The Malbim applies this principle of ‘small is beautiful’ to the universe as a whole. Whilst it is true that the universe is vast beyond our comprehension, it is based on one basic principle, namely the force of gravity. Planetary orbits are a fine balancing act between momentum and gravity. As the planets fly through … More 23rd Elul – Appreciating our Complex World

ב) ה’ אֲדֹנֵינוּ מָה אַדִּיר שִׁמְךָ בְּכָל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר תְּנָה הוֹדְךָ עַל הַשָּׁמָיִם: Hashem, our Master, how mighty is Your name in all the earth, for which You should bestow Your majesty upon the heavens. The Malbim therefore reads the posuk as saying,  Your mighty Name on earth is that which bestows Your majesty in … More 22nd Elul – Small is Beautiful

The author of this psalm wrote this chapter in order to counter their claims one by one, as we will see as we go through this psalm. This is a basic principle in the Torah. Through this we will see Divine providence that related to human beings, and only through this will we be able … More 20th & 21st Elul – This world is where it’s at.

The Malbim explains that this chapter of Tehillim will address a number of arguments put forward by proponents of the philosophy of the insignificance of man and will address them in turn through the coming pesukim. The vast number of stars and planets. The sheer size and vastness of the universe. The detail of the … More 19th Elul – The Pinnacle of Creation

The Malbim has an extensive commentary on this chapter and I would like to spend some time going through it. No translation can to justice to the Malbim’s commentary, his command of the Hebrew language, and his ability to convey subtleties and nuances are simply lost when rendered into English. I will try my best … More 18th Elul – More than a speck of stardust

ב) ה’ אֲדֹנֵינוּ מָה אַדִּיר שִׁמְךָ בְּכָל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר תְּנָה הוֹדְךָ עַל הַשָּׁמָיִם: Hashem our master! How uniquely mighty shall Your Name be one day over all earth: You, Who constantly proclaims your being and Your might unto the heavens. This posuk outlines the central theme of this chapter and will be further explained in … More 17th Elul – A One Liner for Rosh Hashana

לַמְנַצֵּחַ עַל הַגִּתִּית מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד To the conductor on the ‘Gittis’ a song of David. Rashi explains that the Gittis is a type of musical instrument that came from a place called Gat. The Radak introduces this psalm by saying that it full of praises and thanks of Hashem, relating His greatness. The seforno says … More 16th Elul – Crushed grapes produce fine wine

As we enter into the last two weeks of Elul we ought to set our sights even more closely on Rosh Hashana. In just over two weeks we will be standing in front of Hashem and literally everything hangs in the balance. Contrary to the common understanding of Rosh Hashana,  is not reallocating the resources … More 15th Elul – The dual focus of Rosh Hashana

‘יד) קַוֵּה אֶל ה’ חֲזַק וְיַאֲמֵץ לִבֶּךָ וְקַוֵּה אֶל ה Hope to Hashem, strengthen yourself and He will give you courage and hope to Hashem! Our chapter concludes with a message of hope and strength. Rashi explains that the reason why the words ‘Hope to Hashem’ are repeated is to teach us that if at … More 13th and 14th Elul Hope and hope again

Shabbat Parshas Ki Seitsei This weeks parsha discusses, amongst many other topics, the Torah’s approach to warfare and the various diverse mitzvos that apply on the battlefield. One of the more unusual ones is found in the following verses דברים פרק כ”ג (יג) וְיָד תִּהְיֶה לְךָ מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה וְיָצָאתָ שָׁמָּה חוּץ: (יד) וְיָתֵד תִּהְיֶה לְךָ … More Parsha Post – Ki Seitzei