This week is Shabbos Nachamu, the “Sabbath of Consolation.” Following three weeks in which the weekly Haftarah spoke about the loss of Jerusalem and the Holy Temple, leading up to Tisha B’Av, the Ninth of Av, we now have seven weeks during which we focus upon our hopes for the future, culminating in the final Redemption.

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

“The teachings of the A-lmighty are pure,” “Toras Hashem Temima” (Tehillim/Psalms 19:8). The holy Baal Shem Tov, the founder of the Hassidic movement and many schools of Kabbalah, takes the following novel approach to this popular verse: even after one has derived all the lessons one can from Torah study, plumbed the vast depths of the word of G-d, the secrets of the Torah still remain pure and untouched — the surface was barely scratched.

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 this week’s reading, Moshe (Moses) is told to appoint Yehoshua (Joshua), “a man who has the spirit within him,” to lead the Nation of Israel after Moshe’s passing. Rabbi Asher Zelig Rubenstein shlit”a, whose classes are available on TorahMedia almost immediately after they are given, discussed last night the concept of “a man who has the spirit within him” to be a leader.

Democracy, he pointed out, is somewhat hypocritical. We select leaders because they think like us, to represent our way of thinking — and then we mock those same leaders when they follow the poll results. We know that they are not leaders, but rather followers.

The Mishnah says that at the end of times, “the face of the generation will be like the face of the dog.” Some explain that the “face” is a reference to our leaders, who will “lead” the same way that a dog runs ahead of his Master. It is not the dog, but the dog’s owner, who determines which way they will go — but to the uninformed observer, it looks like the dog is “leading.”

A true leader, by contrast, is able to be firm in the face of public opinion. Yehoshua, who had always been the quiet follower, listening to Moshe and following his every word, “had the spirit within him” to lead the nation, and not be its follower!

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