Rabbi David Semah hosts classes Monday through Friday at 6:45 AM at West Deal Shul.

Rabbi Semah opens by connecting Parashat Emor's commandment of the Four Species on Sukkot to a famous Midrash in which each species represents a different type of Jew, from the learned and righteous Etrog to the spiritually empty Aravah. He then shares a powerful Zohar that reframes the Aravah entirely, teaching that the ignorant Jew who sincerely tries to learn Torah — even with mistakes — brings God the greatest joy, and that those broken words rise up and become mighty trees in Gan Eden called Arve Nachal. Shifting to the occasion of Pesach Sheni, Rabbi Semah traces the historical moment when the Jewish people left the oasis of Alush, exhausted their miraculous supply of matzah, and fell into despair in the desert — only to receive the manna the very next morning. He draws a timeless lesson from this sequence: when life suddenly drops from a high point to an apparent low, it is not abandonment but preparation, as God is plowing the field for something far greater ahead. The class closes with an impassioned message of emunah, urging the community never to lose confidence in Hashem's deep and unwavering love for the Jewish people.

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(0:00) Intro: Parashat Emor & Pesach Sheni

(0:14) The Four Species & Their Symbolism

(0:52) Midrash: Four Species as Four Types of Jews

(1:54) Zohar: The Ignorant Jew Who Tries to Learn

(3:40) The Aravah & Torah L'Shma

(5:06) Pesach Sheni & the Desert Journey

(6:36) The Miracle of the Manna

(7:54) Lesson: Obstacles Prepare Us for Blessing

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Visit: westdealshul.org

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