Parsha with Rabbi David Bibi

The wise son asks the most thoughtful question of the Seder: Why so many mitzvot? Why all the rituals, details, and commandments connected to the Exodus from Egypt? The Haggadah answers with an unexpected halachah: “Ein maftirin achar haPesach afikoman.” In this morning's breakfast and a class we uncover the profound message behind that answer. Through the teachings of the Sefer HaChinuch and classic sources from Chazal, we explore how Judaism transforms a person through action — and why the Torah insists that redemption be not only remembered, but reenacted.

This week’s parashah VaYikra opens with a tiny detail that carries a powerful message. The small aleph in the word וַיִּקְרָא has fascinated Torah scholars for generations. Why would Moshe Rabbeinu — the greatest prophet who ever lived — intentionally make the letter smaller?

In this morning’s breakfast and a class, inspired by a teaching often shared by Rabbi Abittan זצ״ל, we explore the insight of the Baal HaTurim, the humility of Moshe, and what that small aleph reveals about one of the greatest spiritual struggles we face: the expanding “I.” Through Torah sources, stories from Chazal, and a remarkable contemporary story, we discover how shrinking the ego allows us to hear the voice of Hashem more clearly. Sometimes the greatest spiritual achievement is not becoming bigger — but learning to make the aleph small.

What really happened in the camp of Israel after the sin of the Golden Calf? The Torah opens Parashat Vayaqhel with a seemingly simple line: “Moshe assembled the entire congregation of the children of Israel.” But according to the Or HaḤayim and the Zohar, this was not just a speech or a construction meeting for the Mishkan. It was something far more dramatic. Even after the sin had been forgiven and the second tablets had been given, a dangerous spiritual residue still hovered over the camp. The prosecuting force—the Satan—still had standing among the people. Moshe understood that before Israel could build a sanctuary for the Shekhinah, the nation itself had to be rebuilt.

In this class we explore how Moshe reorganized the camp step by step—through gathering, discipline, boundaries, generosity, and holy order—transforming a nation that had collapsed into chaos into a people worthy of divine presence. Drawing on the Zohar, the Or HaḤayim, Midrash, and Talmud, we uncover how the Mishkan became not just a building but a repair of creation itself. The lesson is as relevant today as it was in the desert: holiness does not return through inspiration alone. It returns through structure, responsibility, and the rebuilding of a camp—and a life—where the Shekhinah can dwell.

Something extraordinary is unfolding in Jewish history — something deeper than politics, deeper than headlines, deeper even than war. In this morning's class, “The Lion Awoke Again — From Refuge to Power to Purpose,” we explore a powerful idea articulated by Nir Menussi and shared by Rabbi Yoseph Geisinsky: that the return of the Jewish people to their land is unfolding in three historic
stages. First came refuge — a wounded people seeking safety after centuries of
exile, persecution, and the unspeakable trauma of the Holocaust. Then came
power — the realization that survival alone is not enough, and that Israel now
stands as a central force reshaping the Middle East. But even that is not the
final stage.

Through the lens of Torah, Hazal, and Jewish history, this morning’s class asks the
deeper question: What is Israel ultimately meant to become? Drawing on sources
from Bil‘am’s prophecy of the rising lion, the midnight harp of David HaMelekh,
the silence of Ḥizkiyahu after his miraculous salvation, and the timeless
vision of the prophets, we explore the possibility that the Jewish people are
being pushed toward their true mission — not merely to survive or to wield
power, but to become a beacon of Torah, faith, and blessing for the entire
world. The lion has awakened again — but the real question of our generation is
what kind of lion it will become.