Rabbi Moshe Kesselman Weekly Shiurim

Parsha Shiur Chayei Sara 2024 Rabbi Akiva was teaching Torah and his students were falling asleep, so he roused them by explaining that Queen Esther merited to rule over 127 Countries in the Schuss of her great-grandmother Sara, who lived for 127 years. Sources Parshas Chayei Sara Perek 23 Pessukim 1 and 2 Midrash Rabba Bereishis Parsha 58 Perek 3, Parsha 45 Perakim 4 and 5. Parshas Lech Lecha Per...

Parsha Shiur Vayera 2024 On the way to the Akeida, the Satan tries to dissuade Avrohom and Yitzchok. Satan fails with Avrohom but succeeds with Yitzchok. Until Avrohom explains to Yitzchok the true depth of the significance of the test and accomplishment of the Akeida. Sources Sefer Shivchei Ha'Ari Parshas Vayera Perek 22 Pessukim 6 - 13 Commentaries of Rashi On Pessukim 6, 8 and 13 Midrash Rabba...

Parsha Shiur Lech Lecha 2024 As Avram and Sarai approach Egypt, Avram tells her that she is a beautiful woman. They devise a plan to tell the Egyptians that they are brother and sister. Sources: Gemara Sotah 17 A Parshas Lech Lecha Perek Perek 10 Pessukim 10-13 Rashi Possuk 11 Taamei Masores Hatorah Maharam MeRotenberg Possuk 12 Gemara Brochas 31 B

Parsha Shiur Nitzavim - Vayelech 2024 Almighty GD informed Moshe that the time had come for him to die. He used the word הן. The Midrash sees in this word, the reason for Moshe’s death. Rabbi Akiva possesses qualities that Moshe Rabbeinu doesn’t seem to have. Yet, he claims to have received them from Moshe Rabbeinu. Naomi begs her daughters-in-law, not to return to the land of Israel with her. Ini...

On the skull of King Yehoyakim was written the words: זאת ועוד אחרת. The meaning of the words becomes clear to R’ Chiya only after his wife burns the skull in her oven. The burning of his skull allows Yehoyakim a share in Olam Habba. The Baal Haturim sees a hint to this in the depths of the Pessukim of the Tochachah. The Gilgulei Neshamos reveals the secret to the Tikun of a woman named Asalyahu w...

Parsha Shiur Ki Tetze 2024 As Dovid flees for his life from his son Avshalom, the Talmud relates that he wanted to serve Avoda Zara. Through a fascinating conversation with his friend and advisor ‘Chushai Ho’arki’ the depths of Dovid’s pain and healing are revealed. Sources Chumash Devorim Perek 21 Pesukim 10 - 21 Commentery of Rashi on Possuk 11 Gemara Sanhedrin 107 A Shmuel Bais Perek 15 Possuk...

Parsha Shiur Parshas Shoftim 2024 A Jew is found dead in a field and no one knows who killed. The Supreme Court of 71 Judges, as well as the High court of the nearest city and all the Kohanim have to be atoned. For the one who was killed was denied the ability ‘to produce.’ He had potential. Sources Shmuel Beis Perek 3 Pesukim 1 - 29 Gemara Sanhedrin 48 B and 49 A Devorim Parshas Shoftim Perek 21...

Parsha Shiur Re’eh 2024 Description The story of Nov the City of Kohanim is catastrophic stain on the pages of our peoples history. The city gets destroyed, the Kohanim and all the inhabitants of the city were massacred, Shaul and his 3 sons are sentenced to death, Doeg Hoadomi loses his share in the world to come and Dovids descendants are almost entirely annihilated. Yet it is to this story that...

Did Moshe wrestle the Luchos out of Hashem’s Hands? Did Moshe himself save the Jewish People’s greatest spiritual menace? Against Hashem’s recommendation? What is the meaning over the seemingly never ending struggle between Hashem and Moshe Rabbeinu? Sources: Devorim Parshas Ekev Perek 9 Pesukim 13 - 17 Yerushalmi Taanis Perek 4 Halacha 5 (Daf 23 A) Bavli Sanhedrin 101 A Rashi Nismachmech B’binyan...

Parsha Shiur Vaeschanan 2024 Hashem would not even allow Moshe to be buried in Eretz Yisroel. He told Moshe, if you are buried in Israel, only Jews buried in Israel would experience the revival of the dead when the time comes. Sources Devorim Perek 3 Pesukim 23 - 26 Midrash Rabba Devorim Parsha 2 Perek 9 Rashi on Pesukim 23 and 24 Commentery of Baal Haturim on Possuk 23 Midrash Rabba on Esther Par...

Parsha Shiur Mattos Massei 2024 If Moshe Rabbeinu would have wanted to live longer, he would have delayed the war against Midian. Sources: Bamidbar Parshas Mattos Perek 31 Pesukim 1 - 8 Midrash Rabba Bamidbar Parsha 23 Perek 2 Targum Yonasan Ben Uziel Bamidbar Perek 31 Possuk 8 Bereishis Parshas Chayei Sara Perek 24 Possuk 60

Parsha Shiur Pinchas 2024 Despite Bilaam’s failure to curse the Jews, his council still has devastating consequences. 200,000 Jews perished as a result of Balak and Billam’s conspiring. The specific words Bilaam uses, reverberate throughout history.

