Parshah

The first human being at the time of Creation is named Adam. We see the word “adam” comes from the Hebrew word “adamah.” “Adamah” means dirt, the ground. The next time someone calls you a piece of dirt, tell him he’s right, because we all come from the ground. Why was the first person called “dirt”? What a derogatory name! We couldn’t find a better name?? Just as when we water the soil, care for it, and give it the right sunlight, it turns into fruits, flowers, and vegetables, so, too, with a person: If a person doesn’t take care of himself, he will be nothing. But if a person stays near good people and has the “right light,” he can grow into something great.

T’shuvah requires a supporting “cast”!

As Rosh HaShanah approaches, we are reminded that sincere t’shuvah requires serious introspection and conscientious planning for a better year. The shofar alerts us that that the time has come: We need to confess our wrongdoings, break habits, regret the past, and commit to a brighter future.

What is the joy of Sukkos all about?

When B’nei Yisrael traveled in the desert, Hashem provided three special miracles to take care of their needs: Delicious manna rained down from heaven, fresh water flowed from Miriam’s well, and ananei ha’kavod (clouds of glory) enveloped the people (Taanis 9a).

We should be happy to avoid the Tochachah.

Before bidding farewell, Moshe Rabbeinu delivers the Tochachah, a warning of all the horrific curses and tragedies that will befall the Jewish people should they fail in their religious responsibilities. It’s one harrowing, foreshadowed catastrophe after another – nearly 100 in all! No wonder we are so eager to rush through this leining as quickly and quietly as possible.

What is the secret to making lasting resolutions?

In the first line of Avinu Malkeinu that is recited responsively, we ask Hashem to help us do “t’shuvah sh’leimah,” complete repentance. The addition of that descriptor, sh’leimah, makes it sound like there is another type of t’shuvah – one that is “incomplete” – which we do not want. And here I was thinking that one can either repent or not. What would incomplete t’shuvah look like? And, by contrast, what is the t’shuvah sh’leimah that we all are trying to achieve?

Friendship is not like chicken soup.

One of the many, many mitzvos in Parshas Ki Seitzei is the prohibition against mistreating a person of Egyptian descent. The Torah provides a reason for this commandment: Because you were guests in his land (D’varim 23:8). In other words, we must treat these people well, as an expression of gratitude for letting us stay in their land for several hundred years.