Online Torah Classes with Rabbi Mendy Goldberg

Επεισόδια

• 
  Are My Prayers Being Answered? 20.07.2026 59λ

  VAESCHANANAre My Prayers Being Answered?Why did Moshe pray 515 times to enter the Land of Israel when it was clear Hashem was not answering him - and where did all those unanswered prayers go? Why continue praying for redemption after two thousand years of silence?
• 
  Who Are You, To Criticize? 13.07.2026 52λ

  DEVARIMWho Are You, To Criticize? Moses, after forty years of loving, patient leadership over Israel, suddenly delivers harsh rebukes in his final speeches in Deuteronomy, something he never did before, even when the people sinned gravely (the Golden Calf, the spies, constant complaints) and were sentenced to wander the desert for forty years. Normally partings involve reconciliation, not harsh words, and if Moses had these grievances all along, why did he wait forty years to voice them? Five weeks before his death, Moses gathered all Israel and revealed a new side of himself: no longer just "the one who loved Israel" who never rebuked them, but now the one who remembers everything, reproves them, and warns them, about the human weaknesses that led to their past failures, so they can avoid repeating them.
• 
  Can't We All Get Along? 06.07.2026 57λ

  MATOS- MASEICan't We All Get Along?This weeks Torah reading contains a striking anomaly: the Torah records the precise date of Aharon's death - the first of Av -even though his passing was already described in Parashas Chukas without any date.The Rebbe explains this is deliberate: the Torah wants us to encounter Aharon's yahrtzeit at the moment we read this parashah, which always falls around Rosh Chodesh Av. The message is urgent -because the cause of the Beis Hamikdash’s destruction, baseless hatred, is the exact disease that Aharon's life was the cure for.Aharon was defined by a relentless, boundary-crossing pursuit of unity. He would visit quarreling parties separately, tell each one that the other was heartbroken and ashamed, and dissolve the hatred between them. More strikingly, he would greet known sinners warmly and publicly -well beyond what halacha requires -because he understood that a person is always greater than his worst behavior. As the Tanya puts it: both responses are simultaneously true -hatred toward the evil in a person, and love toward the divine spark that remains within him.
• 
  The Mystery of Elijah the Prophet 29.06.2026 1ώ 13λ

  PINCHUSThe Mystery of Elijah the ProphetPinchas and Elijah the Prophet are the same person - the only individual in history to conquer death and live forever in this world. The Torah's promise of a "covenant of peace" to Pinchas is understood by our Sages on multiple levels, the deepest being that Pinchas himself became Elijah, the eternal herald of the Redemption reading supported by his otherwise-possible lifespan across hundreds of years in Tanach.
• 
  Anger Management 22.06.2026 57λ

  CHUKAS - BALAKAnger ManagementThe Torah portion deals with two central themes: the sin of "Water of Complaint" and the Red Heifer. The central message is that anger reflects a lack of faith, one who truly believes in Divine Providence does not lose control, knowing that everything is guided from Above toward a good purpose. Moses's sin, according to Maimonides, was anger itself, while the Maharal teaches that anger and lack of faith are essentially one and the same thing. The portion of the Red Heifer appears before the deaths of Miriam and Aaron as a comforting introduction, teaching that the deaths of the righteous bring atonement and that life continues in a different form, just as the heifer's ashes mix with living waters.
• 
  When Jealousy is a Good Thing. 15.06.2026 1ώ 3λ

  KORACHWhen Jealousy is a Good Thing.Jealousy is not an evil impulse to be suppressed, but rather a powerful engine that needs proper direction. Using Korach as the central example, we see how a person of immense potential and spiritual gifts can fail when he tries to become someone else rather than channeling his unique strengths into his own role. Korach's tragedy was not that he felt jealous of Moses and Aaron, but that his jealousy turned outward and destructive, becoming an "all or nothing" force that sought to tear others down rather than build himself up.
• 
  Seeing Yourself in Others 08.06.2026 52λ

  SHELACHThis week we receive a deeply meaningful lesson from the sin of the spies. The unforgivable mistake of the spies was not the fear itself. The challenge of conquering the Land is genuinely daunting - no one knows this better than we do, to this very day. The essential sin was that their fears about the Land reflected what was already happening inside them. Long before the Land threatened them, they had already turned against it - they simply did not want it. And for that they were punished: for their rejection of the Promised Land.
• 
  Is Retirement an Option? 01.06.2026 53λ

