Going to try a new summary based approach for this week by posting some basic thoughts and then adding in videos from the Rabbis further detailing the general parasha topic.
This past Shabbat’s weekly parasha was Bo which encompasses the last three weeks (of the ten total) – locusts, darkness and the killing of firstborn children.
In this video by Rabbi Alon Anava, the Rabbi shares how we can clean ourselves out (out of personal Egypt) before we do the mitzvot that Hashem gave us.
Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz in this first !Short Clip! is taken from the story of Rav Nachman of Breslov of the prince who thought he was a chicken and how the concept of acting your way into better thinking applies here….fake it until you make it (ie. changing your behavior regardless of your thoughts and feelings) as a solution. While the second video is the entire lecture encompassing this !Short Clip! and the rest of the shiur about the weekly Parasha Bo.
Lastly, in this lecture by Rabbi Avraham Arieh Trugman, the Rabbi explains how the last three plagues in Egypt represent the concept of free will versus destiny and how Jewish thought embraces the obvious paradox between the two as they both co-exsist.
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Rabbi Alon Anava – The main theme of this video is that the goal of Jewish living is to reduce our reliance on materalism by taking it and breaking our reliance on it, purify it and elevate it. Great video on the destructive nature of materialism and how prevelant it is today.
Rabbi Alon Anava – Shares how the story of Yosef Hatzadik can teach us how Hashem’s hand is responsible for those who hate us and if we get this message clearly we can be less angry and more able to forgive others for their behaviors towards us.
Multi Topic Monday (Chanuka Plus) – Rabbi Tatz, Rabbi Wegbreit, Rabbi Pinto, and Rabbi Alon Anava
There were so many great introductory classes on Chanukah and related topics including the weekly parasha that it made sense to do another Torah blitz Monday with four videos. Hope you enjoy them!
Rabbi Dr. Akiva Tatz: Greek Beauty – A Chanukah Questions and Jewish Beauty
Rabbi Alon Anava – Shares about the importance of keeping the serving of Hashem at the forefront of our mind and actions all the time – fitting our life and lifestyle to will of our Creator and Jewish practices instead of the other way around. This will result in Hashem bending His will towards us in response which gives us what we want ultimately which is good for us.
Rabbi Alon Anava – Shares about the importance of keeping our promises and our word and the story about Yaakov Avinu in this past Shabbat’s weekly portion who married and lived with two sisters. There are many different details that are much deeper than the surface to explain these events that Rabbi Anava goes through in detail. “Keep your word – first be a mensch!”
Rabbi Alon Anava – Shares some interesting points about the weekly Torah portion (Noach). For example, the importance of sacrificing what YOU want for the good of others and how this worked good in the World in the time of Noach and still brings good in the World today.
Rabbi Alon Anava – Good timing for this video as we are approaching Rosh Hashana and the ten day of repentance. Rabbi Anava talks about the important of doing teshuvah everyday not just on specific days of the year and how this process affects us and our soul here and in the World to come. Repentance can empower us to be better as long as we are constantly keeping it at the forefront of our mind and have good intentions towards improvement.