Into Uncharted Waters by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine The Jewish people were on the go. The long-awaited time of the Exodus had finally come. But, it couldn’t have been easy. The goal was to bring the Jewish people to a state of being a princely and G-dly people. This would be no small accomplishment. They had more »
Our Teacher Moshe by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine The dramatic moments leading up to the Exodus had arrived. Finally, the mighty Egyptian empire would be judged for its crimes. Suddenly, the Torah’s momentum in describing the events slows, and the Torah pauses to describe Moshe’s lineage. An entire section of verses is devoted to describing his more »
With a Twinkle in Your Eye by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine Perhaps the greatest gift that Yakov bequeathed to his family is the gift of group dynamics. In the quest to achieve greatness in Torah and mitzvos, Yakov’s expectation was that not everyone will excel in everything. Instead, as a team, we will partner to success. more »
Keep Your Eye on the Light by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine Perhaps the most famous question associated with the holiday of Chanukah is the question of the Beis Yosef: If the Jews found oil that would last for one day, and it lasted for eight days, then the miracle was only for seven days. Why do more »
The Message of the Dreidel by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine Chanukah is the celebration of Jewish continuity. The events that we commemorate took place while the Jews were in the Land of Israel, during the time of the Second Temple (c.165 BCE). The Syrian-Greeks outlawed mitzvah observance and threatened to destroy Judaism. It was through the more »
Unified in Diversity by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine Parshas Vayishlach begins with a description of how Yakov prepared for battle. The Torah relates that, as Esav approached him, Yakov was truly afraid that a major battle would erupt. Yakov divided the people that were with him into two camps, and said, “If Esav manages to be more »
Circular Reasoning by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine Esav was a remarkable personality. He was the son of Yitzchok and Rivkah, and the brother of Yakov. The medrash says that for the first 15 years of their lives both Yakov and Esav went to yeshiva. It was only after those first 15 years that Esav chose a more »
Watering the Eternal Ark by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine Noach built a Teiva and he used it well. For just over a year he, his family, and the animals of the world stayed on this Ark, and through it were protected from the flood. Once the Ark had served its purpose, however, it was discarded. Let more »
Great Discoveries by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine One of the most startling stories ever is the story that occurred just after creation, the story of mankind eating from the fruit of the forbidden tree. The Torah relates (Bireishis 2:25) that, before the sin, mankind saw nothing wrong with going unclothed. After the sin, man says, “I more »
The Mitzvah of Ambiance and Attitude by Rabbi Mordechai Rhine The mitzvah of Hakheil was that the Jewish people should gather every seventh year and listen to words of Torah read by the king. The Torah states: “Gather the people- men, women, and children- so they will hear and learn…” The Talmud wonders why the more »