Moshe's request to Pharaoh to free his people backfired. So why did God consider his pain filled complaint against Him improper? Rabbi Kirzner examines exile, redemption and the nature of miracles - which all lead to interesting conclusions on breaking the bonds that tie us in knots.
This weeks Torah portion of the Exodus suggests many 4's: 4 sons, 4 cups, etc. In this class Rabbi Kizner looks at the 4 exiles of the Jewish Nation - which originated from the words of Pharoah's decree. He sheds light on all the exiles we've been through, and defines and makes sense of the one we are currently entangled within.
What were the inner workings behind the plagues that destroyed Egypt bit by bit? Rabbi Kirzner pulls the disparate themes of the importance of receiving, why people move away from the ability to change, and the essence of spiritual revelation to reveal a new picture of the last three plagues that caused Egypt to fall.
The Jews leaving Egypt were far from high levels of spirituality. In truth, they were mired in idol worship so deeply it seemed impossible for them to extricate themselves from it. How did the breaking point at Pi Hachirot push them to overcome their education and inner tendencies in a way that caused G-d to give them the ability to conquer their doubts forever?
Why was the story of Yisro's conversion to Judaism taken out of its historical order, and placed instead before the giving of the Torah was related? In order to understand the answer in its full depth, we need to explore what catalyst caused Yisro, one of the most respected religious personalities of the world at the time, to leave behind his prestige to follow G-d. And what does this teach us about the Torah's ability to address all kinds of people, and the myriad character traits within them?
Don't many of the technical laws sited in this weeks Torah portion seem anti-climatic after the exalted gift of the Torah on Sinai? Rabbi Yitzchak Kirzner probes the details of the Eved Ivri (Jewish slave) to reveal profound ideas on the different trappings of slavery. Hear the inner essence of freedom we crave, and how to seize its inner spirit.
Torah is the essence of Jewish life, our path to spiritual greatness. Once we received that greatest of all gifts, why was the creation of the Tabernacle necessary? Didn't the Torah cover all of the bases? Once we understand what the Torah is really here to accomplish, we can find the aspect of life the Tabernacle was meant to address - and find the way to lift the world and our lives to a higher plane.
Judaism is a hands on religion where how one thinks and acts is of far greater importance than mere external looks. Why then are the priestly garments of Aaron and his sons so detailed and ornamental? Why the focus on the external? Rabbi Kirzner finds the threads of eight great desires that exist within all of us, and ties them to the deeper side of the eight garments of the Kohanim.
Where's the justice that all the generations of Jews are being punished because one small group worshipped a Golden Calf? And what's the connection between that one-time heavy sin to all the transgressions we've done till today? Rabbi Kirzner describes how the Generation of the Desert became not only the paradigm of repentance, but also the example of how to unify one's body and soul.
The order in which Sabbath and the building of the Tabernacle were juxtaposed seems to be an unimportant detail of little or no value. Yet a deep understanding of what these two concepts represent suddenly gives it critical importance in deciding the path toward perfection Jews would follow. Which comes first - destroying negativity, or acting with holiness?