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Beshalach 5769Volume 5 · Issue 17
The Power of True Form
The Rambam however states otherwise. He writes (Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah 8:1), “The faith of Israel in Moshe Rabbeinu was not based on the signs that he performed, because he whose faith is based on signs retains doubt in his heart, for it is possible to perform the sign through the hidden arts and sorcery
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Vayishlach 5769Volume 5 · Issue 9
Powers of Triumph
reason for this was that the Creator had concealed from him the Ultimate Redemption (Pesachim 56a; Rashi to Bereshis 49:1), and the end of the Fourth Kingdom is the Ultimate Redemption itself. The end is distant—we have faith that it will happen speedily in our days and it can arrive any day, but for Yaakov Avinu, it was far, far in the distant future, and he was unable to see it. This is true exile.
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Vayishlach 5770Volume 6 · Issue 10
Spice of Torah
Accordingly, the Will of God is that the world will reach a state when falsehood will admit to its falsehood, when even the greatest deniers of faith, moreover, the source of denial itself, will concede the truth.
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Lech Lecha 5770Volume 6 · Issue 6
Sodom Overturned
The similarity of their facial features is the mystery of their oppositeness. Avraham brought truth and faith to the world, and all that is good and correct and existing. But it is ruined by the reality of the bad that exists in the world, which occupies most, nearly all of space, and takes
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Vayishlach 5771Volume 7 · Issue 11
Indomitable Nation
We are people of faith descendant of people of faith, children of Yaakov Avinu. The very same Eliyahu HaNavi will one day come and bring us great tidings as well. “It shall be on that day, a great shofar shall be sounded, and those who are lost
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Miketz Chanukah 5771Volume 7 · Issue 13
Lights of Gratitude
The Ramban discusses the concept of miracles at length and explains how they establish all the principles of the Torah and all the fundamentals of faith. In a world that has no beginning, causeless change is impossible. If a single tiny leaf at the end of the world would flutter out of turn, it would uproot the entire world. It would start a chain reaction of cause
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Beshalach 5772Volume 8 · Issue 18
Connected to the Exodus
days of Israel in Egypt lengthened…, the principle that Avraham planted was nearly uprooted, and the children of Yaakov returned to the error of the world and their straying.” In other words, not much was missing before the faith that Avraham had introduced to the world disappeared.
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VaYikra-HaChodesh 5772Volume 8 · Issue 24
First Revelation of the Torah
quote more. But since we do not sever a verse in the middle (Ta’anis 27b), we quote the entire verse, “Israel saw the great hand that God inflicted upon Egypt, and the nation feared God, and they had faith in God and in Moshe His servant.”
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Miketz Chanukah 5773Volume 9 · Issue 13
In Those Days In This Time
…speech, he caused everyone who spoke with him or met him to return to faith. Once he passed away, the Creator suspended the pearl from the orb of the sun. Avraham Avinu had contemplated the sun (cf. Rambam Hilchos…
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Vayigash 5773Volume 9 · Issue 14
Altered Course
The Mishnah states (Sotah 48a), “From when the Holy Temple was destroyed, the stone-boring worm and dripping honeycombs were nullified, and men of faith ceased from Israel, as it says (Tehillim 12:2), “Deliver, God, for the devoted one is no more, for faith has ceased from the children of man.” R’ Shimon ben Gamliel said, “R’ Yehoshua testified that from the day that
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Terumah 5773Volume 9 · Issue 21
He Who Laughs Last
But our faith is absolute and unshakeable. Despite what we see, we have complete and true faith. Everything proceeds with a sure step in the obvious direction, eliminating every chance of a future. This is our predicament. But when the day comes
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Emor 5773Volume 9 · Issue 27
Ultimate Concession
Thus, some impenetrable question always remains. We must live with the question. It is one of the tests of faith. Asaf, one of the prophets who authored the book of Psalms (Bava Basra 14b), says of himself (Tehillim 73:2-3), “And I, my feet were practically turned astray, my steps nearly slipped, for I was envious of the arrogant, when
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Ki Savo 5772Volume 9 · Issue 3
Additional Covenant
…tten Torah, which does not use the term bris but amanah, from the word emunah, faith. Ezra says to those who returned from exile and those who founded the Second Temple (Nechemiah 10:1), “And upon all this, we…
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Bo 5765Volume 10 · Issue 16
Pathless Desolation
…set permanent times for Torah study, have you conducted your affairs with faith, have you delved into wisdom,” all of which clearly decide his fate and determine his reward, so too, he is asked, “Have you awaited…
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Yisro 5764Volume 10 · Issue 18
Joint Conversation
God had created the world entirely free, out of pure and absolute will, without any prior cause. Obviously, there could be no prior cause; to imagine otherwise, Heaven forbid, is denial of faith. The world was created exclusively by His will alone, and with its creation, He proclaims, “I have granted you existence without any cause.”
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Mishpatim 5763Volume 10 · Issue 19
Relish the Goodness
But we know differently. The matter is clear and in fact the foundation of faith. It is the most elemental concept, the very first thing that we must know, the first step on the Path of the Just upon which R’ Moshe Chaim Luzzato leads us. He begins with what the sages teach us, and their
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Shemini-Parah 5774Volume 10 · Issue 28
Purity of Heart
fundamental principles of the Torah. As stated in the poetic words of Yigdal, “The dead shall the Lord bring to life in His abundant kindness,” or as stated after our Morning Prayers, “I have absolute faith that the Resurrection of the Dead will be when the Will arises from the Creator.”
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Bamidbar 5774Volume 10 · Issue 33
Shavuos: Beginning Anew
We even see the blessing—we see the ascent of the moon and the blessing it heralds. And we know with absolute faith that the day will come when the decree of reduction will be nullified, and the blessing will increase more and more and at evening time there will be light, “And night will shine like day, dark and light will
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Vayeira 5765Volume 10 · Issue 6
Emulative Progeny
creation. Of him, the sages ascribe the verse (Shir HaShirim 8:9; Bereshis Rabbah 39:3), “If she is like a wall, we will build upon her a silver tiara.” They explain that if he establishes matters of faith like a wall, the entire world would be built upon him.
