Rabbi David Etengoff
  
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Baruch HaMakom baruch Hu. Baruch sheh’natan Torah l’amo Yisrael, baruch Hu (Blessed be the Omnipresent One, may He be blessed. Blessed is He Who gave the Torah to His people Israel, blessed is He).  This is one of the many celebrated and beloved portions of the Haggadah. It is juxtaposed to the Arba’ah Banim (Four Sons), and serves as its hakdamah (introduction). This prompts us to ask, “Why does this section require such a hakdamah?” Our question was addressed by the 9th or 10th century anonymous work, Perush Kadmon, an exegetical analysis of the Haggadah that was utilized extensively by Rashi and many other Rishonim:

One must utter a bracha prior to reciting [and analyzing] a midrashic passage. As we learn [Talmud Bavli, Berachot 11b]: “Many times I stood before Raba to learn a chapter of Midrash Sifra d’Bei Rav from him. Before beginning, he would wash his hands and recite a bracha, at that point he would teach us the chapter.” (Translation and brackets my own. Note: this text follows the version of the Rif)
 
The Perush Kadmon contains two crucial points regarding our question: The Arba’ah Banim is a midrashic passage, and, as such, requires the recitation of birchot haTorah prior to being taught. In some ways, Baruch HaMakom seems to fulfill this role, yet it is missing Hashem’s name and a reference to His universal kingship (shame u’malchut: “Baruch Atah Hashem Elokeinu Melech HaOlam”), as found in the standard text of birchot haTorah. The editor of the Perush Kadmon printed in the Torat Chaim Haggadah (Mossad HaRav Kook) focuses upon this question and provides us with a fascinating answer:

One might think that the reason why Hashem’s name and a reference to His universal kingship is missing from Baruch HaMakom is because we have already recited the standard birchot haTorah in the morning. This is not the case, however, since Chazal established special blessings before and after one is called to the Torah [that contain shame u’malchut], even though birchot haTorah have already been said. Nonetheless, although they established the recitation of Baruch HaMakom prior to Midrash Arba’ah Banim, it was not enacted as a bracha per se, rather, as a statement [of praise] that is similar [but not the same as] an actual blessing. As such, it does not contain shame u’malchut. (Translation, brackets and underlining my own)
 
In sum, Baruch HaMakom is not, in fact, a bracha; rather, it merely has elements that parallel a standard Torah benediction. As such, Chazal decreed that it be said before the Arba’ah Banim, but without shame u’malchut.
 
Like the Perush Kadmon, my rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as the Rav by his students and followers, views Baruch HaMakom as a modified form of birchot haTorah. In addition, he emphasizes that these brachot connote the concept of masorah (the passing on of Torah knowledge from generation to generation), a theme that is alluded to in the placement of Baruch HaMakom immediately before the Arba’ah Banim:

We repeat it at the Seder because the concern of the Seder is masorah and kabalah [acceptance of the Torah]. When we are about to proclaim the idea of masorah — “The Torah speaks about four kinds of children” — we offer thanks to the Almighty in the same manner as we do every morning. The blessing is related not only to talmud Torah but to the masorah of Torah as well. (The Seder Night: An Exalted Evening, commentary based on the teachings of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Rabbi Menachem Genack, editor, pp. 45-46, brackets my own)
 
Since, in the Rav’s view, Baruch HaMakom, like birchot haTorah, is strongly connected to the idea of masorah, we must ask ourselves which specific Torah principle should be highlighted during the masorah process? The Rav’s poetic analysis of Pesach night helps us formulate a response:
​
And on Pesach night, man, free, hopeful, and courageous, enhanced by fulfillment, exalted by independence, surges forward, expands, grows, ready to accomplish all that is related to his blessedness and freedom. All selfishness renounced, he forgets himself, rising like the mighty river to do, to practice, and to immerse himself in hesed [acts of kindness]. (Festival of Freedom: Essays on Pesach and the Haggadah, Joel B. Wolwelsky and Reuven Ziegler eds., page 31, brackets my own)
 