  BAHALOTECHAIs Retirement an Option?Summer is upon us, and with it a season of rest for some.Nevertheless, a Jew needs to live in constant upward motion. He must break into new territory, advance beyond himself, and move the world toward a better place. Rather than going with the flow and waiting for miracles to happen, a Jew pushes against the current and expands the boundaries of his influence.
• 
  How the "Great" have fallen 25.05.2026 49λ

  NASOHow the "Great" have fallenLife is one big escape act, with the "evil inclination"acting as the world's most sophisticated smuggler. Despite our best morning intentions, we find ourselves exhausted within hours, outsmarted by our own inner adversary that prevents us from completing even a single task properly. Every couple of months, we witness another public scandal — someone who built a magnificent career through hard work, only to lose everything in one moment of surrender to impulse, a kind of suicide in slow motion. This brings us back to the oldest question in human history, dating to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden: how do intelligent people fall into self-destructive behavior, and where exactly is their reason in that critical moment? Understanding the enemy — its tactics, its whispers, its traps — is of paramount importance, because if we can recognize these patterns, we can highlight them the moment they surface in our consciousness.
• 
  From Ruth to King David 18.05.2026 1ώ 6λ

  SHAVUOTFrom Ruth to King DavidOne woman merited what no one else did. Ruth the Moabite-a convert from the nation of Moab-became forever bound with the Torah itself, to the point that her story is read each year on Shavuot, the festival of the giving of the Torah. More than anyone else, Ruth teaches the secret of truly receiving Torah and cleaving to it.
• 
  Why Segregate the Jews to 12 Tribes? 11.05.2026 54λ

  BAMIDBARWhy Segregate the Jews to 12 Tribes?The Torah portion of Bamidbar, always read before Shavuot, delivers a foundational message: every person has a unique path and purpose. The meticulous separation of the twelve tribes, each with its own flag, colors, and symbols, teaches that spiritual life is not a competition. Just as the angels surrounding the Divine Throne each have distinct roles without envying one another, so too each Jew is called to master their own lane rather than measure themselves against others.
• 
  Unstoppable Prayer, Real Relationship. 04.05.2026 56λ

  Lag BaomerUnstoppable Prayer, Real Relationship.One of the most famous blessings associated with Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai (Rashbi) is his power to help childless couples. The Jewish people have long attributed a special spiritual remedy to Rashbi and to Lag B'Omer — his day of joy — specifically in the matter of being blessed with children. At the heart of this topic is a remarkable Midrash, where a childless couple came to Rashbi for help. Rather than simply offering a blessing, Rashbi gave them a creative and original piece of advice that completely transformed their fate and ultimately blessed them with many children.What makes this lesson truly powerful is that Rashbi's advice was far more than a remedy for childlessness. Hidden within it is a deep and revolutionary understanding of what it means to build a healthy marriage, a practical path to strengthening the relationship between husband and wife, and a complete vision of what a true Jewish home looks like. The miracle of Rashbi was not magic — it was wisdom, addressing the very root of the couple's situation and showing how a marriage must be built and nurtured in order to truly flourish.
• 
  "G-d is Talking To You!" 27.04.2026 59λ

  EMOR"G-d is Talking to You!"The answer to all of life's questionsis right in front of you, how do you hear that voice?How does the Torah become a sharp and clear compasswithin a world full of noise and distractions?A powerful and moving lesson on the power of the Torah,the Torah reading that encompasses all of the Holidays — and the how to perpare for Shavuot."
• 
  The Ultimate Sacrifice 20.04.2026 1ώ

  ACHAREI - KEDOSHIMThe Ultimate SacrificeLet's explore the concept of mesirut nefesh (self-sacrifice) and its role in Jewish education. The purpose of remembrance is not merely to mourn the fallen, but to inspire future generations of heroes. Drawing from the Akeidah (the Binding of Isaac), the martyrdom of Rabbi Akiva, and modern soldiers like Matan Aberjil, who threw himself on a grenade to save his comrades, true self-sacrifice transcends rational calculation. The Lubavitcher Rebbe is cited as teaching that the highest form of kiddush Hashem (sanctifying G-d's name) is the actual giving of one's life, because it reveals a bond with G-d that goes beyond logic or self-interest.The educational takeaway is that children are not shaped by routine acts of piety, but by witnessing moments of extraordinary, irrational devotion. Just as a soldier named Matan was inspired by hearing the story of Roi Klein's heroism, and just as Hannah drew strength from Abraham's example when her seven sons were martyred, heroic stories form the spiritual bedrock of Jewish identity.
• 
  The Power of A Good Word 13.04.2026 53λ

