The Rabbi Yonah Sklare Podcast

  Parshas HaChodesh: More On The Waxing of Hope and Salvation  

  This shiur will trace the pervasive symbolism of geulah in the sanctification of Rosh Chodesh, and how it inspires optimism amidst the grimiest conditions.    

  Ahava V’Yira— Love and Discipline, these indispensable, complementary traits can be compared to the ‘’double helix,’’ the stuff of life of healthy Yidishkeit. The dire consequence if either one is lacking, come to light from an inter-textual parallelism between the parsha and haftora.  

  Ahava V’Yira— Love and Discipline, these indispensable, complementary traits can be compared to the ‘’double helix,’’ the stuff of life of healthy Yidishkeit. The dire consequence if either one is lacking, come to light from an inter-textual parallelism between the parsha and haftora.  

  We human beings crave the moral clarity of good vs. evil, nice vs. naughty, and friend vs. foe. However, most of life is too complicated to be defined by neat characterizations and cubby-holing. How do we reconcile our need for certitude with the shades of gray which color our realty? This conundrum goes to the heart of the Yom Tov of Purim.      

  Frivolity, gaiety, and laughter. These traits are not generally associated with Yidishkeit, yet they so characterize the Purim season. A deeper understanding of what laughter is all about will shed light not only on this period, but on why the year-round psyche of a Jew and why he never despairs.    

  Frivolity, gaiety, and laughter. These traits are not generally associated with Yidishkeit, yet they so characterize the Purim season. A deeper understanding of what laughter is all about will shed light not only on this period, but on why the year-round psyche of a Jew and why he never despairs.     

  We pour everything we have into family life- our time, money, and emotion. The bayis is arguably the most central institution in Judaism. This focus will emerge with added power by discovering a ‘’red thread’’ pattern running throughout Sefer Shemos and culminating in our parsha.  

 We pour everything we have into family life- our time, money, and emotion. The bayis is arguably the most central institution in Judaism. This focus will emerge with added power by discovering a ‘’red thread’’ pattern running throughout Sefer Shemos and culminating in our parsha.   

 Man’s endeavor is glorified as Divine- b’tzelem Elokim. But so often the vicissitudes of life seem to make our endeavor far from inspiring. This shiur will study the secret of how to find meaning in our activities while living through the hubbub of life.   

  The 39 melachos directly correlate to Hashem’s creation process. This symbolizes man’s mammoth potential- as a tzelem elokim he is capable of a Maseh Bereishis of his own. Tragically however he can also abuse this great gift.   

  Healthy teshuvah embraces the totality of our humanity, including our shortcomings. It finds wholesome expression for even our wayward passions. This will become apparent from an in-depth treatment of how the mishkan atoned for Chet HaEgel.     

  Far more than a bureaucratic ritual of census procedure and fundraising, Machatzis HaShekel is a profound avodah of self-definition-- finding you inner virtue and dispelling personal stigmas. This understanding sheds light on the elusive relationship of this mitzvah to the Yom Tov of Purim.   

 This shiur teases out a cohesive theme and heart-warming message from the ketores ritual. The intense satisfaction which Hashem derives from the Jewish people is akin to the sensory pleasure of smell.   

  The mandate of mishkan- “I will dwell amongst You”- immediately following Matan Torah says much about Torah and Yiddishkeit as a whole. Far from a dry system of does and don’t, Yiddishkeit is all about the pursuit of an intimate bond, with Hashem dwelling in our midst.    

 In Jewish life we frequently suffer the ‘’edifice syndrome,’’ the drive to build large institutions and buildings, with insufficient focus on the neshama and meaning which those very structures are supposed to perpetuate. The antidote model is the mishkan — an abode humble in size but permeated by the spirit of shechinah. That spirit must forever endure, even after we settle in grand Bais Ha...

 Mishpatim vs. Chukim are not simply two categories of mitzvos but two complementary dimensions of Yidishkeit. There is a human dimension within a Divine Torah, namely, an embrace of our own thoughts feelings and sentiments, along with the acknowledgement that Hashem’s system transcends our limited comprehension.  

The import of freedom is showcased through Yetzias Mitzrayim-- the formative event in Klal Yisroel’s development. Freedom is precious but also precarious; it is so easy to abdicate one’s dignity as a Jew and ח''ו assume a demeaned position. This tragedy is brought to life in the narrative of Eved Ivri (The Hebrew Slave). Woven together as a cohesive tapestry, the story of Eved Ivri can be seen as...

  In a world pervaded by cynicism, where people have been jaded by negative life experience, Yisro introduces a refreshing contrast. He models the trait of receptivity-- an openness to inspiration. Yet, this admirable trait can be misconstrued as gullibility or naivete. In this shiur we will discover how along with his earnestness he must also come to possess a healthy dose of skepticism, and...

  Ahava and Yira-- Love and Awe, these two midos are both elemental to Yiddishkeit. Yet, at times they can seem contradictory or חס ושלום incompatible. The key to a balanced Ahava-Yira relationship will emerge from a syncretic study, connecting Matan Torah back to the formative stage of Yiddishkeit in the days of the Avos.   

  Following all the makos and wonders of Yetzias Mitzrayim, the miracles of Krias Yam Suf and in the desert can seem superfluous. Hasn’t Hashem already more than proven Himself to be master of the universe? What new revelation of the Divine and our relationship to Him is revealed here? This shiur will trace how the true power of emunah and firmness of spiritual conviction comes to bear here....

  “And it was when Pharaoh sent out the people.” This remarkable pasuk recasts the tyrant, Pharaoh himself, to a role in the liberation of B’nai Yisrael. For geulah to be complete there must be a reframing of all demons of the past. Even the most negative aspects of prior history assume a redemptive perspective.   

  ‘’So that you will tell your children how I mocked Mitzrayim.’’ Mockery and ridicule of one’s opponents is not a concept we generally associate with Torah. How can we harmonize this noxious notion of demeaning the other with Hashem’s elevated, benevolent being?   After we understand this concept of mockery, we will proceed to develop a new perspective of the Makos progression as a...

 Bleeding the Nile, Wild Beasts, etc. The Makos seem to be a vicious attack upon Pharoah. Is he totally demonized or is there any hope from him? In this shiur we discover how true geuah requires a path of reformation even for the wicked and a redemption from the ‘’them vs. us’’ model. In the end all human beings must come to embrace Hashem.   

  Yetzias Mitzrayim showcases Hashem’s attribute of lovingkindness. This is the deepest conception we can have of Hashem. All other attributes of Hashem- Judge, Lawgiver, etc. are all to advance the greater purpose of Divine chessed (much like a loving parent who disciplines solely for the child’s benefit). This epiphany of a Supreme Being of chessed was a radical departure from the prevalent...