For the Rav, Pesach night confers upon the Jewish people a sense of freedom and independence that enables us to recognize the inextricable bonds that join us together. In turn, this recognition produces a powerful desire within our very souls to help others through acts of hesed. As such, hesed emerges as a key element of our masorah that we share on Seder night. After all, the Almighty, Himself, is described by Michah the prophet as “chafetz hesed Hu” (He who desires kindness, 7:18). With Hashem as our guide, may we ever do heartfelt hesed for one another. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Chag Sameach and Shabbat Shalom, and may Hashem in His infinite mercy remove the pandemic from klal Yisrael and all the nations of the world.
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org using the search criteria Etengoff and the parasha’s name.
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:[email protected].
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.

 Rabbi David Etengoff
  
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The term, “tzav,” (command), the namesake of our parasha, is stated by Hashem to Moshe in reference to Aharon and his sons. Rashi (1040-1105), based upon Midrash Sifra, explains it is an expression of alacrity and eternality that urges swift fulfillment of commandments by present and future generations. As such, our parasha prompts us to reflect upon our relationship to the mitzvot. Each time we are mekayam a mitzvah (fulfill a commandment), we demonstrate our loyalty to Hashem. Moreover, we declare that the relationship He forged with our forebears continues until our own historical moment.
 
During the periods of the Tannaim (Mishnah) and the Amoraim (Talmud), Chazal developed at least three over-arching approaches as to how we should approach the mitzvot: l’zakot et Yisrael (to confer merit upon the Jewish people), l’tzrofe et Yisrael (to purify the Jewish people), and l’kadash et Yisrael (to sanctify the Jewish people). One of the most celebrated expressions, of l’zakot et Yisrael given voice by Rabbi Chanania ben Akashia, is recited at the end of each chapter of Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers):

Rabbi Chanania ben Akashia says: “The Holy One, Blessed is He, wished to confer merit upon Israel; therefore He gave them Torah and mitzvot in abundance, as it is said: ‘Hashem desired for the sake of its [Israel’s] righteousness, that the Torah be made great and glorious.’” (Sefer Yeshayahu 60:21, translation, ArtScroll Siddur) 
 
This teaching emphasizes that Hakadosh Baruch Hu (the Holy One, Blessed is He) gave us His holy Torah to make us even more worthy in His eyes. Rashi underscores this idea in his comment entitled “l’zakot” on Talmud Bavli, Makkot 23b:

The Torah had no need to command many of the mitzvot and the admonitions (prohibitions) regarding crawling bugs and improperly slaughtered animals, since there is no one who naturally does not pull back from them [in disgust]. The only reason why they were commanded was to [enable one] to receive reward by separating [oneself] from them. (Translation, my own)
 
Rav, one of the major disciples of Rebbi Yehudah HaNasi, champions the idea of l’tzrofe et Yisrael as the rationale underlying the mitzvot in the following pivotal Midrashic statement:

Rav said: “The commandments were only given to purify His creations through [performing] them. Do you really think that HaKadosh Baruch Hu cares if a person slaughters an animal on the underside of its neck or on the back of its neck? [No!] The entire purpose of the mitzvot is to purify His creations.” (Midrash Bamidbar Rabbah 44:1, translation, my own)
 
It is important to note that this source contains the Hebrew words l’tzrofe et Yisrael, and not l’tahare et Yisrael. Although often translated in the same manner, these expressions have entirely different connotations. L’tahare refers to taking something or someone from a state of ritual impurity and, through one of several means, changing that status to one of ritual purity. In contrast, l’tzrofe means to purify, in the sense of purifying a metal, such as gold. Through the metallurgy process, the gold smelter is able to remove the dross and produce nearly pure gold. When Rav explains the commandments as having the purpose of l’tzrofe et Yisrael, he is metaphorically teaching us that Hashem wants us to be “as good as gold,” as pure as the finest gold that we can produce.
 
