbat." This means there is a specific responsibility for Yirat Shamayim (fear of Heaven) on Shabbat, just as there is when one enters the Beit HaMikdash . Holiness in Three Dimensions The question arises: What is so unique about Shabbat that it warrants this special mitzvah? We have many commandments—like Tefillin—that God also commanded. Why is "fear" attached to this one? The answer, as we have mentioned many times, is that holiness ( kedusha ) manifests in three dimensions: Person, Place, and Time. The Kohen Gadol was the holiest person. The Beit HaMikdash is the holiest place. The Shabbat is the holiest time. In a sense, the Beit HaMikdash is our "Shabbat in space," and Shabbat is our "Sanctuary in time." We see this connection even in people; the Gemara says a Talmid Chacham is like the Beit HaMikdash . The Zohar even suggests that for a Talmid Chacham —who is immersed in Torah constantly—all seven days of the week are like Shabbat. Regarding the verse " את ה' אלהיך תירא " ("Fear Hashem your God"), the Sages teach lerabbot talmidei chachamim —this includes fearing the Torah scholar, who acts as a sanctuary where God dwells. God dwells in people, He dwells in places, and He dwells in time. The Atmosphere of the Day Once we understand this, the mitzvah to fear Shabbat becomes obvious. Just as you feel a sense of respect, sanctity, and decorum when you stand by the Kotel HaMa'aravi or enter a Shul, Shabbat demands the same. We must approach the day with dignity because its essence is kedusha . Entering Shabbat should feel like walking into the Holy Temple or into the presence of a great Gadol . I remember the sense of trepidation and awe when walking in to see the Steipler Gaon or Rav Shach. That same Yirat Shamayim is intrinsically woven into Shabbat. The Zohar even notes that the word "Bereishit" (In the beginning), when re-scrambled, spells "Yarei Shabbat" (Fear of Shabbat). This awe is the foundation of our entire Torah. A Gift from the Treasure House One commentary explains the famous Midrash where God says: " מתנה טובה יש לי בבית גנזי "—"I have a good gift in My treasure house [and its name is Shabbat]." What exactly is kept in God's treasure house? The Gemara says that the only thing Hashem keeps in His "storehouse" is Yirat Shamayim . Why? Because a person's treasure house usually contains the things most precious to them, often things they don't "possess" naturally. God "owns" everything, but there is one thing He doesn't "have" unless we give it to Him: " הכל בידי שמים חוץ מיראת שמים "—"Everything is in the hands of Heaven except the fear of Heaven." That fear is God's treasure. Every Shabbat, He gives us a "dose" of it from His private collection. He builds that awe into the very fabric of the day. The Natural Fear of the Day The Yerushalmi (cited by the Rambam in Hilchot Ma'aser ) brings down a fascinating concept regarding Terumot and Ma'asrot (tithes). Generally, the Sages did not trust an Am HaAretz (an unlearned person) regarding whether their produce was tithed. However, on Shabbat, if an Am HaAretz claimed the food was tithed, we believed him. Why? " אימת שבת על עמי הארץ "—"The awe of Shabbat is upon even the unlearned." The holiness of the day was so palpable that it would stop a person from lying or committing a transgression. While we may not feel that "natural" fear as instinctively today, it is something we are meant to work on. According to the Yereim , it is a direct commandment to maintain an extra sense of awareness and reverence for the sanctity of Shabbat

Pekudei | 5786 | Then Shlomo assembled the elders of Yisrael, by Rav Eli Weber The Inauguration of Beit Hamikdash. 1 Melakhim 7:51 - 8:1-21

La época del Beit HaMikdash y el exilio

On Asarah B'Tevet Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Yerushalayim, the beginning of the process that eventually led to the destruction of the First Beit HaMikdash. On this fast day, part of our avodah is introspection—looking inward and correcting the very issues that caused that destruction in the first place. The Gemara in Masechet Yoma teaches that the First Beit HaMikdash was destroyed because the people were steeped in the three cardinal aveirot. Yet the Gemara in Masechet Nedarim tells us something deeper. The Nevi'im and the Chachamim could not understand the root cause of the churban until Hashem Himself revealed it: the people had "left His Torah." And the Gemara explains that this means they did not say the berachot on the Torah before learning it. The mefarshim explain that this was not a technical oversight. If they had viewed Torah learning the way it is meant to be viewed, as something that truly warrants a berachah, then the Torah itself would have elevated them. It would have refined them spiritually and protected them from sinking to the point of committing those terrible aveirot. The Bach, in siman מז in Orach Chaim, explains the matter with great depth. Hashem's intention in commanding us to delve into Torah study is that our neshamot should become one with Him in this world. The Torah contains within it the kedushah of the One who created it. When we learn Torah with the proper intention, we become a place where Hashem can rest His Shechinah. Hashem desires to be down here with us, as close as possible. It is up to us to make ourselves into a vessel that can receive His Presence. That vessel is formed specifically through deep, sincere engagement with the holy words of Torah. But in the generation of the First Beit HaMikdash, Torah was being learned for other reasons. Some learned because it was enjoyable. Some learned only to know the halachot they needed. Some learned to demonstrate their intellectual ability. But they were not learning in order to absorb the kedushah of Hashem, to become a מקום להשראת השכינה , a place where the Shechinah could rest. Without that inner מקום , the connection to HaKadosh Baruch Hu weakened. And if there is no inner dwelling place for Hashem within the people, there is no reason for a physical dwelling place to remain standing either. The Bach concludes that when a person prepares to learn Torah and recites Birkat HaTorah, he should have in mind deep gratitude: that Hashem chose us to share His holy Torah with , and that through it He enables us to attach ourselves to Him. How fortunate we are that Hashem wants to be close to us. Because we are physical beings, it is difficult to attach ourselves to the spiritual. So Hashem gave us the Torah, which is spiritual, and through it we ourselves become elevated and spiritual, capable of clinging to Him. The deeper we immerse ourselves in Torah, the more kedushah it brings into us. But only if it is learned with the right intentions. When a person is truly connected to Hashem, he gains tremendous strength. He can overcome the tests that the yetzer hara places before him. The spiritual light of Torah provides the energy, motivation, and excitement to live a life of Torah and mitzvot. On Asarah B'Tevet, we are fasting not only for a siege that took place long ago, but for the loss of that inner connection. We are reminded that the Beit HaMikdash was destroyed not because Torah was absent, but because Torah was no longer serving its true purpose. Let us appreciate the gift of Torah and learn it as much as we can, with the intention of drawing closer to Hashem through it, and making ourselves worthy vessels for His Presence once again.

