Miracle Grow by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine Parshas Terumah is about the building of the Mishkan. It took a great deal of patience, talent, and devotion. But at the end, despite all the effort, the Mishkan couldn’t happen without a miracle. The Medrash tells us that Moshe couldn’t understand how mankind would be able to build more »
Do You Communicate? by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine The great revelation at Sinai was a most significant moment in the experience of communication. The event is described as an experience like “eating and drinking,” a real, live, enjoyable experience. Moshe, the leader of the people, achieved an even greater level of communication with G-d. “Mouth to more »
The Fiery Locomotive by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine The Parsha in which the Torah is given is called “Yisro,” after Yisro, the father in law of Moshe who comes to the Jews in this week’s Parsha. Yisro sees Moshe judging the people singlehandedly and suggests that Moshe delegate authority to his students. Moshe listens and the more »
Don’t be a Sore Winner by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine The Parsha begins by describing the first precious days of freedom as the Jewish people left Egypt. Just as they were beginning their journey, Pharoh had a change of heart, gathered his troops, and decided to give chase. Pharoh’s decision is confusing. Just days ago he more »
Do you have an exit plan? by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine The Jewish people were just about ready to go. After decades of slavery they were told that upon the next plague they would be set free. Suddenly, though, a mitzvah is given to them through Moshe. “Please tell the people that they should ask from more »
The Frog: Greater than Dovid, and The Birth of Perek Shirah by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine The plagues had finally begun. First it was blood, then it was frogs. G-d was finally bringing retribution on the Egyptians. Interestingly, the Midrash tells us regarding the frogs that they went literally everywhere. They even went into the ovens more »
The Jewish Home by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine The Parsha begins by reviewing the names of Yakov’s children who entered Egypt. One wonders: Why does the Torah need to repeat their names? Anyone who has been studying Torah until now hasn’t forgotten the names of Yakov’s children. Even more troubling is the order in which the more »
Torah of Life by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine There were 39 categories of work needed to fashion the Mishkan. These same 39 categories of work are prohibited on Shabbos. The commentaries explain that the Mishkan was a Home created by mankind to invite G-d into our lives. The acts needed to create the Mishkan paralleled the more »
The Missing Names by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine One of the noteworthy facts about this week’s Parsha is that it does not contain the name of our teacher, Moshe. From the beginning of Shemos when Moshe was born until the book of Devorim (where Moshe reviews the Torah,) there is no other Parsha with this unusual more »
Morning After Failure by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine Parshas Terumah describes the building of the Mishkan, the Sanctuary that the Jews built in the desert. Building the Sanctuary was monumental. But what makes it really special is that the Mishkan was built shortly after the incident of the golden calf. When Moshe ascended the mountain to more »