Divrei Chaim

1)  Hashem did not tell Avraham where to go; he just told him " lech lecha... el ha'aretz asher areka. "  Don't worry -- k...

The first Rashi on the parsha tells us that Hashem told Avraham lech lecha, to go to Eretz Yisrael, because only there would he be zoche to ...

The Netziv in Harchev Davar at the end of the parsha quotes a machlokes between Rashi and the Rambam as to what being "meifer briso she...

The Rambam and Rosh (first perek in Kesubos #12) disagree whether birchas eirusin is a birchas hamitzvah or not.  Rosh writes that there is ...

וְאַתָּ֛ה   תָּב֥וֹא   אֶל ־ אֲבֹתֶ֖יךָ   בְּשָׁל֑וֹם   תִּקָּבֵ֖ר   בְּשֵׂיבָ֥ה   טוֹבָֽה 15:15 Rashi comments: בישר שעשה ישמעאל תשובה בימי...

(R' Baruch Mordechai Ezrachi)

Parshas Noach concludes with the death of Terach even though in fact he lived on for many years.  Rashi explains that the Torah records Tera...

Here is an article by Rabbi Menachem Genack which you can read in its entirety, or take my short version of the first few paragraphs: pikuac...

I am hesitant to quote this Chasam Sofer because I only saw it quoted second hand and have not been able to find it inside, so buyer beware....

Rambam in Hil Melachim (10:9) quotes the din that an aku"m is not allowed to learn Torah and the din that an aku"m is not allowed ...

The difference between the yetzer ha'tov and the yetzer ha'ra is NOT that the yetzer ha'tov pushes you to do mitzvos and the yet...

Two articles that are MUST reads: 1) Tablet Magazine:  https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/religion-science-coronavirus 2) The ...

The famous pasuk by by mattan Torah (Shmos 20:14) tells us that Klal Yisrael was " ro'im es ha'kolo s," they not only hear...

Today is the second yahrzeit of my MIL, Shulamis bas R' Dov Yehudah, so these words are l'iluy nishmasa. After telling us in Zos HaB...

The snake was given the punishment of "afar tochal kol y'mei chayecha," that he would always eat dirt.  Seems like a strange p...

R' Yeshaya Fruchter, a reader of my blog, was nice enough to send me copies of his seforim on Shabbos and Brachos, Chizuk Shmuel: Mussar...

Mah inyan Simchas Torah to Sukkos, to Shmini Atzeres?  Shouldn't we celebrate Simchas Torah in conjunction maybe with Shavuos?  Why here...

  The gemara (San 97a) writes that Mashiach ben David will not come  עד שתכלה פרוטה מן הכיס In Divrei Yechezkel the Shiniver quotes his FIL ...

The gemara (Eiruvin 96a) proves that bal tosif does not apply when doing a mitzvah outside its normal time unless one has kavanah l'shem...

Interview with R' Pinchas Friedman here (I added the bolding to the text): "אין כאן רק מלחמה על הגוף", חורץ הגר"פ פרידמן ...