  TAZRIA -METZORAThe Power of A Good WordA small but powerful step each of us can take is to stop the spread of this negativity. To challenge mistaken ideas-yes-but not to despair of the people who hold them, and not to define them with absolute, hopeless labels. Instead, we must find the way to highlight the potential within every Jew to return and to repair their actions.A fundamental question in the parshiyos of the week: Why does the metzora capture a bird from the wild in order to purify himself, only to then send it back into the wild? Either he should slaughter it, like its counterpart-or not capture it in the first place.The first parsha we read this Shabbos, Tazria, deals with the diagnosis of the affliction. A person who sees a leasion on his home, his garment, or his skin goes to the Kohen, who examines the affliction and places him in quarantine. The second parsha, Metzora, deals with the purification process. After the metzora repents and the affliction is removed, he must undergo a process of purification, followed by a seven-day waiting period, and then bring offerings as atonement for his sin.
• 
  The Antidote to Negativity Bios 24.03.2026 47λ

  TZAVThe Antidote to Negativity BiosAs we learn the laws of the Thanksgiving offering, we come to learn its differences from all other scarifices.As well as we look at the Seder table we see the Matzah is unique from everything else that is 4, there are only 3 matzos, why? The Seder, means order and perspective, giving us an outlook that will forever change the way we look at anything in life, and the woerld around us.
• 
  Humility's Greatness 16.03.2026 1ώ

  VAYIKRAHumility's Greatness Moses, who is described as the humblest person who ever lived, symbolized by the small letter aleph in the word "Vayikra." The central paradox is examined: how could Moses, who stood head and shoulders above all humanity in spiritual greatness, genuinely feel smaller than everyone else? The answer offered is that true humility is not self-negation or low self-esteem, but rather the recognition that one's talents and abilities are not truly "owned" — they are gifts entrusted by G-d. Moses understood that his extraordinary gifts came with extraordinary accountability, not privilege. The practical takeaway is that every person can access genuine humility by recognizing their own uniqueness: since no two people are identical, each person's individuality is G-d's way of saying "I chose you for a specific mission." This awareness — that one's gifts belong to G-d and carry responsibility — both empowers a person to act boldly in fulfilling their role and simultaneously humbles them before others, who were equally chosen for their own unique purpose.
• 
  Shabbos, A Gift of Time? 09.03.2026 1ώ

  VAYAKHEL - PEKUDEIShabbos, A Gift of Time? Notice how all the recent event happened on Shabbos, why then? What is so unique about the Shabbos?Why does Moshe preface the laws of Shabbos, before telling the Jews about the construction of Tabernacle? Especially that when G-d instructed him about the Tabernacle, it was only afterwards, that he was told about the laws of shabbos?As we will come to learn Shabbos is more then a set of restrictions. Shabbos is a time where we can experience the world to come in the present. Shabbos is a gift of time, and a prerequisite to making G-d's home.
• 
  An Inebriated Relationship 02.03.2026 38λ

  PURIMAn Inebriated RelationshipThis is the secret of Megillat Esther: a story with no open miracle, yet entirely one great miracle. The long introductions and seemingly incidental details are themselves the revelation of providence. That is why Hallel is not recited on Purim — because the Hallel is the Megillah itself, the act of tracing the chain of events that reveals how, even outside the Land and within the garments of nature, everything is irected with exact precision.This is how one fulfills “ad delo yada”: by stripping away the illusion of nature and perceiving the guiding Hand behind it.
• 
  Responsa from the future 01.03.2026 1ώ 30λ

  Lesson 6Responsa from the futureCould Artificial Intelligence decide Jewish law? Is lab-grown meat kosher? See how Jewish law is addressing the questions posed by tomorrow’s cutting-edge technology. Cases JERUSALEM, 2003; MAALEH ADUMIM, 2009; NEW YORK, 2015; BEIT SHEMESH, 2022