Mining The Riches Of The Parsha

This evening we explore the approach of the fox vs. the hedgehog and describe how Yitro was a hedgehog and how we should emulate that, based on an essay by Rabbi Zohar Atkins. We explore the two ways Yitro wanted to reduce Moshe's burden. And we share the insight of Rabbi Yaakov Galinsky on the commandment not to covet, with an emotional story that should hit home for all of us. Michael Whitman is...

This week's Torah portion Yitro, is chronologically challenged. We know the revelation at Sinai happened about seven weeks after leaving Egypt. But when did Yitro visit? Lot's of opinions, no clarity. And the two curious commandments at the end of the portion - no metal to cut the alter stones, and a ramp instead of steps - when were they given, especially as they would not be relevant for about 5...

In honor of Tu B'Shvat, today's Jewish holiday that celebrates the fruits of Israel, I share a story about Rabbi Yosef Rimon deciding not to eat a perfectly good apple in New York City, and Rabbi Avraham Kook planting a sapling in Israel with a curious level of emotion and reverence. Taken together we understand that the fruits and trees in Israel are not only physical items, but spiritual entitie...

Can a text written thousands of years ago really regulate modern accounting—or might it demand even more integrity than today’s rules do? This morning we survey the Biblical accountants – Joseph and Moshe – and review the many Biblical requirements for accountants and auditors to follow, including accurately valuating the fair value of businesses so as not to cheat potential investors or buyers; o...

What would your mind feel like if, just for one day, you truly believed that all your work was complete? This morning we delve into an insight from Rabbi Yosef Kanefsky on the quality of rest on Shabbat. It is not just desisting from certain kinds of work, but feeling deeply as if all my work during the past six days is complete. It never is, but we are to imagine it so, to remove any thoughts on...

This evening we analyze as objectively as I can the most crucial moral question facing the Jewish People today. Should we, or should we not celebrate the downfall of our enemies. We survey the main issues and sources on this question, which has vital application to us today. The earliest source relates to our Torah portion, B'Shalach. There is a large group of respected, authoritative voices on ea...

What Really Makes a Prayer Leader Effective | 10@9 | 2026.01.29 by Rabbi Michael Whitman

If prayer sometimes feels empty mechanical - this idea might change how you Daven forever. This morning we unpack the layers of meaning in the prayer Az Yashir (the song sung by the Jewish People when God split the Red Sea and the Jewish People crossed on dry land to safety). We learn why it is vital that we say this prayer every day. In fact, without this song, prayer is meaningless and ridiculou...

This morning we express gratitude for the return of the body of Ran Gvili for burial in Israel. This hero was the last remaining body killed and held by Hamas. I share a story from Rabbi Meilech Biderman about how little spiritual investment is needed for great spiritual returns. We demonstrate with a tribute to Rabbi Uri Lupoliansky, who recently passed away. From very humble beginnings ( of the...

This morning we ask why aren't there open miracles today like the splitting of the Red Sea? We analyze the passage where God commands how to collect and eat the Mon (Manna from heaven which the Jewish People ate during their 40-year journey through the desert), and why Moshe was angry they did not follow God's instructions. A profound answer from Rabbi Mair Simchah of Dvinsk in Meshech Chochmah ex...

This morning we survey the heightened tensions in Israel due to threats of an Iranian missile attack. We review the instructions given this past Friday from Israel's Home Front Command Center, which indicated, at that time, there were no raised alert levels, and continued with its "normal" instructions, which include continuous knowledge of different alert signals from different enemies, knowledge...

This morning we investigate the morally dubious command for each Jewish person to "borrow" from their Egyptian friend (?) silver and gold. But they weren't returning it. We present the approach of Netziv (Rabbi Yehuda Tzvi Hersh Berlin) that this was to elicit the events at the splitting of the Red Sea. Then we quote Rabbi S.R. Hirsch, who writes this attests to the high moral quality the Egyptian...

This morning I describe a period I went through nineteen years ago with problems in my vocal chords, culminating in surgery, which was slowly and gradually successful over time. I share what it was like to not be able to speak for a while, and how I have tried hard, till this day, to not take my ability to speak for granted. But the worst impact was not being able to pray properly, which is by say...

