Rainbow Rays
Posted on
On Parshat Noach, Mrs. Shira Smiles discusses the covenant of the rainbow that Hashem made after the Great Flood.
Series: Living the Parsha 5774
Presence And Presents
Posted onOon Parshat Lech-Lecha, Mrs. Shira Smiles discusses Avraham’s legacy of faith.
Trail Travails
Posted onOn Parshat Vayera Mrs. Shira Smiles discusses the odyssey of Hagar and Yishmael in the desert.
Gauging Goodness
Posted onOn Parshat Chayei Sara, Mrs. Shira Smiles discusses the verse, “The life of Sarah was one hundred years and twenty years and seven years, these were the years of the life of Sarah,” in particular Rashi’s explanation which says that all of her years were equally good.
Blindness and Brachos
Posted onOn Parshat Toldot, Mrs. Shira Smiles discusses the deeper meaning of Yitzchak’s blindness.
Majestic Maidservants
Posted onOn Parshat Vayetzei, Mrs. Shira Smiles discusses the role of the maidservants, Bilha and Zilpa, and why they were not counted among the Imahot.
Timna’s Trajectory
Posted onon Parshat Vayishlach, Mrs. Shira Smiles discusses Timna, the concubine of Elifaz, and the lessons we can learn from her.
Pits Purpose
Posted onOn Parshat Vayeshev, Mrs Shira Smiles discusses the connection between the pit that Yosef was thrown into and the holiday of Chanukah.
Ceding The Cedar
Posted onOn Parshat Vayigash, Mrs Shira Smiles discusses the significance of the cedar wood that Yaakov brought down to Egypt which was later used to build the Mishkan in the desert.
Wondrous Whisper
Posted onOn Parshat Vayechi, Mrs. Shira Smiles discusses the meaning of the verse, “Baruch shem kavod malchuto l’olam v’aed,” which the children of Yaakov recited at his deathbed.
Cryptic Concealment
Posted onOn Parshat Shemot, Mrs. Shira Smiles discusses the meaning behind Moshe hiding his face when Hashem spoke to him from the burning bush.
Hail to the Hail
Posted onOn Parshat Va’eira, Mrs. Shira Smiles discusses the plague of hail and how Moshe had to go to a world above the heavens to bring down the miraculous seemingly paradoxical hailstones.
Mindset, Movement, and Modeling
Posted onOn Parshat Bo, Mrs. Shira Smiles discusses man’s role on this world. While the results are up to Hashem, man is meant to toil to reach the tzurat ha’adam, the perfected human form Adam was before the sin.
Bona Fide Bones
Posted onOn Parshat Beshalach, Mrs, Shira Smiles discusses Moshe’s act of taking the bones of Yosef out of Egypt.
Arrival Accentuation
Posted onOn Parshat Yitro, Mrs. Shira Smiles discusses the Jewish people’s arrival at Har Sinai and the unity that reigned among them as they prepared to accept the Torah.
Super Sensitivity
Posted onOn Parshat Mishpatim, Mrs. Shira Smiles discusses the verse, “You shall not taunt or oppress a stranger for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” The class examines the great weight placed in heaven on being sensitive to the feelings of others.
Pivotal Planks
Posted onOn Parshat Terumah, Mrs. Shira Smiles discusses how just as the planks of the Mishkan needed to be set up in a specific order, our lives too must be structured and ordered to achieve perfection in Avodat Hashem.
Equilibrium And Expiation
Posted onOn Parshat Tezaveh, Mrs. Shira Smiles discusses the priestly garments and how clothes define a person’s function and mission.
Making Majestic Moments
Posted onOn Parshat Ki Tisa, Mrs. Shira Smiles discusses how to bring the beauty and joy of Shabbat into the home.
Enough Or Extra
Posted onOn Parshat Vayakhel, Mrs. Shira Smiles discusses the donations the Jewish people brought to the Tabernacle. There is never anything superfluous in one’s service of Hashem . The process of giving of ourselves and of our material wealth for spirituality may have started with our ancestors, but it continues to this day.
Present Presence
Posted onOn Parshat Pekudei, Mrs. Shira smiles discusses the correlation between building the mishkan and building a mini sanctuary in our homes.
Sweet And Sour
Posted onMrs. Shira Smiles discusses Parshat Vayikra.
Cautionary Closeness
Posted onMrs. Shira smiles gives us insight into Parshat Smemini.
Transmitting The Tradition
Posted onMrs. Shira smiles gives us insight into Parshat Emor .
Jubilee Jubilation
Posted onOn Parshat Behar, Mrs. Shira Smiles gives us insight into the Yovel (jubilee) year and the purpose of sounding the shofar on Yom Kippur of the fiftieth year.
Haphazardness and Happenstance
Posted onOn Parshat Bechukotai, Mrs. Shira Smiles gives us insight into the verse, “If you behave casually towards me then I too will behave casually towards you.” The class further discusses how a Jew must make spiritual pursuits the focal point of his life.
Collectivity And Connectivity
Posted onMrs. Shira smiles gives us insight into Parshat Bamidbar.
Gigantic Goodness
Posted onMrs. Shira smiles gives us insight into Parshat Shlach.
Discord Discovered
Posted onMrs. Shira smiles gives us insight into Parshat Korach.
Influence And Inference
Posted onMrs. Shira smiles gives us insight into Parshat Chukas.