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3 essays
Behaloschaתשפ״ו
Exclusively Excluded: Aharon and the Menorah
The essay explores Aharon's distress over Shevet Levi's exclusion from the Chanukas HaMishkan offerings. By analyzing the mention of Shevet Ephraim in the Midrash, it suggests Aharon feared a failure in maintaining the Mesorah, but was reassured that his role in lighting the Menorah represents the eternal endurance of the Torah tradition.
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
EmorChayei SarahVayeshevSukkosתשפ״ו
Sukkos
The essay explores the Midrashic connection between Rivka Imenu and the Lulav, focusing on how she birthed both a Tzaddik (Yaakov) and a Rasha (Esav). It argues that unlike Ishmael, who was divinely excluded from Avraham's legacy, Esav had the potential and 'shoresh' (root) to be part of the chosen lineage but chose a different path through his own free will. This highlights the theme of Bechirah (free choice) on Sukkos, the holiday associated with Yaakov Avinu.
Medrash