This morning we survey the impact siblings in the Torah have on each other, both positive and negative, and try to understand what the Torah is teaching us about the significance of birth order in family dynamics. Much of what we learn is now supported by the most recent research on these two topics, as presented by Susan Dominus in a recent article in the New York Times Magazine. Michael Whitman...

This morning we pay tribute to the life and character of Rabbi Pinchas Hirschprung (born in Dukla, now part of Poland), a towering and unique leader in the Montreal Jewish community for decades, whose Yartzeit was last Friday. I share a bit about his early life, and how he came to Montreal. Then I share stories from his family and closest students about the true focus of his life - his kindness an...

This morning we present a profound, crazy-simple understanding of Kotzer Ruach (limited spirit, literally limited breath - which precluded the Jewish people from hearing Moshe give them the wonderful news of the impending Redemption). This insight, from psychologist Dr. Miri Avneri, has had a deep impact on my life. I tell the story of the "episodes" I had, and how I endured an MRI. Michael Whitma...

This evening we investigate when it is permissible to schedule a non-urgent surgery on Friday, in spite of a general prohibition to do so. Rabbi Yosef Rimon gives practical and sensitive guidelines that are especially relevant here in Montreal, and in many other places. Through this rather technical discussion, Rabbi Rimon is clearly attuned to protecting both physical and emotional well-being. We...

This morning I share a moving story from Rabbi YY Jacobson. We analyze two ways of saying goodbye (one of them from our Parsha), the distinction the Talmud makes between them, and the explanation of that distinction by Rabbi Avraham Kook. We end by demonstrating this principle with a quote from Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk (the Kotzker Rebbe). Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congreg...

This morning I share a momentous story concerning Rabbi Yaakov Kanievsky (also known as the Steipler Rav), and advice he gave a young man in a spiritual crisis, that is relevant to every one of us. Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congregation in Hampstead, Quebec, and an adjunct professor at McGill University Faculty of Law. ADATH is a modern orthodox synagogue community in suburban M...

This morning we express our sadness and outrage at the arsonist attack this past Shabbat at Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi. We tell the history of this active synagogue, and we cry for the pain inflicted on our brothers and sisters there. I share a Dvar Torah on last week's Parsha that is on the Beth Israel website. I assume it is written by Rabbi Benjamin Russell, Beth Israel's...

This morning I share parts of an article by Steve Lipman published the Lehrhaus on the subject of ex-orthodox young Jews: how many, why, how to respond. For many years I have embraced radical acceptance to everyone who discusses this with me, and I welcome an initiative by the Belzer Rebbe, Rabbi Yissacher Dov Rokeach, which practices this. Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congregation...

This morning we explore the mood of late Shabbat afternoon, how and why it is different from Shabbat morning and Friday night. We analyze how each word and detail of Havdalah, the ceremony marking the end of Shabbat, addresses our concerns and worries, lifts our spirits, and reenergizes us for the coming week. Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congregation in Hampstead, Quebec, and an a...

This evening we try to unpack the cryptic narrative of Tziporah, Moshe's wife, doing the Brit Milah for their newborn son - though that is not a practice Orthodox Jews follow - and what led to that incident. I share a great only-in-Israel story from Sarah Tuttle-Singer. We examine the precise meaning of Moshe's name (it's not what you think) based on Sforno and Rabbi S.R. Hirsch, and the ways in w...

This morning we provide, based on an essay by Bailey Newman, a startling reason why Moshe spent much of his life, decades, in Midian, cut off from the entire Jewish People in Egypt, until God met Moshe at the Burning Bush. We share the insight of the Rav, Rabbi Yosef Soloveitchik, that Moshe was relying on his years-ago, less than stellar impression of his Jewish brothers and sisters. God comes to...

This morning we consider why God chose Moshe to lead the Jews out of Egypt and towards Israel. The key, according to Rabbi Saul Berman, must be in the only three episodes of Moshe's early life the Torah shares with us. Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congregation in Hampstead, Quebec, and an adjunct professor at McGill University Faculty of Law. ADATH is a modern orthodox synagogue co...