If a man is betrayed by someone he trusted, the pain can be overwhelming. Imagine he is told about a great business opportunity, and with complete trust he invests most of his life savings. Later, he discovers that it was all a lie. He was cheated. The money is gone, with no way to recover it. Beyond the financial loss, the deeper pain sets in. How could such injustice take place? It seems as if the thieves live happily ever after, while the innocent, unassuming person is left to suffer for nothing. But we know this is never the full story. Hashem is always in charge. No one can take a single dollar from a person unless it was meant for him to lose it, and no one can keep a dollar unless it was meant for him to have it. Hashem is the perfect Judge. No one ever gets away with anything in this world. It may look like evil prospers, but that appearance itself is part of the test. Every single action a person does is accounted for. Nothing slips through the cracks. When Titus HaRasha stabbed the parochet at the time of the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash and blood appeared to flow from it, he believed he had overpowered Hashem. It looked like evil had triumphed. But in the end, Hashem sent the smallest creature—a gnat—to eat away at Titus's brain until he died. Justice was exact, measured, and unavoidable. The Mitzrim seemed to have their way with the Jewish people in Mitzrayim for generations. It appeared as if cruelty and oppression ruled unchecked. Yet when the time for retribution came, every Mitzri received exactly what he deserved. Even those who drowned in the Yam Suf did not all die the same way. Some sank like lead, some like stone, and some like straw. Each death was calibrated precisely according to what that person deserved. Hashem's justice is exact down to the smallest detail. Every single thing that happens to a person, every minute of the day, is calculated with perfect precision based on his deeds. It is almost never obvious that something is happening because of what a person did. We label events as "natural," but those who understand know there is nothing natural about life. Everything is Hashem. The Yerushalmi relates that one Leil Shabbat, Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa was eating his Shabbat seudah when suddenly his table collapsed. He did not ask if a screw was loose or if the wood had weakened. Instead, he asked his Rebbetzin what might have caused this spiritually. She then remembered that she had borrowed spices from a neighbor and forgot to take off ma'aser. Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa immediately did what was necessary according to halacha to rectify it, and the table fixed itself on the spot. He knew that even if there was a physical reason, that was never the true cause. The cause was always Hashem. When Yosef's brothers were treated harshly by the viceroy of Mitzrayim, they did not say, "Look at this antisemitism." They said, "We are guilty because of what we did to Yosef." They understood that a viceroy has no power of his own. It was Hashem giving them kaparah. And notice how exact that kaparah was. Shimon, who wanted Yosef killed, was the only brother taken to prison. Levi, who was next in suggesting harm, was the one who found his money in his sack and had to endure additional agony. Yehudah, who suggested selling Yosef, suffered the torment of thinking Binyamin would not return and that he would be held responsible. Every detail was measured. Hashem is exacting. It may take days, months, or even years, but everyone always gets exactly what he deserves. Sometimes events happen to correct something from a previous lifetime. We don't know the calculations, but we know they are perfect. Hashem arranges everything so we can fulfill our mission in this world and live eternally with true bliss. The Shomer Emunim teaches that when something happens that appears to be a kaparah, a person should tell Hashem that he accepts it fully and knows he deserves it. That avodah elevates a person tremendously and can spare him from additional yesurim. We never need to worry about what others do or whether they are getting away with anything. That is Hashem's department—and He is the most righteous and perfect Judge.

When the Chashmonaim entered the Beit HaMikdash, they had every reason to despair. It was in shambles, and it seemed like all of the oil had already been defiled. And then, one moment of extra effort changed history. They discovered one jug of pure oil. That single moment of discovery brought about eight days of light, which in turn produced thousands of years of spiritual illumination for Am Yisrael. Furthermore, they knew they had only enough oil for one day. They could have easily said, what is the point? Anyway, they were going to be without oil for another seven days until they produced more pure oil. However, they understood the value of every effort when it comes to mitzvot. We never say, why bother? Every bit of effort is precious to Hashem. When a person acts l'shem shamayim, Hashem generally blesses his efforts, allowing them to reach far beyond anything he could have imagined. A man whom we will call Joe told me that six years ago, when he was about sixty, his job forced him to relocate to a new city. He had lived his entire life completely devoid of Torah and mitzvot. But with hashgachah pratit, the new city he moved to had a large population of religious Jews. One morning, everything seemed to be going wrong, and he felt he needed to clear his head, so he went out for a bike ride. After riding four miles, a large, magnificent building caught his eye — a recently built shul. He felt it might make him feel better to go inside, so he walked in and decided to sit for a while. When he entered, he saw a minyan in progress and sat quietly in the back, wearing shorts and a T-shirt, simply observing the tefillah. His attire and the fact that he was an out-of-towner drew some attention, but most people continued naturally with their tefillah. Afterward, one man approached him with a warm smile and said hello. He then asked Joe if he would like to put on tefillin. At first, Joe resisted, but then he accepted. It was the first time he had put on tefillin since his bar mitzvah nearly fifty years earlier. He described feeling something incredibly powerful — indescribable — and he began to cry. The man then asked him if he would return the next day to put on tefillin again, and Joe agreed. Without telling him, the man went and purchased a pair of tefillin for Joe. Joe came back the next day, put them on, and once again felt uplifted. The man then introduced him to a website, itorah.com , where thousands of shiurim are available for people on all levels. Joe thanked him and said he would listen. A few weeks later, that same man saw Joe riding his bicycle, this time wearing a kippah and listening to a Torah class. It was an astonishing sight — someone who had never lived a religious life was now proudly wearing a kippah in public. Since then, Joe has learned and completed five masechtot of Gemara, and today he learns every morning for about three hours in a local yeshivah. His wife also became religious, and he says he has never been happier. He now recognizes how much his neshamah was starving for Torah and mitzvot. He sees clearly how the hashgachah of Hashem guided every step: the forced relocation to a religious city, the difficult morning that led him to ride his bike, the inexplicable pull to enter a shul despite his attire, and finally, the one individual who made a small extra effort to say hello and invite him to put on tefillin. He often wonders how different his life would have been without that moment. A little extra effort goes a very long way, especially when we are acting l'shem shamayim.

