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Weekly Inspire

Rabbi Joey Haber

Relevant weekly insights by Rabbi Joey Haber - delivered directly to your computer and/or mobile device

religion & spirituality judaism

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The Humility to Defer

Weekly Inspire ·

2024/04/04

Parashat Shemini tells about the events on the inaugural day of the Mishkan, when Aharon and sons served as kohanim for the very first time. After the seven-day period when they were prepared to be kohanim, on the eighth day, they began performing the service in the Mishkan. In honor of the event, Aharon offered a number of sacrifices. He offered sacrifices for himself, and he also offered sacrifices given to him by the nation for him to bring on their behalf. One of the animals which was offered

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Words That Motivate

Weekly Inspire ·

2024/03/28

I once went into a classroom of 8 th -grade girls before Rosh Hashanah to speak to them about growth and change. I began by asking each student to specify one thing which she would like to change during the upcoming new year. I was expecting to hear answers such as “Improve my concentration during prayer,” “Being more careful about saying berachot ,” “Avoiding lashon ha’ra ,” and “Being more respectful to my parents.” But that’s not what the girls answered. One girl said, “My nose is too big.”

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Shabbat Zachor- Hashem's Plan

Weekly Inspire ·

2024/03/17

On Shabbat Zachor – the Shabbat before Purim – we read as the haftarah the story of the war waged by Shaul, the first king of Israel, against the wicked nation of Amalek (Shmuel I, chapter 15). Haman descended from this nation, and so on this Shabbat, we read of the war that was fought between our ancestors and Haman’ ancestors. The story begins with the prophet Shmuel conveying to Shaul Hashem’s command to eradicate the entire nation of Amalek. Shaul promptly mobilized an army and waged war against

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Purim- The Hidden Spark

Weekly Inspire ·

2024/03/11

The Gemara in Masechet Megillah (12a) tells that the students of Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai asked him why the Jews at the time of Mordechai and Ester deserved the decree of annihilation. Rabbi Shimon challenged them to suggest their own answer. They proposed that the Jews deserved to be destroyed because they participated in Ahashverosh’s feast. Rabbi Shimon noted that if this were true, then only the Jews of Shushan deserved the decree, because the king’s feast was only for the city’s inhabitants. But

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Making Shabbat

Weekly Inspire ·

2024/03/04

Parashat Vayakhel begins with Moshe Rabbenu assembling Beneh Yisrael to convey to them the commands for the building of the Mishkan . But before speaking about the Mishkan , Moshe first told the people that they must observe Shabbat each week. The Rabbis explained that the mitzvah of Shabbat is connected to the construction of the Mishkan because the 39 melachot , or categories of activity that are forbidden on Shabbat, are derived from the building of the Mishkan . The 39 types of work that were

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The Large “Bird” in Our Heads

Weekly Inspire ·

2024/02/26

The Gemara (Gittin 56b) tells a mysterious story about Titus, the Roman general who destroyed the Bet Ha’mikdash . Titus was exceptionally arrogant, and boasted that he was far more powerful than the G-d of Israel. Hashem punished Titus by having a tiny mosquito fly into his nostril and up into his head. There it continually pecked, causing Titus extreme pain. Hashem showed Titus that he could be defeated by the tiniest of creatures. The Gemara concludes the story by telling that after Titus’

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Earning Respect

Weekly Inspire ·

2024/02/18

In Parashat Tetzaveh, the Torah elaborates at great length on the topic of the bigdeh kehuna , the special garments worn by the kohanim . Every kohen was to wear four special garments, and the kohen gadol wore an additional four garments. The Torah takes these garments very, very seriously. If a kohen performs the service in the Bet Ha’mikdash and is missing even one of the required garments, he is חייב מיתה בידי שמיים – liable to death at the hands of G-d. The Sefer Ha’hinuch explains the reason

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Are We Turning Our Homes Into Sanctuaries

Weekly Inspire ·

2024/02/14

Parashat Teruma tells about the Mishkan , the portable sanctuary which Beneh Yisrael built at Mount Sinai, and which they took with them as they traveled through the wilderness and crossed into the Land of Israel. It was eventually replaced by the Bet Ha’mikdash in Jerusalem. The main area of the Mishkan featured three furnishings: 1) a menorah , which was kindled each evening; 2) a mizbe’ah (altar); 3) a shulhan (table), on which bread was displayed. The commentators explained that these three

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Torah & Our Imperfect Lives

Weekly Inspire ·

2024/02/08

Many years ago, a father brought his son before his bar-mitzvah to meet a certain Hassidic Rebbe. The Rebbe, to the boy’s astonishment, turned to him and asked if he was a sports fan. “Sure,” the boy replied. “I follow baseball.” “What team do you root for?” the Rebbe asked. “The Brooklyn Dodgers.” The Rebbe then asked the boy if he ever attended a Dodgers game. “Of course,” the boy said. “Actually, my father took me to a game just a few days ago.” The Rebbe asked what happened in the game. “It was

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Living Lives of Kedushah

Weekly Inspire ·

2024/01/28

ממלכת כוהנים וגוי קדוש Parashat Yitro tells the story of מעמד הר סיני – Hashem’s revelation to Beneh Yisrael , when He presented them the Torah. Prior to this event, Hashem delivered a message to the people through Moshe Rabbenu, explaining to them the purpose of מעמד הר סיני , and, in essence, their mission as a nation. He declared that if they observe the commands of the Torah, then והייתם לי סגולה מכל העמים – “You shall be a treasure for Me, from among all the other nations” (Shemot 19:5). He

