Stephen Zelcer Listen to this shiur · 9 min A Paraphrased Shiur of Rabbi Ahron Lopiansky Parshas Shoftim. Among the dinim of the parsha is investigating the future. {י} לֹא יִמָּצֵא בְךָ מַעֲבִיר בְּנוֹ וּבִתּוֹ בָּאֵשׁ קֹסֵם קְסָמִים מְעוֹנֵן וּמְנַחֵשׁ וּמְכַשֵּׁף: {יא} וְחֹבֵר חָבֶר וְשֹׁאֵל אוֹב וְיִדְּעֹנִי וְדֹרֵשׁ אֶל הַמֵּתִים: Devarim 18:10–11 A whole roster of seeking … Read more
Listen to this shiur · 13 min A Paraphrased Shiur of Rabbi Ahron Lopiansky Parshas Ki Seitzei. The parsha is laden with mitzvos, and Chazal here frame the whole inyan of mitzvos, in two ma’amarim. The first is on a passuk in Mishlei אורח חיים פן תפלס — talking about someone who doesn’t weigh the … Read more
Listen to this shiur · 13 min A Paraphrased Shiur of Rabbi Ahron Lopiansky Parshas Ki Savo. The parsha has the tochacha, and then at the end it says: אֵלֶּה דִבְרֵי הַבְּרִית אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה' אֶת מֹשֶׁה לִכְרֹת אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּאֶרֶץ מוֹאָב מִלְּבַד הַבְּרִית אֲשֶׁר כָּרַת אִתָּם בְּחֹרֵב. So the parsha is spelling out … Read more
Listen to this shiur · 9 min The parsha starts with parshas bikurim and then continues with bi’ur maasros. Both require a declaration. Bikkurim has the declaration of “arami oved avi” and bi’ur maasros has the declaration of “bi’arti hakodesh min habayis.” These are very different declarations. Bikkurim is a shevach to Hashem for saving … Read more
Listen to this shiur · 11 min A Paraphrased Shiur of Rabbi Ahron Lopiansky Parshas Nitzavim. At the very end of the parsha, as Hakadosh Baruch Hu delivers what is b'etzem the final tochacha — the last great mussar of Devarim — the Torah says: החיים והמות נתתי לפניך הברכה והקללה ובחרת בחיים למען תחיה … Read more
Listen to this shiur · 9 min A Paraphrased Shiur of Rabbi Ahron Lopiansky The parsha starts with Nedarim, and is introduced with the passuk: זֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהֹוָה: Bamidbar 30:2 Rashi brings Chazal that “Zeh Hadavar” is meyuchad to Moshe. זה הדבר. משה נתנבא בכה אמר ה' (שמות יא, ד), והנביאים נתנבאו בכה … Read more
Listen to this shiur · 9 min A Paraphrased Shiur of Rabbi Ahron Lopiansky Parshas Va'eschanan contains the first parsha of Kriyas Shema. Next week’s parsha contains the second. However, interestingly, the Mishna in Berachos asks why does Parshas Shema precede והיה אם שמוע? Well, isn’t the answer obvious? That’s how they chronologically appear in … Read more
Listen to this shiur · 10 min Eikev Shama B’Koli A Paraphrased Shiur of Rabbi Ahron Lopiansky Parshas Eikev – The Rishonim try to understand what the word Eikev means. Rashi darshens it as alluding to the mitzvos the people are “dush b’eikev.” But the Ramban tries to find a pashut pshat for the word. … Read more
Listen to this shiur · 14 min A Paraphrased Shiur of Rabbi Ahron Lopiansky Parsha’s Re’eh -We have the parsha of tzedakah, כִּי יִהְיֶה בְךָ אֶבְיוֹן מֵאַחַד אַחֶיךָ בְּאַחַד שְׁעָרֶיךָ Devarim 15:7 When there’s a poor person, you have an obligation. And what is your obligation? You’d think it would say to give him tzedakka. … Read more
Listen to this shiur · 12 min We have a small parsha of the Beis Din Hagodol, which contains a shoreshdik havanah in Chochma, Torah, and Yiras Shomayim. Questions: The Passuk (17:8) says כִּי יִפָּלֵא מִמְּךָ דָבָר לַמִּשְׁפָּט בֵּין דָּם לְדָם בֵּין דִּין לְדִין וּבֵין נֶגַע לָנֶגַע דִּבְרֵי רִיבֹת בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ וְקַמְתָּ וְעָלִיתָ אֶל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר … Read more