Rabbi Isi ben Yehudah enhances our understanding of the concept of l’kadash et Yisrael: “When the Omnipresent (HaMakom) gave a new mitzvah to the Jewish people, He added to their holiness.” (Mechilta d’Rabbi Yishmael, Mishpatim, Parasha 20) A second source for the idea of holiness achieved through mitzvot observance is found in Midrash Sifrei Bamidbar:
 
“And you shall be holy to your G-d.” Is this referring to the holiness that is brought about through the commandments in general or is it referring to the holiness that is brought about specifically through the mitzvah of tzittzit? As it is said, this is referencing the idea of the holiness of all of the mitzvot.” (Piska 115, translation, my own)
 
This notion is also underscored by Chazal’s formulation of the first part of every birkat hamitzvah (blessing prior to performing a commandment): “… asher kiddashanu b’mitzvotov vitzivanu” (“[He] who makes us holy through His mitzvot and commands us.”) Chazal clearly are teaching us that one of the reasons Hashem gifted us the commandments was to make us holy.
 
The great and eternal treasure of the mitzvot is a blessing to the Jewish people. May their fulfillment continue to bring us merit and may the purity and holiness we achieve help us draw ever closer to Hashem. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
May Hashem in His infinite mercy remove the pandemic from klal Yisrael and from all the nations of the world.
 
Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach.
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org using the search criteria Etengoff and the parasha’s name.
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:[email protected].
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.
 
 ​

Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The laws regarding the korbanot (sacrifices) are one of the major themes of Sefer Vayikra. The Rambam (Maimonides, 1135-1204) discusses their underlying reasoning in two well-known passages in The Guide of the Perplexed:

His wisdom, may He be exalted, and His gracious ruse, which is manifest in regard to all His creatures, did not require that He give us a Law prescribing the rejection, abandonment, and abolition of all these kinds of worship [practiced by the surrounding nations] … Therefore He, may He be exalted, suffered the above-mentioned kinds of worship to remain, but transferred them from created or imaginary and unreal things to His own name… (The Guide of the Perplexed, III:32, vol. II, p. 526, translation and notes, Dr. Shlomo Pines, underlining and bolding my own)
 
The second section in this work that discusses korbanot appears in III:46. In this passage, the Rambam maintains that the entire sacrificial service is a repudiation of the practices and opinions of the surrounding idol-worshipping nations who forbade the offering of sheep (Egyptians), goats (Sabians), and oxen (all nations of the time):

Thus, it was in order to efface the traces of these incorrect opinions [that is, forbidding the offering of sheep, goats, and oxen] that we have been ordered by the Law to offer in sacrifices only these three species of quadrupeds: “When a man from [among] you brings a sacrifice to the L-rd; from animals, from cattle or from the flock you shall bring your sacrifice.” (Sefer Vayikra 1:2) … Thus, wrong opinions, which are diseases of the human soul, are cured by their contrary found at the other extreme. (Pages 581-582, brackets and underlining my own)
 
In sum, the Rambam opines that the korbanot were included in the Torah as a concession to our ancestors and in order to negate the erroneous opinions of the Egyptians, Sabians and other cultures of the Middle East. In essence, he asserts a causal-sociological analysis of this entire class of mitzvot.
 
The Ramban (Nachmanides, 1194-1270) summarily rejects the Rambam’s position. In his Commentary on the Torah (Sefer Vayikra 1:9), he states that the Rambam’s approach is nothing other than divrei havai (patent nonsense). More substantively, he turns the Rambam’s causal-sociological position on its head:

Behold when Noah and his three sons went out of the Ark, there were no Chaldeans and Egyptians in existence. Nevertheless, he offered korbanot that were pleasing to Hashem, concerning which it is stated: “… and the L-rd said to Himself, ‘I will no longer curse the earth because of man…’” (Sefer Bereishit 8:21)  Hevel also brought a sacrifice from the first born and best of his flock: “And the L-rd turned to Hevel and to his offering.” (Sefer Bereishit 4:4) And, it must be noted, there was not even the remotest thought of idol worship in the world at that time! (Commentary on the Torah, translations, and underlining my own; these and all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach, underlining and brackets my own).
 
The Ramban concludes this part of his argument with the powerful words: “And G-d forbid that one would even think that the sole purpose and ultimate value of the korbanot is to negate the notion of idol worship in the minds of the foolish!”
 
