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5 essays
Achrei MosYom Kippurתשפ״ו
A Silent Scream
The essay explores the Midrashic idea that the Kohen Gadol enters the Holy of Holies with the 'merit of Judah' (Zechus Yehuda). By analyzing the blessing given to Judah by Moses, the author explains that Judah's true power was the 'silent scream'—a prayer emanating from total reliance on G-d, which serves as the ultimate spiritual key for Jewish leadership and the Yom Kippur service.
Medrash
Achron Shel Pesach: Then What
The essay explores the linguistic connection between Moshe's complaint 'U'me'az basi el Paroh' (since I came to Pharaoh) and the triumphant 'Az Yashir' (then sang Moshe) at the Sea. It argues that the word 'Az' signifies the complex relationship between cause and effect in Hashem's plan, where perceived hardships (causes of suffering) are actually the necessary steps (effects of the plan) toward ultimate redemption. By starting the Shira with 'Az,' Moshe demonstrated that the Jewish people had attained the clarity of Emunah to see the hand of G-d even within setbacks.
Medrash
Ekevתשפ״ו
Ekev: Constant Contact
Moshe's words שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל אַתָּה עֹבֵר הַיּוֹם signaled that after his death Klal Yisroel would no longer rely on his intercessory tefillos — דְּבָרִים אֲחֵרִים יִתְחַדְּשׁוּ. Drawing on the Arugas Habosem's resolution of שִׁוִּיתִי ה' לְנֶגְדִּי תָמִיד with the demand of הִתְחַדְּשׁוּת (unlike a human king, closeness to HKBH only deepens awe), the essay explains that the zechus of Krias Shema — constant connection to Hashem — is precisely what enables the nation to stand on its own. Moshe's hint that they daven for him was thus a test: had they internalized his message, they would recognize they no longer needed his tefillos.
Medrash
Ki Sisaתשפ״ו
Our Father Before Us
The essay explores why Moshe Rabbeinu’s prayers following the Sin of the Golden Calf were only answered after he invoked the 'Zechus Avos' (merit of the Patriarchs). Drawing on the metaphor of a grapevine leaning on old wood, it suggests that the Avos established the foundational desire to know and cling to God (Aggadah), and by invoking them, Moshe reframed the Golden Calf not as pure rebellion, but as a misguided attempt to maintain that ancestral connection.
Medrash
Ki Seitzeiתשפ״ה
Health and Healing
The essay explores the Mitzvah to remember Miriam's Tzara'as, interpreting it not as a physical ailment but as 'cholei hanefesh' (sickness of the soul) rooted in ego (Gaiva). By connecting the Midrash of Moshe's prayer to the waters of Marah, it argues that Torah and humility are the ultimate healing and preventative measures against spiritual decline.
Medrash