Unperplexed: Parsha Lessons from Maimonides's Guide of the Perplexed

Why is the High Priest not allowed to mourn like the rest of us? What does that reveal about identity, responsibility, and spiritual purpose?

This week’s Parsha Pick-Me-Up is about loyalty, law, and knowing Who comes first. When parents say one thing and God says another—who do you listen to? The way we think about this question can change the way we think about everything that we do. Take two minutes to learn more.

"If a man does well, they say to him, you preceded the angels; if he does not, they say to him: (in creation) the fly preceded you, the gnat preceded you, the snail preceded you." - Reish Lakish But what does this have to do with the laws of Kashrut and ritual purity?

Discover a powerful moment in this week’s Torah portion — when celebration turns to tragedy, and true leadership emerges. In just a few minutes, gain insight into resilience, responsibility, and the roles we play when life doesn’t go as planned. Tune in to this week’s Parsha Pick-Me-Up to learn more.

Do we need to earn our place in this world? We find ourselves here, and no one asked us whether we were interested. Yet, once we are here, God makes demands of us. Our parasha contains the beginning of a meditation on this issue.

Discover the deeper meaning behind Hashem’s call to Moshe and how it offers a powerful lesson in affection, equality, and the way we relate to one another."

In this week's episode of Parsha Pick-Me-Up , we explore the surprising moment when Moses blesses the people after their painstaking work on the Tabernacle. Why is the blessing given at such an unexpected time? Join us for a thought-provoking insight into the power of finishing what we start and the true essence of success. Tune in for a quick, meaningful reflection on the Parsha that will inspire...

In this week’s Parsha Pick-Me-Up , we dive into a powerful question: Did everyone donate to the Tabernacle? The answer might surprise you – and it holds a message we all need to hear. It’s not just about the donations; it’s about presence , purpose , and the reminder that we all matter in building a stronger community. Don’t miss out on this insightful episode – because we need you . Tune in now a...

God asks Moses, "Why do I need you?" An intimidating question. Why, indeed, are we important? What are we good for? Looking in this week's Parsha, the Sages tell us how to answer.

What is the power of the consistent and the always in our relationships and lives? What do they mean for our Judaism? The Menorah is to be kindled, "always." And that carries an impact for how we see ourselves and the things we do.

The High Priests beautified the Temple just as we beautify our synagogues whenever we are able. But there is one more thing to beautify that we may be forgetting.

Torah speaks to our character, our behaviors, our knowledge, to the things that lift us up and make us up. It comes to harmonize society and make our lives and minds pure and good. It is anything but impersonal, anything but abstract, anything but distant.

We actively care for our parents, much as they once cared for us when we were small. But how do we know that all of that is necessary? Maybe we just need to be nice to our parents and we can leave it there. Or at least, that’s what the Sages thought.

Somehow, like the new parent who gets annoyed when their new baby cries for too long, we forget that we are experiencing a miracle, we forget the true and deeper nature of things, the truth that should be more obvious. So who won the battle against Amalek? Listen to the Parsha Pick-Me-Up to learn more.

How did the Israelites win over their former masters? Is such a thing even possible? It seems so. Take five minutes to study a fabulous answer to this question proffered by Rabbi Sacks in his commentary to the Chumash.

Why in the world did Hashem promise the forefathers the land of Israel if He had no intention of eventually giving it to them? Well, it’s something we live with every day. Take five minutes to listen to the Parsha Pick-Me-Up to learn more.

Here is a simple question: how long did the conversation between God and Moshe take? Was it an hour? Two? Somehow, we seem to miss the real number. And, along with it, one of the central lessons of the episode.

There’s a lot to learn from how people phrase things. Sometimes, they don’t want to talk about themselves directly. What are they avoiding? What are they trying to say? In our case, Yaakov Avinu uses circumventive phrasing to teach an essential lesson.

Some things are worth dying for. Knowing what they are can define us.

You need to have the right dirt. As is well known, Joseph advised Pharoah to take food from the seven years of plenty and store it away for the years of famine. Pharaoh, in turn, appointed Joseph to oversee this process. As we shall see, in order to do this, Joseph determined that you need the right dirt. And so do we.

Where did Yaakov live? Well, in the land of Canaan of course. But listen to the verse, because there is a phrase in it that does not belong. Of course, it contains a beautiful lesson for us about how to live.

What is God saying to Jacob? God tells Jacob to be fruitful and multiply. But the timing makes it very odd that Hashem says this to him. Take note: Jacob is 11 sons and one daughter into his total of 12 sons and one daughter and the time of this comment. What does God mean to tell him?

The story of his transformation begins, of course, with a dream about a ladder. Interestingly, the terminology and ideas of this passage bring to mind another passage in the torah, one where stones are noted as missing, where Hashem comes down to meet a tower that went up to the sky. But what is the import of this remarkable parallel? And what is the secret to fatherhood of the tribes?

When Esav heard the words of his father, he cried a cry that was great and very bitter. And he said “bless me as well, father!.” Esav knows that Yaakov has received the blessing that was intended for him. Hurt and saddened, he begs his father to bless him. Yet, he has no idea what blessing his father gave to Yaakov. Why is he so desperate for some unknown words?

How do the Children of Chet know that Avraham is a holy man? They are not privy to his prophecies, and there are many wealthy warlords who no one would confuse for a man of God. So what makes Avraham different?