Nearly all Rishonim and Acharonim (early and later Torah authorities) join the Ramban in his repudiation of the Rambam’s rationale for the korbanot. Closer to our own time, my rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), explains why this is the case:

While we recognize his [the Rambam’s] opinions on more complicated problems such as prophecy, teleology and creation, we completely ignore most of his rational notions regarding the commandments… [This is due] to the incontrovertible fact that such explanations neither edify nor inspire the religious consciousness. They are essentially, if not entirely, valueless for the religious interests we have most at heart. (Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, The Halakhic Mind: An Essay on Jewish Tradition and Modern Thought, pp. 92 and 98, brackets my own)
 
As a result, the Rav conceptualizes the underlying meaning of the celebrated second verse of our parasha, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When a man from [among] you will bring a korban to the L-rd…’” in a very different manner than the Rambam:

What did man bring as an offering? What was man called upon to sacrifice? Judaism gave a straightforward answer to this basic theological and ethical question. Man must offer everything he possesses. Nothing is to be spared and nothing is to be saved for man. The logic of this answer is self-evident… Since there is nothing within the reach of man which he does not have in trust for and from God, there is nothing whose return to God [that] would not be considered a hallowed sacrificial service. Judaism has insisted upon a total sacrificial gesture on the part of man. When the latter is confronted with his Creator, man must return to the Master of the universe not only all he possesses in the form of physical goods but himself as well; his body, mind, spirit soul — the whole of his existence in all its boundless manifestation at all levels. (Community, Covenant, and Commitment: Selected Letters and Communications, Nathaniel Helfgot, editor, page 298)
 
For the Rav, korbanot emerge as a symbolic expression of all that one owns. As such, a korban, which must be the property of the one who offers it, is the perfect representation of that which is “within the reach of man” that he has received “in trust for and from God,” rather than based solely upon his own efforts. Therefore, bringing a korban is considered to be a “hallowed sacrificial service” and an ideal example of that which “man must return to the Master of the universe.” In sum, korbanot demonstrate that our entire existence, “in all its boundless manifestation at all levels,” belongs to the Almighty.
 
Rabbi Shimshon Raphael Hirsch (1808-1888) provides us with an etymologically based analysis of the word “korban” that underscores its spiritual meaning:
​
A korban is never used for a present or gift; it is used exclusively with reference to a person’s relation to God and can only be understood from the meaning that lies in its root krv. Krv means to approach, to come near, and to enter into a close relationship with someone… The makriv [the one bringing the korban] desires that something of himself should come into closer relationship to God, that is what his korban is, and the procedure by which this greater nearness to God is to be achieved is called “hakravah. It is kirvat Elokim, nearness to God which is striven for by a korban.” (Commentary on the Torah, Sefer Vayikra 1:2, translation, Isaac Levy)
 
In Rav Hirsch’s view the ultimate goal of a korban is to achieve kirvat Elokim (nearness to God).  This echoes King David’s phrase in Sefer Tehillim: “kirvat Elokim li tov” (“Closeness to God is what is truly good for me,” 73:28).  This is a spiritual level that each of us can try to achieve when we do mitzvot and gemilut chasadim (deeds of lovingkindness), and thereby strive l’takane ha’olam b’malchut Sha-dai (“to perfect the world through Hashem’s kingship”).  With Hashem’s help and our fervent desire may this be so. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom, and may Hashem in His infinite mercy remove the pandemic from klal Yisrael and from all the nations of the world.
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org using the search criteria Etengoff and the parasha’s name.
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:[email protected].
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.
 

​
 Rabbi David Etengoff
  
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Kabbalat p’nei HaShechinah (encountering Hashem’s Divine Presence) is one of the greatest spiritual heights a person can achieve. Chazal compared a variety of mitzvot-related actions to this transcendent experience, including giving heartfelt tzedakah, fulfilling the commandment of appearing in the Beit HaMikdash on the yom tovim, and kiddush levanah (Sanctification of the New Moon).
 