We continue learning in Likutei Moharan Torah 40 at TheFamilyMinyan.com aka Shtiebel, Rebbe Nachman helps us fix our Emuna with Journeys of Daas. Fixing Our Bital Torah with true Knowledge, knowing Hashem through Torah & Deep Life Experiences. Praying daily with the mindset of Abundance mamesh... etc... Cover Photo is The Place of Daas, the Destination, my third son MDG facing the place of the Beit Hamikdash bkorov mamesh....Join our Chanukah Tour @unityconcertfl

Custom Mary I wish I had a dollar for every time I've heard someone say, "It's just man's tradition. It's just a custom." At its worst misunderstanding, the tradition or custom is seen adversarial to Torah obedience and as evil. As a simply uninformed understanding, it's a lack of research or direction into how Yeshua taught and lived customs and traditions...of men.   For instance, the letter of the Torah does not say to go to a synagogue every Shabbat. But how should one "hear" the Word, which is a commandment? Synagogues were an answer to that question. The Torah was read every Shabbat, so Scripture tells us that Yeshua went to synagogue every Shabbat:   • And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. (Lk 4:16)   Yeshua wouldn't do something evil, so this was a good custom even if the Torah does not say, "Thou shalt enter the synagogue every Sabbath." How to differentiate among the direct mitzvah (commandment), the custom or tradition that helps one to do the mitzvah, and an outright tare? The answer comes from knowing that the Word is the seed from which we grow fruit and that the heart's intent is a vital indicator of the fruit grown from it. My offer to help with a Biblically sound way to look at customs and traditions for believers was to write the booklet: Truth, Tradition, or Tare: Growing in the Word.   This brings us back to our topic of hospitality over the last several weeks. Hospitality is how we invite the very Presence of Adonai into our homes, towns, and gatherings. In the following account of hospitality, the hostess is a woman named Martha, and she had a sister named Mary (Miriam). Custom dictated that a host or hostess like Abraham and Sarah provide a safe refuge, water for washing, and food and drink for their guests. It was customary. Traditional. Martha busied herself providing these customary things for Yeshua and his disciples, but Mary was more, well, I'm going to say it...not Custom Mary:   • Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” (Lk 10:38-42)   Martha was missing something in her hospitality, just as we can miss it in any custom or tradition we practice: why do we do it? To strengthen our relationship to the Holy One and His Word? Or to earn righteousness or the esteem of others through our own efforts?   Yeshua gently pointed out to Martha the important aspect of customary hospitality: it is to strengthen the relationship between the ministry of the Word and the recipients of the Word. To make it come alive. In this case, the Word was literally alive in Martha's home!   In fact, Yeshua would have greeted the home with peace when he entered, just as he instructed his disciples to do. Instead of receiving the peace, Martha remained in a state of worry and bother. She did not receive the blessing. Mary, however, was eating and drinking it in, getting to know what the Living Word should be in her life. The custom of hospitality is to enable Kingdom ministry, to provide a temporary little Temple sanctuary for the minister.   Martha was not wrong if she wanted to continue preparing food to serve the disciples, but she was wrong if it became contentious and destroyed the very relationships she should be strengthening with other believers. Yeshua was well able to perform a miracle of bread, oil, wine, fish, or any other meal she was serving. He'd certainly done it for others who offered what little they had, and so had Elijah. And I'm sure he was prepared to wait if her meal took longer. After all, he was there to grace her with his Presence, not to grade or promote her on culinary skills. He wanted her to drink him in!   To Martha, however, the customary, traditional way a woman of the First Century was viewed as valuable was in her domestic skills. To Yeshua, his custom was to invite all to sit and learn at his feet. Male, female, Jew, non-Jew, slave, free...all could learn and grow in the ministry of the Word. It was the better part of hospitality. It didn't negate the need to feed and house the visiting ministers, the other part, but it was the better part of the whole equation. Perhaps, Yeshua is saying, the point of the serving is forging peace with people and Heaven. Hospitality is the designated vehicle for it.   Yeshua didn't pick Martha's home so she could become righteous through serving; he picked her because she believed in him; she already was righteous. She just needed some extra training like he had to correct his other disciples on things like fighting over higher positions, water-walking, and poor demon management.   A righteous guest seeks a righteous home for hospitality, and he/she has the authority to bless that sanctuary home with peace:   • “Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support. And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay at his house until you leave that city. As you enter the house, give it your greeting. If the house* is worthy, give it your blessing of peace. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace. Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet.” (Mt 10:9-15)      *”The House” is a euphemism for The Temple    Yeshua clarified hospitality: it is receiving by 1) providing refuge, food and drink, and water for washing as well as 2) receiving his Word. Yeshua had to remind Martha to receive the Word, too. The heart of the Temple was in the hidden place of the ark, the Word of the Torah emplaced between the two cheruvim where the Voice would speak. Out loud.   Hospitality is how the average person enters the holy Sanctuary to experience the Voice and Presence of Adonai through His designated ministers of the Word.   • “You shall keep My sabbaths and revere My sanctuary; I am the LORD.” (Le 19:30)   What did First Century Jews understand about this commandment? And why did Yeshua instruct his disciples so specifically about hospitality as they ministered in his name and authority?   Rashi explains it in his comments to Vayikra (Leviticus) 19:30:   • “'And revere my Sanctuary.' He should not enter the grounds of the Temple neither with his staff, nor with shoes on his feet, nor with his moneybelt, nor with the dust that is on his feet, i.e., he should not enter with dirty feet. And although I enjoin you to have reverence with regard to the Beit HaMikdash [Temple], nonetheless, ‘you shall observe my Sabbaths; the construction of the Beit HaMikdash does not override the Sabbath.”    Contextually, Rashi's point is that Sabbath will occur in every place for all time, and so commandments specific to the Temple services will be overridden by commands specific to Shabbat. As Yeshua understood about the magificent Temple, it would not long endure. Instead, the righteous of the earth would have to function as little sanctuaries in the nations where they lived and were sent. He would continue to build the Temple through them and to send the Presence, the Ruach HaKodesh.   In practice, Yeshua sent his disciples to continue his work; in order to do that work, they would need holy homes to provide Temple hospitality. For this, the home would need to be a “worthy” one. The family would need to conduct its daily life toward the preservation of holiness of Shabbat.    Such a family was fit for Kingdom ministers, and those minister-guests were obligated to treat it with the same courtesies as they would enter the Temple itself. Yeshua's requirements were identical to the customary Temple protocols for entry. A home that provided water to wash the feet was a prepared holy temple. As the repentant sinful woman washed Yeshua's feet with her tears, receiving his forgiveness, so a righteous home signaled receiving the guest with physical water as well as receiving the Word of shalom he or she brought to the house...and House.   The reverence of Shabbat is linked to entering the Temple itself, placing that home in a very high spiritual status, worthy of blessing for its hospitality.   The disciples would bless the homes of Custom Marys the same as they would proclaim blessings in the Temple, for the host was standing in to bless them as the priests would bless the tribes coming up to worship, and all, even those "night watcher" servants of exile from among the nations, offered blessings to YHVH.

