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One set of sacrifices, set out in detail in the portion of Vayikra is the “chatas,” the “sin offering,” which was offered for an inadvertent transgression. But why should unintentional sins require atonement? What guilt is involved?

The sinner did not mean to sin. Had the offender known the facts and the law at the time, he would not have done what he did. Why then does he have to undergo a process of atonement?

The class explores four perspectives, which present the Torah’s approach to the moral life and the human soul. It culminates with a penetrating insight into the Torah’s appreciation of the subconscious personality and its impact on our behavior. The “Freudian Slip” originates in Vayikra.

There is something very intriguing about Vaykhel-Pekudei. Anybody even slightly familiar with the Torah is aware of its unique conciseness. Complete sagas, rich, complex and profound, are often depicted in a few short biblical verses. Each word in the Bible literally contains layers upon layers of interpretation. For the sages and rabbis over the past 3,000 years, it was clear that there is nary a superfluous word or letter in the Bible, and large sections of the Talmud are based on this premise. If a verse is lyrically repetitive, if two words are used where one would suffice or a longer word is used when a shorter word would suffice, there is a message here, a new concept, another law.

It is thus astonishing to observe that two entire sections in the Torah are seemingly superfluous! These are the final two sections of the book of Exodus—Vayakhel and Pekudei—telling the story of how the Jewish people constructed the portable Tabernacle (Mishkan) that would accompany them during their 40-year journey in the desert. In the previous sections of this book, Terumah and Tetzaveh, the Torah gives a detailed account of G-d's instructions to Moses regarding the construction of the Sanctuary. With meticulous description, G-d lays out to Moses every detail of the Tabernacle—every piece of furniture, item, article and vessel that should become part of the Sanctuary. Nothing is left out, from the Holy Ark, the Candelabra and the Altar to the pillars, wall panels, curtains, ropes, bars, hooks and pegs, all specified with their exact shapes and dimensions. In these portions, G-d also presents Moses with the exact instructions of how to weave the priestly garments—down to the last tassel—worn by those who would perform the service in the Sanctuary.

Then, a few chapters later in Vayakhel and Pekudei, in the story of how the Jewish people carried out these instructions, the previous two portions are repeated almost verbatim. The Torah records, once again, every nook and cranny of the Sanctuary and tells of the actual building, carving and weaving of every pillar, wall-panel, peg, hook, bar, tapestry, piece of furniture and vessel that comprised the Sanctuary. For a second time, we are informed of every decorative form and artistic design sculpted in each article of the Tabernacle and every single shape, design and dimension of each and every article.

Now, a single sentence, something like "The Jewish people made the Sanctuary exactly as G-d had commanded Moses," would have spared the Torah more than a thousand words! Why the need for hundreds of sentences that are purely repetitive of facts that have been stated earlier?

The class explores the views of the Beis HaLevi, Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik, his grandson Reb Velvele Brisker, Rabbi Yitzchak Zeev Soloveitchik, and the Lubavitcher Rebbe on the subject. We explore what it means to build a relationship with G-d, what is the significance of a mitzvah, how to deal with the contrast between the live we wished for and the life we ended up with, and the essence of prayer.

Henry Kissinger may have been the world’s most famous Jewish diplomat, but he certainly was not the first. The Purim Megillah, named for Queen Esther, paints a picture of a smart, resourceful, courageous woman of faith. But a close reading of the story, and a proper analysis of her actions in the story also reveal her to be a masterful tactician and diplomat that even Kissinger would be blown away by.

The simple question is the purpose of Esther’s two banquets. What was the point of the first? And why wasn’t one enough? Why couldn’t she have asked what she needed the first time? These questions are answered in the Megillah by the change of a single word.

According to the Maharil, the main Purim miracle took place when Achashverosh had trouble falling asleep, yet his insomnia seem to have had no really influence on the Purim story. What actually happened that night? Why could he king not fall asleep?

The class examines the relationship between Joseph Stalin and the ruthless Lavrentiy Beria, and uses it as a parallel for that of Achashverosh and Haman. Understanding this relationship and an in-depth analysis of Achashverosh will help expose the brilliant maneuvering of Queen Esther and the purpose of her two banquets.

This class was presented on Sunday morning, 10 Adar, 5775, March 1, 2015, at Beis Medrash Ohr Chaim, Monsey, NY.

There is only one portion in Torah, Tetzaveh, where Moshe’s name is not mentioned. Why?

King David dispatched three worriers to obtain information from the Sanhedrin, yet he refused to associate this halacha with their name. Why?

A sword was etched in the study hall and as a result, nobody could dispute the eighteen edicts issues forth on that day. Why? And why will the Megilah of Esther never be nullified?  

The story of the Cantonists dancing on Simchas Torah with their shirts removed captures the truth that there are some people whose very I becomes aligned with the Divine I. They don’t teach Torah; they are Torah.

The third and final class in a series of free choice. This class explores an alternative view on the question of G-d’s knowledge & human free choice, in which His knowledge constitutes the life force of all existence, and hence seemingly would define our behavior. It explores the views of the Chovat Halevavot, Or Hachaim, Baal Shem Tov, the Izhbitzer, and Reb Tzadok. As it turns out, G-d may be more involved than you imagine, yet you must still run the show.

In this class we explore how Jewish law mirrors the theological resolution for the conflict between Divine omniscience and human free choice. We journey through the teachings of two 19th century giants, Rabbi Yosef Engel, and the Rogatchover Gaon, Rabbi Yosef Rozen. If the law is that only a Jew can circumcise a gentile to facilitate his conversion, who was there to circumcise Abraham, the first Jew? We consider the teaching of the Sages that G-d himself "sent forth his hand" and circumcised Abraham. But what does that really mean? Here we come to a seemingly incomprehensible principle of Talmudic law known as the law of "two as one." Namely, two mutually exclusive realities can exist at once.

We turn to dissecting how divorce works in Jewish law and where the principle of "two as one" comes through in every divorce; we further dissect the laws of emancipating a slave, of sanctifying the altar in the Tabernacle, of sanctifying the utensils in the Tabernacle, for in all these laws we discover the synthesis of paradoxes at play. Why these fields of law and no others? We finally discover the true meaning and power of Teshuvah in Jewish thought, where past and future merge into a seamless flow of oneness.

On 24 Teves 5774, Rabbi YY Jacobson led a group to Haditch, Ukraine, the resting place of the founder of Chabad, the Alter Rebbe (1745-1812). On the bus, he led a farbrengen, relating the story of the final weeks and passing of Rabbi Schnuer Zalman, and exploring some of his most foundational ideas.

This class on the deeper meaning behind the Burning Bush was present in Monsey on Sunday Parshas Shemos, 13 Teves, 5775, January 4, 2015.

A text-based class in the a Chassidic Maamar, discourse, the by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Yehudah Atah 5738 (1978), said on the 10th of Teves of that year. What steps does a Jew take to surrender completely to G-d? This Chassidic discourse takes us through that Journey. We explore four steps in serving G-d: Reuven, Shimon, Levi, Yehuda.

Torah Or Reah Reiach Benee #4: Why Deceive Yitzchak?Teshuva means going beyond what is normal, doing extreme things, 'much more than is the custom' (for example 200 times rather than 'just' 'a bit more than is the habit, 101 times.) Yaakov the Tzadik was made a baal teshuva; the powers of teshuva were extracted from him by yitzchak thinking he was Eisav.