When faced with a tragic loss, especially of someone or something that we had grown to depend on, it’s natural to think “What’s going to be? How will life go on?” There’s a loss of security, a deep sense of loneliness. G-d says, “You are my children. I am your Father. The one who is closest to you is still here and He’s not going anywhere.” What a comforting thought! But it doesn’t end there. If you really think about what this means you can live life as a different person. Life with the All Powerful at your side, with you through EVERY challenge, is a life infused with the strength of the Divine; where there are no limits (Based on Nesivos Shalom & Seforno Deut 14:1)

Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Mordechai Dixler
Program Director, Project Genesis/Torah.org

Rabbi Pinchas Winston, author of our weekly Perceptions on the Parsha, has written a booklet called Geulah B’Rachamim, Redemption with Mercy. It contains 60 short yet powerful daily lessons, helping Jewish readers to yearn for redemption. Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of an anonymous supporter, he is offering this work to all Torah.org subscribers and visitors for only the cost of shipping and handling.

Please go to the order page to get your free copy!

May we soon merit to see the final redemption, which Rabbi Winston’s work will help us to keep in our daily thoughts and sincere prayers.

Good Shabbos!
Rabbi Yaakov Menken
Director, Project Genesis – Torah.org

One can never master the wisdom of the the Torah — not even close. Yes, it’s a humbling thought, and it might seem a bit discouraging. Then again, to me at least, it’s actually exciting and empowering. Where else can you be assured that you will constantly uncover greater and greater gems of wisdom? What other investment of time and energy has absolute guaranteed returns — for eternity! Every gem that’s uncovered, reveals another peaking from beneath the surface. Such is the journey into the mind of the A-lmighty, as it were. As the Sages say, “If one says they toiled in the study of Torah and did not find new wisdom, don’t believe them!”

We’re in the midst of the “Three Weeks” period of mourning leading up to the Ninth of Av. Have a look at our articles and listen to our audio to prepare yourself for this tragic period on the Jewish calendar.

Good Shabbos,

Rabbi Mordechai Dixler
Program Director, Project Genesis / Torah.org

In our case, Korach accuses Moshe and Aharon of elevating themselves over the congregation, although everyone — and we do mean, quite literally, everyone — saw Moshe lead us out of Egypt, engage in a unique dialog with G-d, ascend Mt. Sinai, descend with the two Tablets, and on and on. And various other people, motivated by their own agendas, side with Korach!

It is possible to be a builder, and it is possible to be a destroyer — not with physical action, but simply by sowing division and discord. One can take the most ridiculous and patently false idea under the sun (mercenaries with bulletproof vests and knives as “peace activists” leaps, of course, to mind), and someone will believe it.

None of us consider ourselves capable of creating division like Korach. But when there is an argument affecting ourselves and our communities, we all must shoulder the responsibility to be discerning and thoughtful, before simply concluding that each of the two sides must both be wrong.

Good Shabbos!
Rabbi Yaakov Menken
Director, Project Genesis – Torah.org

“Ki Ner Mitzvah v’Torah Ohr, the mitzvah is a lamp and Torah is the light” (Proverbs 6:23). We share the obligation to turn on the lights in every soul. Every holy spark, every Jewish soul can become a flame, and all we must do is help to ignite it. This is true in all ways, but in Torah most of all. Not only to ignite the light, but to hold the candle steady until the flame burns on its own.

How we do that is different for every person, but it can be as simple as passing along an interesting Torah thought that you downloaded from Torah.org or elsewhere. Every other Jewish soul must be ignited, inspired, until each one is a dedicated flame carried into our Jewish future.

Good Shabbos!

Rabbi Yaakov Menken
Director, Project Genesis – Torah.org

Please take a look at our Shavuos articles at Torah.org and listen to our Shavuos audio at TorahMedia.com.

May we all be granted abundant blessings on our Torah learning throughout the year, stemming from this great and holy Day!

Good Shabbos, and Good YomTov,

Rabbi Yaakov Menken
Director, Project Genesis – Torah.org

Rashi gives us a parable of two doctors, both of whom make the same recommendation to a patient. The second doctor, however, tells the patient that he should follow the recommendation in order to avoid dying like someone else they know. Obviously, is the second doctor who drives the lesson home.

There is something very unfortunate about this parable: in order for the second doctor to be able to provide an example, the other person had to die from the same illness. There had to be a tragic example. In order for G-d to speak to Aharon “after the death of his sons,” his sons had to die.

We say that everyone learns from their own mistakes, but the wise man learns from the mistakes of others. In the Chapter of the Fathers, however, we learn a different standard: “Who is Wise? He who sees the likely future [lit., that which will be born].”

The Sages gave us a higher standard. Don’t wait until someone else meets the terrible consequences, before acknowledging what is likely to happen. No one wants to be the example that the doctors will use to warn future patients!

On a lighter note, please welcome the return of the Kotel Cam, live streaming video of the Western Wall Plaza in Jerusalem.

Good Shabbos!
Rabbi Yaakov Menken
Director, Project Genesis – Torah.org

Now they help us when you “Shop for the Cause” … and they’ve challenged us to drum up new members.

Here’s how it works: You’ll get an email from us next Wednesday afternoon, with a link to their site. If you sign up for iGive between noon Wednesday, Central Time (that’s 1pm on the East Coast, and 8pm in Israel), and noon Thursday, and visit any of their 700 stores through iGive… they will give Project Genesis a dollar. And it won’t cost you a penny!

Now that may not seem like much, but it’s all about the numbers. This week, we read in the Torah that everyone was able to donate as much as they wanted to the Temple, but everyone donated just a half-shekel for the daily sacrifices. And those half-shekels, added together, provided for the sacrifices for the entire year — with funds left over!

If we raise $10,000 via this upcoming appeal (which will, of course, request your support via check or credit card as well), we’ll be able to finally launch our redesign project, which has been over a year in the planning and will touch every aspect of the entire family of Project Genesis websites.

Please watch your mailbox! We don’t want to send the link now, as sign-ups outside that 24-hour window will not be part of the challenge. And you know someone would just click and go ahead.

Good Shabbos!
Rabbi Yaakov Menken
Director, Project Genesis – Torah.org

But when you think about it, there’s no contradiction. We are trained to think that “freedom” means the ability to do whatever you want. But when was the most care-free time of your life? Most of us would answer, our childhood. And who are the happiest children? Those who are confident in both their parents’ love, and their guidance. Both of those are critical: the happiest children are not those with no rules, but those with clearly-defined guidelines, enforced with fairness and love.

Good Shabbos!

Rabbi Yaakov Menken
Director, Project Genesis – Torah.org

The Jewish man is never identified by name. We never hear from him again — we don’t even know if he was one of those who left Egypt (to the best of my limited knowledge).

The Torah does not waste words, but tells us that Moshe saw the Egyptian man beating a Jewish man “from his brothers.” This answers our question, and this was what made Moshe the ideal leader of the Jewish people.

To Moshe, another Jew wasn’t merely another citizen of the same country, or a distant relative — he was immediate family, for whom he was willing to risk his life.

Good Shabbos!
Rabbi Yaakov Menken
Director, Project Genesis – Torah.org