Why the mizbeach of the second Beit Hamikdash had to be expanded beyond the measurements of the first Beit Hamikdash

Why the Beit Hamikdash was placed in the territory of both Binyamin and Yehuda

The southeast corner of the altar didn't have a base - but what does that mean? Was there no physical base or does it mean that the base there couldn't be used for the blood? Perhaps it's because of the divide in the property in the portions of Yehudah and Binyamin - where the sacrifice had to be done in Yehudah's portion. Also, the selection of David and Samuel of the place on the hill upon which the Temple would be built - as among the highest places around, "between the shoulders."

What do kohanim wear on their feet while performing the service of the Beit Hamikdash? What about visitors (non-kohanim)?

Was the kiyor a holy vessel in the Beit Hamikdash or did it have a different status?

The deeper implications and purpose of the kohanim washing their hands and feet before the daily service in the Beit Hamikdash

The garments are a symbol of serving Hashem and the Beit Hamikdash

On the anointing of kings... and the anointed kohen - how was the anointing done? A crown and a letter X (in Greek, however). Also, good omens, including when/where to schedule the coronation of a king - in this case, specifically, King Solomon. Including discussion of the idea of using omens to begin with - is this akin to the prohibited divination or simply symbolic wishes or prayers? Plus, the special foods that are symbolic for the new year - eaten on Rosh Hashanah. Also, more on the way the anointed kohen would function, and then including the kohen anointed in battle (not to be confused with the regular kohen gadol in the Beit HaMikdash in peacetime). Plus, another 2 new mishnayot! On how the kohen offers the karbanot when he's in mourning, without eating from them, and followed by the common practice taking precedence -- where both the halakhic principle and the example of it are included in the mishnah.

KI TITZEI A Peaceful Life For The Traitors | STUMP THE RABBI (245) https://youtu.be/4YRpIB6iu5YWe all desire a peaceful life, with pleasure and conform. Yet each year we read Parashat Ki Titzei that speaks of war aging enemies, war against the satan. But if you're already frum and did teshuva so you don't want war? All too often we see the satan using his ultimate trap to capture religious jews without them even knowing it. In fact, if you told them that they destroyed and are destroying the Beit Hamikdash, they'd look at you with enough confusion to make the situation sadder than it already is. What is this trap? Today we discuss peace and war and you can decide which side you are on. At least while you acknowledge the satan's presence. This will be followed by questions form the live audience around the world. Learn, Share, Enjoy and Be Holy.

Chazal teach us that the Beit HaMikdash was destroyed because of Sinat Chinam—baseless hatred. And our Rabbis have explained that, in truth, almost all hatred is baseless , because we know that whatever another person does to us is ultimately coming directly from Hashem. Even though people have free will, person A cannot use that free will to harm person B unless Hashem allows it—and that only happens if it's meant to be. If someone is able to cause us pain, it's only because Hashem decreed it for our benefit. It may have saved us from something far worse. Instead of resentment, we should feel joy that Hashem is taking care of us in the way He knows is best. When we overcome our natural reactions and respond with emunah, our relationships become more peaceful and loving. That inner peace brings happiness—but more than that, it is Avodat Hashem of the highest level, and it opens the gates of blessing. Chazal say, "The only vessel that can hold blessing is peace." A person can have a spouse, children, multiple homes, cars, and all the wealth in the world—but if there is no peace, none of it can be enjoyed. It's worthless. One of the greatest pieces of advice for someone who wants more happiness and more blessing in life is to make peace with those they are at odds with. A man told me a story that began about ten years ago. His father had a bitter falling-out with a longtime business partner, and the partnership ended with deep resentment. The partner left, and the father continued running the business with his son. But after the split, the company began to struggle. The atmosphere at work became heavy, and nothing was going right. There was tension everywhere. Seven years later, out of nowhere, the former partner walked back in and asked for a job. Surprisingly, they agreed—and gave him a high-level position. From that day on, the business began to grow and flourish. Today, it's more successful than it ever was. The son couldn't understand how this man just showed up again. When he asked his father, the answer became clear: "That machloket was bothering me for years," his father said. "One day I decided to call him, apologize, and make peace. I felt such relief afterward, and I guess he felt comfortable enough to return and ask for a job." There's no doubt: the success came from the act of shalom. When peace is made, everyone feels better—and even more importantly, we bring tremendous nachat ruach to Hashem, who wants nothing more than to see His children getting along. People may hurt us, but it's our job to fulfill Hashem's will and love them anyway. It's not always easy. But with a little chizuk, we can do it. A woman shared with me that she and her husband weren't invited to a certain wedding. They knew the reason and were okay with it. But on the day of the wedding, they kept getting phone calls from others: "What time are you going?" "Want me to save you a seat at the reception?" "Are you bringing the kids?"—all assuming they were invited. Each call felt like another dagger. By the time the wedding started, they were fuming. The woman wanted to forgive, but it felt too painful. The very next morning, she opened a daily email on emunah that she hadn't opened in over a week. The title? "When You Aren't Invited to a Wedding." She couldn't believe it. She read it again and again until the message sank in. It reminded her that everything comes from Hashem—that even this was tailor-made for her benefit. With that perspective, she found the strength to truly forgive. And afterward? She felt so free. Holding on to anger and hurt only poisons us. But when we let go, when we forgive—even when it's hard—and believe that everything is from Hashem, we feel lighter, more joyful, and we open our lives to blessing. If we can do that, B'ezrat Hashem we'll merit the rebuilding of the Beit HaMikdash. Amen.

