Noach - Being True to the Mission

What is the lesson of the black color of the raven who was initially sent on a mission by Noach to discover if they could leave the ark? Why did Noach argue that the raven didn't deserve its existence as it did not seem to have a spiritual purpose? What was Hashem's response to Noach's claim? How does the righteous individual give existence to the whole world? Why did Eliyhau (Elijah) only want to eat from the bread and meat of Yehoshafat (Jehoshaphath)? What do we learn from the fact the Yonah (dove) returned only because it could not find a place for its feet to rest? What is meant by the fact that the Jewish people 'will only return if they have no place to rest?'

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 26:58

Bitachon 82 - Help vs. Salvation

We complete the section from the Zohar and begin discussing verses in Tanach that relate to the idea of Bitachon - first among them, the verse in Yeshaya (Isaiah) that refers to Hashem as the G-d of my salvation - what is the difference between a helper and a savior?

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Running time: 20:10

Breishis - From Beginning to End

What is the secret of the five double letters referred to by the acronym MaNTsPaCh? What do the sages mean when they say they were given over to Moshe at Sinai, and then forgotten and re-instituted by the prophets? What is the special understanding the children were able to come to when their teachers did not arrive on a rainy day? What is the depth of the teaching that these children later became such great leaders of the Jewish people? How does this connect to the word Anochi - I - of the first word of the Aseres Hadibros (Ten Commandments) and how does this all relate to Breishis - the beginning of the Torah?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 26:28

Bitachon 81 - Faith of the Lion Cub

We continue to explore lessons in Bitachon from the Zohar. The righteous trust in Hashem like a lion cub which is strong, but does not depend on its own strength, and their Bitachon is like the mountain of Tzion, whose strength endures forever.

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Running time: 22:08

Succos - Trading Temporal for Eternal

Why does the Torah use the language 'take for yourself' in regards to the mitzvah of the arba minim (four species)? What is the loss one incurs when giving up the 'bread and wine of Torah' for the 'silver of Esav?' Why did R' Yochanan sell his fields, his vineyards and his olive orchards? How did we merit the great spoils of Egypt, Sichon, Og and 31 kings from the small 'investment' of the Agudas Eizov (hyssop bundle)? What is the great reward that awaits us for keeping the mitzvah of Lulav and Esrog?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 26:16

Bitachon 80 - Directed Bitachon

We complete the section of the sefer Bitach Bashem which quotes from our sages in the medrash and Gemara, and we begin a section from the Zohar. We discuss the proper direction of Bitachon - not to get what 'you want,' per se, but to be able to better do Hashem's will.

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Ha'azinu - Hearing and Being Heard

Can one break Shabbos to cure one's ear? How does listening to Torah give life to one's entire body? What happens when someone turns away from listening to Torah, Heaven forbid? What is the idea behind the teaching that if one listens to Torah, that person will be heard by others? What is the depth of the idea that the tzadik is able to perform miracles that are the exclusive domain of Hashem?

Find out in this week's parsha podcast.

Running time: 23:33

Bitachon 79 - Getting into a Bitachon Mindset

We touch on a number of important points - how the righteous pour out their hearts to Hashem about their troubles, how the one who trusts in Hashem is promised that this trust will last forever, how Hashem the one who trusts is blessed, how the one who trusts avoids pain and sickness, and how doing good deeds gets a person into a Bitachon mindset.

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Running time: 20:45