רָאִ֙יתִי֙ אֶת־הַלַּ֔חַץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר מִצְרַ֖יִם לֹחֲצִ֥ים אֹתָֽם I have also seen the oppression that the Egyptians are oppressing them What you see by accident is not your fault. However, how you respond is your choice. You can choose not to take a second look and not to gaze intentionally for pleasure. So here’s a practical eitza. As soon as you…
אַֽעֲלֶ֣ה אֶתְכֶם֘ מֵֽעֳנִ֣י מִצְרַ֒יִם֒ אֶל־אֶ֤רֶץ – זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָֽשׁ I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to – a land flowing with milk and honey. The Steipler Gaon writes: “The holy sefarim, in the hope of holding back the potential sinner, have written at length that this sin [p’gam habris]…
הָ֥בָה נִתְחַכְּמָ֖ה ל֑וֹ Come, let us deal shrewdly with them The Jewish people were considered high-class in Mitzrayim from the days of Yosef. How did Pharaoh manipulate them into slavery? Our Sages tell us that Pharaoh began by offering rewards , slowly pulling them into his servitude more and more. In the same way, the Yetzer Hara…
וַיַּֽעֲבִ֧דוּ מִצְרַ֛יִם אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּפָֽרֶךְ And the Egyptians enslaved the children of Israel with back breaking labor. The greater the challenge, the more one’s potential is brought forth, the more kadosh one becomes, and the more benefit he ultimately receives. Rashi on Kiddushin 39b writes that there is no greater mitzvah than when one is challenged to sin with a d’var ervah (sexual…
Shovavim is an acronym for the six weekly Torah portions Shemot, Vaera, Bo, Beshelah, Yisro and Mishpatim. The word Shovavim alludes to the Pasuk in Yirmiya (3:14), “Shuvu Banim Shovavim” – “Return, wayward children”… The Arizal taught that these weeks are especially auspicious for doing Teshuvah in the area of Kedusha since these are the…