Torah Class - Beit Hamikdash: Everyone Is Talking About Destruction—But Who Is Talking About Construction?What is the Rebbe's proposal for the national days of mourning?

For a 10% discount on Rabbi David Ashear's new book LIVING EMUNAH VOL 8 click the link below https://www.artscroll.com/Books/9781422644645.html The Chafetz Chaim writes that in the entire narrative of Bilam attempting to curse the Jewish people, there are no paragraph breaks—no פ or ס —in the Torah. This is because the danger was so severe, the Torah did not want to pause until the threat had passed. Balak and Bilam stood on a mountaintop with the potential to cause immense destruction, and meanwhile, the Jewish people were completely unaware of the danger surrounding them. But Hashem, as always, the שומר ישראל , was watching over His nation. He did not allow any harm to come to us. From the words Hashem placed in the donkey's mouth, and later in Bilam's own mouth, we see what Hashem found so impressive about Am Yisrael. The donkey referred to the שלש רגלים , and Rashi explains that Hashem was saying to Bilam: this is a nation that travels three times a year to Yerushalayim for the שלש רגלים —you will not be able to harm them. The Jewish people would leave their homes and land open and vulnerable, trusting completely in Hashem's promise that no one would invade while they were away celebrating at the Beit HaMikdash. That kind of אמונה is a shield no curse can penetrate. Bilam then says: מי מנה עפר יעקב How many mitzvot do the Jewish people perform even with the simple dust of the earth? מה טובו אהליך יעקב משכנותיך ישראל How beautiful are our shuls and batei midrash, filled with Jews praying and learning. עם כלביא יקום We are a nation that rises like a lion in the morning to grab mitzvot(Tzitzit, Tefillin, and Shema) with passion and strength. We didn't even know the danger we were in, and therefore we couldn't pray to Hashem to save us. But Hashem, who loves us infinitely, provides us with constant opportunities to earn זכויות , which He uses to protect us exactly when we need them most. As Rabbi Chananya ben Akashya teaches: רצה הקדוש ברוך הוא לזכות את ישראל, לפיכך הרבה להם תורה ומצוות Hashem wanted to give us many merits, so He gave us many mitzvot. The pasuk says: לב מלך ביד ה׳ It is no coincidence that the recent war was named " עם כלביא יקום ." Those very words came from Hashem's mouth through Bilam and now once again through the Prime Minister. They describe a nation full of spiritual power, rising early to do mitzvot—and that is our true strength. Despite the immense danger we faced—those missiles had the potential to kill thousands—Hashem once again, the שומר ישראל , stood guard over His people. Since the horrors of October 7th, we have witnessed an awakening across Am Yisrael. So many people who didn't even know the words " שמע ישראל " are now full ba'alei emunah , looking to grow in Torah and mitzvot. This renewed devotion gives us tremendous זכות , and it makes Hashem so proud of His people. We've seen the downfall of our enemies this year. We know that we are in the end of days and we await the גאולה שלמה . But we are not there yet. We are still in galut, and we are still without the Beit HaMikdash. Now begins the period of בין המצרים , the three weeks between שבעה עשר בתמוז and תשעה באב . We pray that this year תשעה באב will be a day of joy and celebration, but there is still work to be done. The pasuk says: וישא בלעם את עיניו וירא את ישראל שוכן לשבטיו ותהי עליו רוח אלוקים Bilam wanted to recall the sins of the Jewish people, such as the חטא העגל , to bring about their destruction. But what he saw instead was unity—Israel dwelling peacefully, each tribe in its proper place—and that unity brought down the שכינה , causing Hashem to transform his curses into blessings. The Midrash teaches that even if we, Heaven forbid, engage in עבודה זרה , as long as there is peace among us, no harm will befall us. That is the power of unity. Now more than ever, it is incumbent upon us to repair divisions. This is the time of year to go above and beyond to make peace, to apologize, to be more tolerant, and to bring love and unity to Am Yisrael. May these days of mourning soon be transformed into days of rejoicing. אמן .

BH A special series to bring Moshiach Now in the 3 weeks. Today's lesson: Build it in your heart!