Parsha Shiur Balak 2024 The Torah tells us that the nation of Moav were very fearful of the Jewish people. The Baal Haturim compares their fear to the fear king Shaul had for Dovid Hamelech. Sources Bamidbar Parshas Balak Perek 21 Pesukim 2,3 and 4. Commentery of Baal Haturim on Possuk 3 Bamidbar Rabba Parsha 20 Perek 3 Gemara Sanhedrin 39 B Igra D’Kallah Parshas Balak Gemara Bava Kamma 38 B Selec...

hat Terrifies an Antisemite? Parsha Shiur Balak 2024 Description The Torah tells us that the nation of Moav were very fearful of the Jewish people. The Baal Haturim compares their fear to the fear king Shaul had for Dovid Hamelech. Sources Bamidbar Parshas Balak Perek 21 Pesukim 2,3 and 4. Commentery of Baal Haturim on Possuk 3 Bamidbar Rabba Parsha 20 Perek 3 Gemara Sanhedrin 39 B Igra D’Kallah P...

The gates of the Bais Hamikdash were swallowed in the ground. The descendants of Korach rejoiced when they heard this. They believed that: ‘Whoever extracts the gates from the ground, will extract them as well.’ The Gates of the Bais Hamikdash received special protection from Hashem since they honored the Aron and publicly displayed Hashem’s forgiveness for Dovid Hamelech. Moshiach personally erec...

Parsha Shiur Shlach 2024 Description The Midrash says that the Sin of sending the spies made Hashem swear that the Jews would not enter the land of Israel. Why did Moshe change Yehoshua’s name? What were the Jews really afraid of? Sources: Midrash Rabba Bamidbar Parsha 16 Perek 7 Chumash Bamidbar Perek 13 Possuk 16 Commentery of Rashi on the Possuk Commentery of Daas Zekeinim M’Baalei Hatosfos on...

Moshe Rabbeinu asks Hashem to die. The Jews request for meat rattled Moshe to the point where he said to Hashem: ‘Please kill me if I find favor in your eyes.’ Hashem’s response is to tell Moshe to ‘gather 70 elders.’ What is the cause of Moshe’s intense anguish? How does Hashem respond to it? Sources: Bamidbar Parshas Behaaloscha Perek 11 Pesukim 4-16 Commentery of Chida and Ben Ish Chai on Possu...

Hashem instructed Moshe not to count the Leviim ‘among the Jewish people.’ The Midrash explains that this was in order to save their lives from the angel of death. The expression ‘Seu Es Rosh’ foretells of the death of the entire Jewish generation in the desert. Sources Bereishis Perek 40, Pesukim 5 - 19 Rashi on Possuk 5 Bamidbar Perek 1 Possuk 2 and Pesukim 46 - 50. Bamidbar Rabba Parsha Aleph P...

Parsha Shiur Bechukotai 2024 Parshat Bechukotai Perek 26 Possuk 42 Commentary of Rashi on the Possuk Gemara Zevachim 62 A Gemara Shabbos 89 B Likkutei Sichos Volume 25 Page 132

Lag B'Omer Shiur 2024 Bava Metzia 83 A

Reish Lokish taught us about the power of Teshuva. The Sins of the past are transformed into merits. (Yuma 86 B) How does this work? Sources Parshas Kedoshim Perek 20 Possuk 1- 3 Commentary of Baal Haturim on the Possuk Parshas Shemos Perek 2 Pessukim 7 - 9 Gevara Sotah 12 B Gemara Yuma 86 B Midrash Rabba Shemos Rabba Parsha 1 Perek 25 Maamar Mayim Rabim 5738 Ois 4

On the holiest day of the year, a goat was pushed off a mountain. On its head it carried the Sins of all the Jews. The Rambam teaches us that they were forgiven for the vast majority of their Sins, through this process, even without doing Teshuva. How are we to understand any of this?

Parsha Shiur Parshat Metzora 2024 Description Rashbi and his son seem to be sharply divided in the interpretation of the Mitzvah if Tzaraas appearing in the walls of one’s home. Sources Chumash Vayikra Perek 14 Pesukim 1 - 4 Rashi on Possuk 2 Gemara Bava Metzia 84 B Gemara Sanhedrin 71 A Likkutei Sichos Chelek 2 Devarim Page 359 Ois 3

Hadrian’s nephew Akilos (Unkelus) wanted to convert and become a Jew. His uncle told him that the Jews are ‘the lowliest of all nations.’ Akilos claimed that even the ‘smallest’ among them know how GD created the world, in which order it was created, the accurate age of the universe, what makes it stand and their Torah is true. The seemingly strange explanation of the Baal Haturim from where we le...

The Mitzvah of Parah Adumah is the most illogical Mitzvah in the Torah. Yet the Possuk and Rashi seem to provide the reason and the incentive for the Mitzvah. Rashi even adds an explanation of the significance of many of its details. Why did Hashem distracted the Angel of Death during the giving of the Torah? Sources: Bamidbar Perek 19 Pesukim 1 - 22 Commentery of Rashi on Possuk 2 and 22 Commente...