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Yosef's Bone

Weekly Inspire ·

2024/01/25

In the beginning of Parashat Beshalah, the Torah informs us that as Beneh Yisrael left Egypt, Moshe ensured to bring with him the bones of Yosef, who had died many years earlier: ויקח משה את עצמות יוסף עמו (13:19). Moshe did this in fulfillment of Yosef’s command to his brothers before he died, that his remains should be brought out of Egypt and be buried in the Land of Israel. Why is it important for us to know? Why, amid all the drama of Yetziat Mitzrayim , did the Torah find it necessary to

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Elevating the Mundane

Weekly Inspire ·

2024/01/18

Immediately after Beneh Yisrael left Egypt, Hashem presented a number of commands that are intended to commemorate and memorialize this miraculous event. One of these mitzvot is pidyon ha’ben – the “redemption” of the firstborn. Hashem declared that on the night of Yetziat Mitzrayim , when He brought a plague that killed the firstborns of Egypt, but spared the firstborn of Beneh Yisrael , all bechorim (male firstborns) of Beneh Yisrael became holy. Forever more, every male firstborn in the Jewish

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A Parents Job

Weekly Inspire ·

2024/01/11

Parashat Vaera begins in the middle of a difficult exchange between Hashem and Moshe Rabbenu. To briefly review, Hashem had sent Moshe to come before Pharaoh and demand that he release Beneh Yisrael . Moshe did as he was told, and Pharaoh not only refused, but increased the people’s workload, significantly intensifying their suffering. Moshe then turned to Hashem and asked, “Why have You done evil to Your people? Why did you send me?” Hashem reassured Moshe that He would force Pharaoh to let Beneh

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Creating a “Desert” in Our Homes

Weekly Inspire ·

2024/01/04

Parashat Shemot tells of the first time Hashem spoke to Moshe Rabbenu. He appeared to Moshe in the סנה , the burning bush, appointing him Beneh Yisrael ’s prophet and leader, who would bring them out of Egypt. The Torah writes that Moshe saw the burning bush and received this prophecy when he was working as a shepherd for his father-in-law, Yitro, and, specifically, when he brought the sheep out into the desert: וינהג את הצאן אחר המדבר (3:1). The Midrash Tanhuma comments that this pasuk has a deep

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Resisting Victimhood

Weekly Inspire ·

2023/12/28

We read in Parashat Vayehi of the special blessings that Yaakov Avinu gave to Yosef’s two sons, Efrayim and Menashe. After Yaakov took ill, Yosef brought his sons to Yaakov so that he could bless them. Yaakov embraced them and then proclaimed the following famous blessing: המלאך הגואל אותי מכל רע יברך את הנערים, ויקרא בהם שמי ושם אבותי אברהם ויצחק, וידגו לרוב בקרב הארץ. The angel who has redeemed me from all evil shall bless the youths, and my name – and the names of my fathers, Avraham and Yitzchak

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Connecting Our Minds to Our Hearts

Weekly Inspire ·

2023/12/21

Parashat Vayigash tells the dramatic story of Yosef’s revealing his identity to his brothers. In the years after they sold him a slave, Yosef miraculously rose to the position of vizier in Egypt. When the brothers came many years later to purchase grain from Egypt, they would never have imagined that the Egyptian ruler before whom they stood was their brother. Now, Yosef finally told his brothers who he was. After Yosef revealed his identity, the Torah tells, ויפל על צוארי בנימן אחיו ויבך, ובנימן

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Filling Our Minds With Torah

Weekly Inspire ·

2023/12/14

Parashat Miketz continues the story of Yosef, who was sold as a slave by his brothers, and brought down to Egypt. He miraculously became the vizier of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh himself. When the surrounding countries faced a harsh famine, many people – including Yosef’s brothers – came to Egypt to buy grain. At one point in the story, Yosef ordered that a special feast be prepared for him and his brothers. He instructed his servants, וטבוח טבח והכן – that they should slaughter an animal to

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Wearing Our Shoes

Weekly Inspire ·

2023/12/07

Parashat Vayeshev tells the tragic story of mechirat Yosef – the brothers’ selling Yosef as a slave. They at first plotted to kill him, but eventually they decided to lift him from the pit into which they had thrown him, and sell him to merchants as a slave. These merchants then brought Yosef down to Egypt and sold him to a nobleman named Potifar. The Midrash teaches us something very peculiar about this transaction. It tells that Yosef’s brothers used the money they received in exchange for Yosef

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The "Dust"

Weekly Inspire ·

2023/11/30

We read in Parashat Vayishlah that as Yaakov Avinu made his way back to Eretz Yisrael , a mysterious man attacked him, and wrestled with him throughout the night. Yaakov ultimately emerged victorious, although he sustained an injury to his hip, that made him limp. The Rabbis explained that this mysterious attacker was שרו של עשיו – the angel of Eisav, the Satan , the force of evil, the yetzer ha’ra that tries to lead us to sin. To understand the significance of this incident, we need to take note of

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Connecting With Hashem In Times of Uncertainty

Weekly Inspire ·

2023/11/23

Parashat Vayetzeh begins with Yaakov Avinu fleeing from his home, as his brother, Esav, was trying to kill him. The Torah tells us: ויפגע במקום וילן שם כי בא השמש – “He came upon a place, and he slept there, because the sun set.” As he slept, Yaakov beheld the famous dream of a ladder extending to the heavens, with angels ascending and descending the ladder. When we read this pasuk, we get the impression that Yaakov happened to arrive at some random place, and it was getting late, so he went to

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