For a 10% discount on Rabbi David Ashear's new book LIVING EMUNAH VOL 8 click the link below https://www.artscroll.com/ Books/9781422644645.html People sometimes see others giving millions to tzedakah and wonder why they don't have the same zechut to give such large amounts. Others see children with exceptional middot and ask themselves, "Why do they have such great children, while ours are so difficult?" Some struggle to grasp even the basics of Torah learning, while others seem to understand the most complex sugyot effortlessly. It's natural to wonder why Hashem didn't give everyone equal opportunity, especially when the purpose of this world is to serve Him. In Parashat Chukat, we read how the Jewish people complained when they had no water. The pasuk says: " וירב העם עם משה ויאמרו לאמר ולו גוענו בגוע אחינו לפני ה '" They quarreled with Moshe and said they wished they had died like the rest of the people in the desert. They asked why he brought them out of Egypt just to die in a wasteland. This happened almost 40 years after they left Egypt—this was the new generation that was supposed to enter Eretz Yisrael—and yet they were speaking just like their parents had. Moshe could have thought that everything he had done over the past 40 years was for nothing. He had worked so hard to prepare this nation to be Am Hashem and build the Beit HaMikdash, and now it seemed like nothing had changed. But as Rav Shimshon Raphael Hirsch explains, a person is not judged by results—because results are in Hashem's hands. A person's greatness is measured by effort and pure intentions. We don't know Hashem's calculations. We don't know why things turn out one way for one person and another way for someone else. But we do know we are sent here with a mission—to act the way Hashem wants us to act, regardless of the outcome. Some people appear to succeed in life with very little effort, while others see little success despite their hardest work. A person who has a brilliant mind and understands the Gemara instantly, yet doesn't review or put in much effort, receives little reward for that understanding—it was a gift from Hashem. On the other hand, someone who works tirelessly to understand even a little, even if he never reaches the same level, will be rewarded far more for his toil. Parents who are blessed with children who naturally have strong middot and a love for Torah, yet do little to raise them that way, will not receive nearly the same reward as parents who devote hours upon hours to raising children with learning disabilities or challenging personalities—even if those children struggle. Hashem rewards effort , not results. A person struggling to make ends meet might earn more reward for a small donation than a wealthy person who gives large amounts easily. It's all relative. What matters is how hard it was to give, not how much was given. A rebbe who teaches day after day and sees no apparent nachat from his students is not a failure. Results are not in his hands. Effort is. Hashem pays us for our hishtadlut —our effort—not our outcome. Imagine if Rabbi Akiva had given up after losing his 24,000 students. The world would have missed some of the greatest sages who ever lived. But he didn't give up. He started again. He knew that his mission came from Hashem, and that the results were not the measure of his success. The Gemara tells us that after 120 years, a person will be asked: " עסקת בפריה ורביה ?" —Were you involved in trying to build a family? It doesn't say, "Did you succeed?" because that part is not up to us. We are also asked, " קבעת עתים לתורה ?" —Did you set times to learn? Not, "Did you master Torah?" Everyone truly does have equal opportunity—because everyone is judged by their effort, not their results. And effort is something that each of us can choose to give, every single day.

It is customary to read the first chapter of Yehezkel (Ezekiel) as the Haftarah on Shabuot, a section known as Ma'aseh Merkava – the vision of the Divine Chariot. This profound and mysterious prophecy was revealed to Yehezkel while in exile by the River Kevar in Babylon. Despite being in galut, the Shechina appeared to him, teaching us that Hashem's presence remains with us even outside the Land of Israel. The imagery in the Haftarah is highly symbolic: four-faced angels, wheels of fire, and a glowing chariot representing the heavenly realms. The four faces—human, lion, ox, and eagle—symbolize dominion over different realms of creation. Above them all sits the Divine presence, symbolizing Hashem's supremacy over all. According to the Zohar, the human face seen in the vision is that of Yaakov Avinu , whose spiritual greatness earned him a place under the Heavenly Throne. The Haftarah is read on Shabuot because the revelation at Sinai was similarly accompanied by clouds, lightning, and thunder. Just as Matan Torah revealed Hashem's glory, so too does this vision reflect a celestial dimension of His presence. Although the details are esoteric and not meant to be publicly expounded, practical lessons emerge: Angels are stationary – they do not grow spiritually. Their legs are straight and fixed, teaching us that only humans can elevate themselves spiritually through effort, Torah, and mitzvot. Shabuot is the perfect time to recommit to personal growth. Angels of judgment travel slowly , while angels of mercy travel instantly. From this, we learn to pause before reacting in anger or judgment , giving ourselves time to calm down and choose a better path. Acting with patience brings mercy into our decisions. The vision also hints that the Shechina was departing from the Beit HaMikdash, a symbolic warning that without spiritual substance, even a holy building becomes just bricks and stone. Despite the complexity of this Haftarah, the overarching message is clear: Hashem is with us in every generation, in every place—even in exile—and our mission is to grow, learn, and draw closer to Him through Torah .

David HaMelech tells us in Tehillim, וצדקתך ירננו , which the Sha'arei Chaim explains to mean that even when we face difficulties, we are meant to respond by singing to Hashem. How is that possible? The pesukim before reveal the secret: דור לדור ישבח מעשיך —each generation should relate to the next the chesed they have seen from Hashem in their lives. ודברי נפלאותיך אשיחה —David HaMelech would constantly speak, even in everyday conversation, about the wonders of Hashem. וגדולתך אספרנה —he would speak of the endless greatness and kindness Hashem bestows upon the world. זכר רב טובך יביעו —our mouths should overflow with praise for Hashem's goodness like a spring that never runs dry. If a person constantly talks about Hashem's kindness, then when something happens that appears negative, it won't shake him. He'll already be fortified with the understanding that Hashem only does good. The Midrash says that from the day Hashem created the world, no one sang shirah until Bnei Yisrael sang אז ישיר at Keri'at Yam Suf. The Sfat Emet asks: we know Adam HaRishon sang shirah— מזמור שיר ליום השבת —as did others. What does it mean that no one sang until Az Yashir? He explains that until that moment, people only sang about the salvation after it came. But at Yam Suf, Bnei Yisrael reached a higher level—they sang about the difficulties too, because they saw that even the hardships were part of Hashem's goodness. אמר אויב ארדף אשיג —they sang about Pharaoh chasing them. מי כמוך באלים ה׳ —they declared; Who is like You among the mighty, Hashem? Chazal explain on this phrase: מי כמוך באלמים ה׳ —Who is like You, Hashem, who remains silent when the worst seems to be happening? How could Hashem be silent when the enemy entered the Beit HaMikdash to destroy it? When Titus HaRasha stabbed the parochet and blood came pouring out? When the resha'im tormented His beloved people in Mitzrayim and, centuries later, in Nazi Germany? At Yam Suf, Bnei Yisrael understood the greatness of Hashem: that He could remain silent because only He saw the ultimate good in every moment. Even the most painful events, seemingly caused by human actions, were all orchestrated by Hashem for our benefit. In the Haggadah, we say: לבן ביקש לעקור את הכל -וירד מצרימה . The mefarshim ask, what's the connection between Lavan wanting to destroy Yaakov and the descent to Mitzrayim? They explain that Lavan's switching of Rachel for Leah led to the shevatim being born from different mothers. Rachel, being the more beloved wife, caused the brothers to feel resentment toward her son, Yosef. That led to Yosef being sold—and eventually to the entire family descending to Egypt. This wasn't really Lavan's doing. Hashem had planned it from the time He told Avraham Avinu that his children would be strangers in a land not their own. Nothing is random. People are not in control—only Hashem is. And He does everything for our good. The more we speak about His hashgachah, His chesed, and His love for us, the more these truths will sink into our hearts. Then, when difficulties arise, we'll have the strength to sing even through the pain. In the future, Hashem will reveal to us all the good behind every event. But if we can trust Him now—before the light shines through—and sing in the darkness, we will reach the highest spiritual levels.

