Hal Miller

Pesach 5786 Rabbi Hal Miller Shir haShirim asher l'shlomoh [Shir HaShirim 1:1] We have a deep-seated tradition to read the Song of Songs on Shabbat morning during the week of Pesach. Some also have a tradition to read it after the seder. But the entire megillah is impossible to understand in its simple meaning, as would have been typical for any other book of the Canon, so this book is obviously all an allegory. Looking at just the first verse here, what does it mean? There

Shabbat Parashat Tzav - 5786 Rabbi Hal Miller This is the offering of Aharon and his sons, which each shall offer to God on the day he is inaugurated: a tenth ephah of fine flour as a meal offering, continually, half of it in the morning and half of it in the afternoon. [Vayikra 6:13] When is this offering brought? The verse first gives us a time frame of "on the day he is inaugurated", but then follows that with "continually". To understand this we must first ask why t

Shabbat Parashat Vayikra - 5786 Rabbi Hal Miller You shall salt your every meal offering with salt, you may not discontinue the salt of your God's covenant from upon your meal offering, on all your offerings shall you offer salt. [Vayikra 2:13] Why salt? What exactly gets salted? What qualifies as salting? Sefer HaChinuch draws from our verse both a negative commandment (118) not to bring an offering without salt, and a positive commandment (119) to bring salt with ever

Shabbat Parashat Vayakhel-Pekudei - 5786 Rabbi Hal Miller And Moshe assembled the entire assembly of the children of Israel and said to them, these are the things that God commanded to do them [Shemot 35:1] Moshe said to the entire assembly of the children of Israel saying, this is the word that God commanded saying [Shemot 35:4] These two verses seem to be nearly duplicates. Why do we need both? Most commentators, based on Shabbat [70a, 97], derive from the first ver

Shabbat Parashat Ki Tisa - 5786 Rabbi Hal Miller Aharon said to them, remove the golden rings that are in the ears of your wives, your sons and your daughters and bring them to me. [Shemot 32:2] The entire people unburdened themselves of the golden rings that were in their ears and brought them to Aharon. [Shemot 32:3] The root of the word translated here as "remove" and as "unburdened" is pey-reish-kuf. As with all Hebrew, its meaning is dependent on context. What do

Purim - 5786 Rabbi Hal Miller (Reminder: It is traditional that on Purim we read "Purim Torah". These are fashioned in the same way as regular divrei Torah, but are humorous, nonsensical, and often just plain silly. Any "rulings" of law herein are expressly disclaimed as being jokes, not serious.... Oh, and bear in mind you're supposed to be a little schicker when you read it. --HM) Those of you who have been following my writings over the past thirty-some years are aware of

Shabbat Parashat Tetzaveh - 5786 Rabbi Hal Miller You shall place it (Tzitz) on a turquoise woolen string and it shall be on the Mitznefet, opposite the face of the Mitznefet shall it be. Shemot [28:37] There is much room for confusion in the verses about the special garments for Aharon as the Kohen Gadol. Here in our parsha God gives Moshe the commandments, and in Vayikra [8:9] these commands are actually implemented. Our verse says to put the Tzitz on a string of techei

Shabbat Parashat Terumah - 5786 Rabbi Hal Miller Speak to the children of Israel and they shall take to Me a portion, from every man whose heart will motivate him you shall take My portion. [Shemot 25:2] Nearly all givings for holy purposes are commandments. Some are sacrifices, whether for atonement such as a guilt offering, or whether for a holiday such as the Pesach. Some are non-sacrifical offerings, such as the taking of challah, giving tzedakah or bringing of first

Shabbat Parashat Mishpatim - 5786 Rabbi Hal Miller They saw the God of Israel and under His feet was the likeness of a sapphire brick and it was like the essence of the heavens in purity. [Shemot 24:10] At first glance, this verse seems very odd. Who was seeing, what were they looking at, and what is this verse doing here? The first question is easily answered from the previous verse, "Moshe, Aharon, Nadav and Avihu and seventy of the elders of Israel ascended." That migh

Shabbat Parashat Yitro - 5786 Rabbi Hal Miller Moshe said to God, the people will not be able to ascend Mount Sinai for You have warned us saying bound the mountain and sanctify it. [Shemot 19:23] In verse 21, God tells Moshe to descend the mountain and warn the people not to approach Mount Sinai. But in verse 12 God had told Moshe to warn the people that if they approach the mountain they will die. Our verse now is Moshe asking God why he needs to descend and warn them a