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Rabbi Moshe Bernstein

2 days ago

Parshat Bo: The Power of Choice

Parshat Bo discusses the final plagues and the removal of Pharaoh’s free will. After Pharaoh hardened his own heart during the initial plagues, the Creator punished him "measure for measure" and deprived him of the ability to choose good ("For I have hardened his heart"). The purpose of hardening his heart was to demonstrate to Pharaoh that he is not his own master, but rather a tool in the hands of Divine Providence. This leads to a fundamental question: Why was Pharaoh punished for refusing to free the Israelites once his ability to choose had been taken from him?

The reason for the removal of his power of choice was Pharaoh’s statement: "Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice?" which constitutes a dishonor for the Creator. The prohibition of blasphemy is one of the Seven Noahide Laws. The duty of a …

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Brian Bond

2 days ago

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Pharoh is alive and (seemingly) well in N Korea Russia and China. And to a certain degree everywhere else. The light of Torah is getting brighter and brighter though. With the strength of Torah we can overcome and gain our freedom to choose to serve Hashem. Keep the teachings coming.

Rabbi Moshe Bernstein

9 days ago

Parshat Va'era: Shattering the Illusion of Idolatry

In the Book of Exodus (7:14-15), the Creator commands Moses to embark on a mission with precise timing and location: "Go to Pharaoh in the morning; behold, he is going out to the water, and you shall stand to meet him on the bank of the Nile." Rashi explains the hidden reason behind this early meeting: Pharaoh presented himself as a god, claiming that as a divine being, he did not have physiological needs like flesh and blood. To maintain this lie, Pharaoh would rise early to go to the Nile in secret, unseen by any eye, to relieve himself there. Pharaoh knew well that he was but flesh and blood, yet, he fabricated false myths and spread them so his people would follow him blindly. Why did G-d choose to send Moses specifically to this spot at this exact hour?

The command…

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David Keller

Jan 15

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Beautifully written. I like the reference to idolatry, which is, as described one of the main prohibitions of the Noahide laws. In my experience, the more one purifies their activities regarding anything that could even remotely be perceived as idolatry, the clearer one can see what the correct path is. And the more one purifies their behaviour the trickier and more freeing it gets. The Rabbis I talk to often mention that "leaving Mitzrayim" can be an allusion to overcoming one's tendency to indulge in even permitted activities too much, i.e. as if someone has an addiction to something that by itself is permitted.

Rabbi Moshe Bernstein

16 days ago

PARSHAT SHEMOT: THE PURSUIT OF DIVINE TRUTH

It is brought in this week’s portion, Parshat Shemot: “And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens; and he saw an Egyptian hitting an Israelite, one of his brethren. And he looked this way and that, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.” (Exodus 2:11-12). This raises a difficult question: What was the legal justification for killing a man simply because he was striking another person?

The Gemara in Tractate Sanhedrin 58b is of the opinion that a gentile who strikes an Israelite is liable for penalty. Moses' action was legally based on this principle. Furthermore, the Midrash (Midrash Aggadah Buber, Shemot 2:11) brings that the Egyptian had also committed a forbidden act with the …

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David Keller

Jan 15

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Very inspiring summary. I also like the fact that Moshe's position as Prince in Pharaoh's household mirrors Joseph's position as Viceroy over Egypt. Also, one can see that Moshe was not just interested in rectifying the way the Jewish people were treated in Egypt, but that he cared about justice itself, whether for a Jew or Noahide: He first intervened in a dispute between a non-Jew and a Jew. Then he intervened in a dispute between two Jewish people. Finally, he intervened a the well, in dispute amongst Gentiles.