One who discovers that he is impure after entering the Beit HaMikdash needs to depart as quickly and/or directly as possible. But what if he used the shortest route, but took a long time to walk it (or a long route quickly)? Also, one who enters a home that is impure because of tzara'at, that same person stays pure - if he walks in differently from normal. Plus, the kohen's check of the house for tzara'at. Also, the positive mitzvah that is included in the sum total for which one is not liable.

Parashat Acharei Mot begins by telling us that Hashem spoke to Moshe after the tragic deaths of Nadav and Avihu, who died while attempting to draw closer to Hashem. Though their death was a colossal tragedy, the Torah teaches us how to view it—and more broadly, how to understand when tragedy befalls righteous individuals especially when they are engaged in holy pursuits. At that time, the Jewish people were yearning for the Shechina to dwell in the Mishkan they had built. After the sin of the Egel , they were unsure whether Hashem would rest His presence among them. On the day of the inauguration, Aharon offered multiple korbanot as instructed, but still, the Shechina did not descend. Only after Moshe and Aharon entered the Ohel Mo'ed to pray did a heavenly fire come down and consume the offerings. The people rejoiced—Hashem had forgiven them and chosen to dwell among them. In their deep yearning and love for Hashem, Nadav and Avihu brought the Ketoret on their own initiative. Then, the unimaginable happened: another fire came down and consumed them. Everyone was in shock. Was this a sign of Hashem's anger? Did it mean the forgiveness was rescinded? Moshe then told Aharon that Hashem had previously said He would be sanctified through the deaths of great people—and Nadav and Avihu were those chosen Tzaddikim. The Torah testifies that when Aharon heard this, " וידם אהרן "—he remained silent , accepting Hashem's will without protest. As a reward for his profound emunah and submission, Hashem then spoke directly to him. What appeared to be divine punishment was, in fact, a great Kiddush Hashem . The Or HaChayim explains that Nadav and Avihu became so spiritually elevated that their souls desired only closeness to Hashem and no longer wished to remain in the physical world. Today, we lack prophets to explain tragedies, but we have the Torah—eternal and unchanging—to guide us in how to view them. Our greatest strength lies in trusting Hashem and using pain as a catalyst for growth. We are reminded that this world is temporary, and every moment here is an opportunity to serve and connect with our Creator. The Rashbam writes that the greatest Kiddush Hashem on that day was not the death of the tzadikim , but Aharon's silent acceptance. Seeing his beloved sons die before him, he continued to serve Hashem with unwavering devotion. That act sanctified the Mishkan more than any offering brought that day. When a person accepts Hashem's judgment with love, he elevates not only himself but also the space around him. Such acceptance carries a powerful spiritual energy, capable of invoking blessing and even salvation. The sanctity of Har HaBayit , where the Beit HaMikdash would one day stand, was similarly established through Avraham Avinu's loving acceptance of Hashem's will. When commanded to offer Yitzchak as a korban, despite the contradiction to Hashem's earlier promise that his future offspring would come through Yitzchak, Avraham did not question. The Targum Yonatan on the passuk יראה ויקרא שם המקום ה ' explains that Avraham prayed not to harbor any complaints, fully submitting himself to Hashem's will. His wholehearted obedience imbued the mountain with eternal holiness. Just as the Mishkan was sanctified through Aharon's faith, and the Beit HaMikdash through Avraham's, so too can we infuse holiness into our lives and surroundings by accepting Hashem's decrees with love and trust. Whenever a person accepts the will of Hashem with love, although it's difficult, he elevates himself and the place around him. Our job is to trust Hashem and always continue growing in our Avodah no matter what happens.

In the Haggadah, the Pasuk V'nitz'ak el Hashem Elokei Avoteinu refers to the Jewish people crying out to Hashem in prayer, a moment that occurred following the death of the King of Egypt. Immediately after this, the Pasuk states, Vayishma Hashem Et Kolenu —"And Hashem heard their voices," leading to their redemption. What is the connection between the king's death and the Jewish people's cries to Hashem? The Rashbatz offers an explanation: for many years, the Jewish people had anticipated that the death of the harsh king would ease their suffering. However, when a new king arose and the oppression became even more severe, they recognized that their only hope lay in Hashem's salvation. It was at that moment of realizing that only Hashem could help them, that their prayers became earnest, and they were answered. This serves as a valuable lesson. Often, when people face challenges, they devise multiple plans in their minds to address the situation. Even as they pray, they may subconsciously rely on these plans, leading to less sincere prayers. It is crucial to recognize that no matter how many potential solutions seem available, without Hashem's intervention, none are truly meaningful. It's easy to beg Hashem for help when there are no other apparent options, but the true test comes when multiple avenues appear open to us. If, in such moments, we can pray with the same sincerity as though no alternatives exist, our prayers hold greater value. This reflects true emunah — the realization that Hashem alone controls our fate. The effort lies in the mind; we must internalize the belief that Hashem, and only Hashem, has ultimate authority over all things. A man named Jack shared an interesting story that illustrates this concept. Just before Rosh Hashanah, he received an unexpected request from his mother. She asked him to arrange for his father to be a sandak (the person who holds the baby during a Berit Milah) for a third time that year, as she had heard that performing certain actions in pairs could be a bad omen. (Note: although the Gemara suggests that performing actions in pairs might expose one to negative influences, contemporary halachic authorities no longer consider this a concern.) Jack found himself at a loss. Being chosen as a sandak is an extraordinary honor, one that is rarely given. Great Torah sages would travel great distances for the privilege of this mitzvah. Halachic authorities even rule that the sandak holds greater honor than the mohel or the father of the newborn, granting him precedence for an aliyah on the day of the Berit Milah. The Zohar HaKadosh compares the act of performing a Berit Milah to bringing a korban to Hashem, with the sandak's lap serving as the altar upon which the korban is offered. The Maharil draws a comparison between the sandak and the kohen offering the ketoret in the Beit HaMikdash, while the Migdal Oz advises striving to perform the mitzvah of being a sandak, even at great personal expense. Some even suggest that being a sandak can be a segulah for wealth. Understanding the rarity and importance of this honor, Jack realized that finding an opportunity for his father to serve as a sandak, especially on such short notice, would be incredibly difficult. After hanging up with his mother, Jack turned to Hashem in prayer, saying, "I don't know how to make this happen, but I know that only You can help me. Please grant me success." That evening, Jack attended a simcha where he was unexpectedly approached by an old acquaintance. This man asked Jack if he knew anyone who would be willing to serve as a sandak at a Berit Milah the next day for a Baal Teshuvah. Jack, astonished, immediately responded that his father would be honored to take the role. The next day, Jack drove his father to the Berit Milah, fulfilling his mother's request. This story illustrates the power of sincere prayer. While prayer is always effective, it is especially potent when we approach it with the understanding that only Hashem can grant our requests. Such prayer carries immense spiritual value. May we all strive to pray with full emunah, trusting completely in Hashem's control over our lives.