One of the better-known Rabbinic discussions of kiddush levanah that relates to this concept is found in Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 42a:

And Rabbi Acha bar Chanina said in the name of Rabbi Asi who said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: “All those who bless the [new] month in its [proper] time k’ilu mekable p’nei HaShechinah (it is as if they have encountered Hashem’s Divine Presence). It states here [in Parashat HaChodesh], ‘this (zeh) month,’ and it states there [Kriyat Yam Suf], ‘this (zeh) is my G-d and I shall extol Him.’”
 
What is the Gemara communicating to us by emphasizing the Torah’s use of the word “zeh” when referencing the new moon of Chodesh Nissan and the Almighty’s palpable presence at Kriyat Yam Suf? Additionally, how is this a proof to the statement, “all those who bless the [new] month in its [proper] time k’ilu mekable p’nei HaShechinah?” Rabbi Baruch HaLevi Epstein (1860-1941) addresses these questions in his commentary, Torah Temimah, providing us with an incisive analysis of our passage:

One can say the matter of noting the textual similarity of these two verses [zeh] and their subsequent comparison, [is predicated upon the recognition] that the moon’s renewal teaches us that the Holy One blessed be He runs the world and His endless changes [in Creation] are new each morning. As such, a person who blesses the new month [when viewing the new moon] bears witness, as it were, to this explicit manifestation of the way the Holy One blessed be He runs the world [and simultaneously proclaims] their recognition of His honor and glory. So, too, in the instance of “this (zeh) is my G-d and I shall extol Him,” for they [the Jewish people] uttered this when they witnessed the incontrovertible glory of His Divine Presence at Kriyat Yam Suf. (Sefer Shemot, Parashat Bo, 12:2, translation and brackets my own)
 
In many ways, Rav Epstein’s presentation is an exegetical tour de force. In the context of discussing kiddush levanah, he reveals to us the intrinsic meaning of chiddush levanah (renewal of the new moon in the heavens). In his estimation, it demonstrates to us that Hashem continuously runs the world, and His creations “are new each morning.” Moreover, based on the word, “zeh,” chiddush levanah, which operates within the laws of nature, joins the one-time miraculous event of Kriyat Yam Suf in proclaiming the ineffable presence of the Almighty in our lives. This, then, Rav Epstein asserts, is the reason Chazal declared: “All those who bless the [new] month in its [proper] time k’ilu mekable p’nei HaShechinah.”
 
Approximately 300 years earlier, Rabbi Shmuel Halevi Eidels zatzal (1555-1631), known by his Hebrew acronym as the Maharsha, explained this phrase in a different manner. In his view, the statement gives voice to the seemingly unbridgeable distance between the Almighty and the Jewish people that powerfully pervades our lives in galut (exile), and expresses our concurrent hope for complete reconciliation with Him:
​
The Jewish people in their exile do not merit to gaze upon the countenance of the Divine Presence, since [as a result of the galut,] it is too distant to be encountered. Nonetheless, chiddush levanah is a sign to the Jewish people that in the future, they, too, will be renewed and once again bring glory to their Creator when they meet His Divine Presence anew… [Therefore,] when we bless the [new] month in its [proper] time, it symbolizes that we will be renewed like it [the new moon]; as such, it is as if we have encountered the very countenance of the Divine Presence… (Chidushei Aggadot, Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 42a, translation and brackets my own)
 
In sum, for the Maharsha, chiddush levanah is a promise to us of our future spiritual union with the Almighty, and kiddush levanah presages the time when we will once again be zocheh (merit) to see and feel His presence, just as our ancestors did at Kriyat Yam Suf.
 
With Hashem’s help, may we witness the ultimate fulfillment of the stirring words of kiddush levanah soon, and in our days: “To the moon He said that it should renew itself as a crown of splendor for those borne by Him from the womb [that is the Jewish people], those who are destined to renew themselves like it, and to glorify their Creator for the name of His glorious kingdom.” (Translation with my emendations, The Complete ArtScroll Siddur)  V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom, and may Hashem in His infinite mercy remove the pandemic from klal Yisrael and from all the nations of the world.
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org using the search criteria Etengoff and the parasha’s name.
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:[email protected].
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.