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Far Out, Man
The Zohar
This Torah reading includes the premise that one who is unable to bring the Pesach offering is able to bring it one month later, on Pesach Sheini. The Zohar teaches that this example shows that every person who sincerely makes an effort to purify himself becomes purified – even if in a roundabout way.
Meriting the Land of Israel
The Holy Ari
After Timna became Eliphaz's concubine, she bore him Amalek, the ancestor of the nation that became Israel's archenemy. The Sages state that this was because Jacob, in fact, should have married her. He could have elevated the good in her and nullified the bad in her that became manifest later as Amalek.
Preparing for Perfect Prophecy
Mystical Classics
Only Moses was able to maintain his regular posture when G‑d communicated with him; he did not prostrate himself or go into convulsions, as did other prophets. Neither did he receive such communications in the form of a riddle or parable. Every communication Moses received from G‑d was crystal clear, requiring no further elaboration.
Receive a Gift As It Is
Chasidic Masters
The Torah describes the manna again here, a year after it's initial appearance in parashat Beshalach, The Beit Avraham of Slonim comments that the manna is the symbol of a stable livelihood. Manna came from heaven and each individual of the Jewish nation received a divinely allotted portion, as does one's livelihood.
Blow Those Trumpets
Contemporary Kabbalists
The allegorical "trumpet" we sound in order to enlist God's help against the evil inclination is our heart-broken cry, the silent tears we shed over being so spiritually weak that we are vulnerable to the evil inclination's strategies. When we beseech G-d to have mercy on us, He comes to our aid and rescues us from our enemy.
Friend of G-d, Friend of Mine
Ascent Lights
Moses prayed that, as the Jews traveled in the desert, their enemies would not harm them. If we would each work on our divine service, every Jew according to his or her level, this would directly protect us from danger. The fact that the Nations may hate us is a reflection of our declining spiritual status.
A Whisper in Time
Mystic Story
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