The WebYeshiva Blog

Devarim: In three interconnected teachings on the opening of Parashat Devarim, the Maor VaShemesh presents a profound vision of Jewish leadership and communal life. He begins by explaining why Moshe rebukes Israel only through allusion, despite addressing

Mattot: This week’s Maor VaShemesh explores two very different episodes, hatarat nedarim and the request of the tribes of Reuven and Gad, but uncovers a common theme. In the first, he explains that the annulment

In this week’s parsha, the Maor VaShemesh teaches that Pinchas did not earn Brit Shalom simply because he acted zealously. Many people perform mitzvot with alacrity. What made Pinchas unique was the extraordinary mesirut nefesh

In this week’s parsha, the Meor VaShemesh asks a deceptively simple question: why was Balak frightened specifically by what Israel did to the Amorites, and not by their defeat of Og, who was actually the

The Mystery of the Chok and the Mystery of the Rock In this week’s parsha, the Ma’or VaShemesh develops two fascinating ideas. First, in his introductory piece about Parah Adumah, he suggests that even those

The Ma’or Va-Shemesh sees Korach’s rebellion as far more than a challenge to Moshe’s leadership. The root of Korach’s error was separation. Onkelos translates “Vayikach Korach” as “Ve’itpaleg” (“he separated himself”), teaching that Korach tore apart realities that were meant to

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