Video content by Uri Pilichowski
The Sedra Ki Tietzeh 5781
This week we find ourselves in Parshat Ki Tietzeh, where we encounter a vast array of mitzvot that teach us how to live a holy life. Among these is the command to build a fence around your roof to ensure that no one falls and suffers harm. Rashi points out a fascinating connection between this mitzvah and the command to send away the mother bird before taking her eggs. He teaches us that if we fulfill the easy mitzvah of sending the bird away, we will eventually be privileged to build a new house and fulfill the mitzvah of the [...]
The Sedra Devarim 5781
This week we begin Sefer Devarim, the final book of the Torah. We find Moshe Rabbeinu delivering his powerful farewell address, reviewing the history of Bnei Yisrael with honesty and conviction. In this week's portion, Moshe recalls the tragic episode of the spies and highlights a shocking accusation made by the people. They claimed that God brought them out of Egypt because He hated them. As Rashi explains through a parable, the people preferred the easy irrigation of Egypt over the arid, rain dependent land of Canaan. They viewed the necessity of hard work as a sign of divine rejection. [...]
The Sedra Behar 5781
In this week's video for Parshat Behar, we explore the profound commandment of Shemitah. The Torah uses a unique double expression, Shabbat Shabbaton, a Sabbath of complete rest, to describe this seventh year when the land must lie fallow. While Hebrew rarely repeats words for emphasis, this phrase signals something extraordinary. Commentators like the Ibn Ezra and the Sforno explain that this isn't just a physical break for the soil, but a total rest for both body and soul. Much like our weekly Shabbat, the Shemitah year serves to fix the reality of God as Creator in our hearts. By [...]
Belief and Heresy 1
Many people believe that Judaism is primarily defined by our actions, our rituals, and how we treat others. While these are vital, Judaism is first and foremost a system of beliefs and true knowledge about reality. In this series, we will examine the fundamental principles of our faith and what it means to deny them. We start by looking at the first three principles from Maimonides' famous list. We will discuss the belief in Hashem as the sole Creator and Director of all existence, the profound and complex concept of God's absolute unity and indivisibility, and the essential truth that [...]
Belief and Heresy 2
Today, we continue our journey through the Rambam's thirteen fundamental principles of faith, focusing on the fourth through the ninth. We discuss the eternity of God as the first and the last, and the vital principle that God alone is the object of our prayers, without any intermediaries. We then explore the authenticity and supremacy of prophecy, starting with the truth of the prophets and the unique, foundational role of Moshe Rabbeinu. We also reaffirm our belief that the Torah we hold in our hands today is the exact same one given to Moshe at Har Sinai, and that this [...]
Belief and Heresy 3
Over our previous sessions, we have explored the core pillars of our faith, and today we conclude by examining the final four of the Rambam's thirteen fundamental principles. We begin with the understanding that Hashem is intimately aware of all human deeds and even our innermost thoughts. We then address the reality of reward and punishment, recognizing that our actions have spiritual consequences. We also reaffirm our daily anticipation of the coming of Mashiach, holding steadfast in the belief that he will arrive. Finally, we discuss the fundamental belief in Techiyat HaMeitim, the resurrection of the dead, which will occur [...]