We begin the Seder with the Ha Lachma Anya , which speaks about the matzah and ends with the words, "Now we are still in Galut. We hope to be in Eretz Yisrael with the Beit HaMikdash before next year's Seder." Rabbi Ronen Sharabani gave a beautiful explanation in his new Haggada Me'afar Kumi about why we begin with this. Chazal tell us that the final ge'ula will take place in the month of Nisan. So, when the month begins, all of Klal Yisrael is hoping to be in Yerushalayim with the Korban Pesach by the night of the Seder. However, if Lel HaSeder arrives and once again Mashiach has not come, it could cause a person to enter the Seder with feelings of despair, thinking: "We've made this request of L'shanah Haba'ah B'Yerushalayim every year of our entire lives—and it still hasn't happened. What's going to give us chizuk to think that things will ever change?" For this, the Rabbis tell us to begin the Seder speaking about the matza. The Seforno writes on the pasuk describing Yosef Hatzaddik being rushed out of prison that this is the way of all salvations that Hashem brings—they come in an instant. Even when it looks like there's no hope in sight, things can suddenly change. And this is what happened in Mitzrayim. The pasuk says they were rushed out of Egypt without enough time for their dough to rise. Matza is the symbol of an instant salvation. And so it says about the future geula : פתאום יבוא אל היכלו —Mashiach is going to come suddenly. When we internalize that the salvations of Hashem come in an instant, we will never despair, because we know everything can change in a moment's notice. What we see today has nothing to do with tomorrow—and the same applies to the difficulties people are currently experiencing. No matter how long it's been, no matter how dismal it seems, salvation can always come in an instant. A woman told me she got married about twenty years ago and was looking forward to a joyful home filled with children. After seven long years of waiting for their miracle, they were blessed with a precious daughter who indeed filled their hearts with the joy they had hoped for. For years after that, they tried every possible method to have another child, but it wasn't working. They delved deeply into learning and practicing emunah , and then, with the advice of their rabbi, they decided to take a pause from all their efforts and instead focus on enjoying the life they had. Especially since they were making so many efforts, they risked attributing success or failure to their own actions rather than to Hashem. They spent a year focusing more on spirituality, adopting a healthier lifestyle, eating better, exercising regularly, and appreciating everything Hashem had already given them. Then they went back to the doctor to try another treatment. Everything was looking good. They were awaiting results from a certain test, and when the results came back positive, they were thrilled. Even the doctor was elated. He told them they needed to repeat the test two more times. The second time, the numbers were even better. But on the third test, the results took a turn the other way. After eight long years of waiting for their second child, it appeared that once again they were going to be let down. That night, they called a hotline for emunah , and amazingly, there was a story shared about a childless couple who had been told by their doctor that they would never have children. The husband went for a drive afterward to clear his mind, and when he returned home, he found that his wife had set the table with their finest china. She told him, "We're going to celebrate all we have, despite the sorrowful news." The next morning, at 5 a.m., they received a phone call from the fertility clinic saying it had been a mistake—and that she actually was going to have a child after all. This woman and her husband took that story as a direct message from Hashem. They picked themselves up and enjoyed that Shabbat more than ever. They sang with their 8-year-old miracle girl. They expressed gratitude and celebrated all the blessings that Hashem had given them. That Motzaei Shabbat , they went for another test, and amazingly, everything changed for the better. Baruch Hashem , that year, they were blessed with their second miracle baby. The salvations of Hashem always come in an instant. This is the chizuk we give ourselves at the beginning of the Seder, and this is something we must always keep in mind. B'ezrat Hashem , we should see the Geula Shelema and celebrate this holiday in Yerushalayim with the Korban Pesach. But even if that doesn't happen— even then —it doesn't mean the geula can't come a second later. Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach.

This month's learning is sponsored by Linda and Jay Marcus in honor of the recent birth of their granddaughter; and the anniversaries and birthdays of their children and grandchildren during Nissan. "בניסן נגאלו ובניסן עתידין להיגאל. May we merit to see the גאולה שלמה במהרה בימינו." Today's daf is sponsored by Lisa Kolodny in honor of Nancy Kolodny's birthday! "So happy you are spending more time in Israel this year, spreading your light, your wisdom and your love to all those around you."  There is a debate about whether Menashe received a portion in the World-to-Come. Rabbi Yochanan brings three drashot in the name of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, each relating to different kings of the Judean kingdom, highlighting how far God goes to allow repentance. He also brought another drasha relating to the disgrace of the Sanhedrin at the time of the Babylonian exile. Rav Chisda says in the name of Rabbi Yirmia bar Abba three statements - one relating to the bad actions of some of the Judean kings, one relating to types of people who are not worthy of receiving the Divine Presence, and one explaining the verses in Tehillim 91:11-13 about evil not coming upon a person. Why is the letter ayin in 'reshaim' suspended above the other letters in the verse in Iyov 38:15? A braita explains that Menashe, Achav, and Yeravam all learned Torah, highlighting that their sins were worse, as they clearly understood the Torah and sinned nevertheless, with full intent. Other braitot suggest that other kings lost their portion in the World-to-Come. Descriptions are brought about some of the bad kings and how their action led to the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash.