The WebYeshiva Blog

Why send the spies at all? The story of the spies in Parshat Shelach is one of the most perplexing in all of the Torah. G-d promises the Jewish people a land flowing with milk

The Ma’or VaShemesh on Parshat Beha’alotecha develops two seemingly separate themes, the lighting of the Menorah and the inverted נו״ן surrounding “Vayehi Binso’a Ha’Aron” (“And it was when the Ark traveled”), but beneath the surface both are

Shavuot Shavuot is known as the holiday of Matan Torah, the giving of the Torah. But in the Ma’or Va-Shemesh, Torah is not presented merely as law, obligation, or even spiritual inspiration. It is presented

In this week’s parsha, the Ma’or Va-Shemesh develops a profound vision of spiritual growth, the inner nature of the Mishkan, and the deep spiritual connection between the leaders of Israel and the souls of the

Parshat Behar In Parshat Behar, the Ma’or Va-Shemesh reframes shemittah (the sabbatical year) as something much deeper than an agricultural mitzvah. He begins with a striking idea. The land itself committed a chet ha’aretz (a “sin of the land”)

In this week’s parsha, in the middle of the discussion of the mo’adim, the Torah introduces a seemingly unrelated mitzvah: when you harvest your field, do not take it all the way to the edge.

In this week’s Torah portions, Acharei Mot and Kedoshim, the Ma’or VaShemesh reads the two parshiot as two stages in a single process in avodat Hashem. “Acharei Mot,” after the death of Nadav and Avihu,

The Meor VaShemesh understands Tazria and Metzora as one continuous spiritual process. In Tazria, he explains that holiness enters the world through Itaruta d’letata, an arousal or awakening from below. God structured creation so that

In this week’s parsha, the Ma’or VaShemesh teaches that the final stage of the Mishkan’s inauguration could not be completed by Moshe, but rather specifically by Aharon. The Mishkan itself is a response to the Golden Calf,

In this week’s parsha and accompanying pieces, the Ma’or VaShemesh teaches that Shabbat HaGadol is part of a deeper process of preparation for redemption. Chazal teach that if Israel would keep two Shabbatot, they would be

In this week’s parsha, the Ma’or VaShemesh highlights three subtle details that together reveal a profound spiritual principle. The Parsha begins: “And He called to Moses.” Chazal note that every divine communication to Moses was preceded by

David Ebner on “Daiyenu”   WebYeshiva and students of Yeshivat Hamivtar have been mourning our great teacher Rav David Ebner z”l this year. In advance of Pesach we bring you one of his poems and its accompanying

Vayakhel: The Ma’or VaShemesh on Vayakhel teaches that when Bnei Yisrael brought materials for the Mishkan, they did not simply give. They verbally designated their gifts for the sake of the Mishkan and the dwelling of the

In this week’s parashah, the Ma’or VaShemesh offers a profound chiddush in understanding the sin of the Golden Calf. The episode was not simply a collapse into rebellion. Rather, it was a tragic miscalculation in

The Ma’or VaShemesh teaches that Purim is not just a story of salvation, but a map of how evil is confronted, silenced, and ultimately transformed. The Ma’or VaShemesh opens with the verse “והשתיה כדת אין

Tezaveh In this week’s Parsha, the Meor V’Shemesh describes a powerful cycle between a leader and the community. When people approach a tzaddik with a sincere, “crushed” heart, genuinely seeking how to grow, their humility

In this week’s parsha, the Maor vaShemesh teaches that Terumah is not mainly about donating materials for a sanctuary. It is about making oneself into a place where God can dwell. “To take for Me

How to learn Torah In this week’s Parsha, the Maor VaShemesh teaches that “Ve’eleh HaMishpatim” is not only telling us that the laws were given at Sinai, it is teaching us how to learn Torah.

In Parashat Yitro, the Ma’or Va-Shemesh teaches that Yitro’s coming is a teaching about the inner structure of avodat Hashem. He distinguishes between two paths in Avodat, serving, HaShem: one who serves from youth, out of ahavah and clear recognition of G-d’s greatness,

Ha ma el kellene utaznod Budapestről Bécsbe – melyik utat választanád? A gyorsabbat, ugye? Két és fél óra autóval, esetleg három vonattal. Ez természetes. A modern világ a sebességet imádja. De mi van akkor, ha