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Have you ever wondered why we praise or blame people for their actions? Why do we reward good deeds and punish bad ones? The answer lies in the concept of free will. Free will means that we have the power to choose between right and wrong and that our choices matter. Without free will, there would be no point in rewarding or punishing anyone. For example, we don’t punish a robot for doing something evil, because it was programmed to do so. But humans are different. We can think, reason, and decide for ourselves. We can choose to do good or evil, and we are responsible for the consequences of our choices. That’s why we have the 7 Noahide laws given on Mt. Sinai that guide us and hold us accountable.

In this portion, we read about how G-d sent Moses to demand that Pharaoh let the Israelites go from slavery in Egypt. But every time Pharaoh seemed to agree, G-d hardened his heart and made him change his mind. This happened ten times until G-d unleashed the final plague that killed all the firstborn Egyptians. Then Pharaoh finally let the Israelites go.

But how can G-d punish Pharaoh for refusing to free the Israelites, if He made him refuse? Where is Pharaoh’s free will in this story? How can he be held accountable for his actions, if he had no choice?

The Torah says that Pharaoh deserved to have his free will taken away because he had abused Jews so much before. He had oppressed and enslaved the Israelites and ignored their cries for mercy. He had hardened his own heart many times, to the extent that G-d has decided to take away his choice and to punish him hard.

The story of Pharaoh teaches us a valuable lesson about free will. It shows us that free will is a gift from G-d, but also a responsibility. It shows us that our choices have consequences, both for ourselves and for others. It shows us that we should use our free will wisely and morally, and not abuse it or lose it. It shows us that G-d wants us to choose good over evil, and to follow His will. This principle applies to the observance of the 7 Noahide laws as well.

Pharaoh was a very mighty king who ruled the entire civilization, yet he could not escape the hand of G-d. The story of Pharaoh is relevant to today’s world. It warns that any ruler who tries to harm or deceive the Jewish people will face retribution from G-d, just like Pharaoh did. It reminds us that G-d is always watching over His chosen people and will protect them from their enemies. The Torah assures us that no one can defeat the Jewish people and that those who attempt to do so will suffer the consequences of their evil actions.

*This is from a series of articles by Rabbi Bernstein Moshe.

This Torah portion tells us how Pharaoh revealed that Moses had killed an Egyptian to save a Jewish man (Exodus 2:15). Moses was scared when he found out that Pharoah knew it. Pharaoh then tried to kill him. So Moses escaped from Egypt to the Sinai desert. He should have relied on G‑d’s protection, but he lost it by doubting divine providence. Nothing would have happened if Moses had not been fearful and had not expressed his fear. But since Moses feared, he gave room for the fear to materialize.

In the same way, when we encounter difficulties in doing our divine mission, we should know that we can attract G‑d’s assistance by trusting that He will help us. Full trust in G-d’s observance is crucial in our lives. With that being said, being sure of G‑d’s help does not mean that we should not do what is necessary to avoid or solve our problems; it only means that we should trust G‑d to make our efforts successful.

The entire Jewish people experience the crisis due to the war in the land of Israel. Anyone can see the rise of antisemitism, the double standard towards Jews around the world. But no worries; this process was foreseen by our sages. Some kabbalistic sources say that close to the redemption, many of the nations will challenge the Jewish people. However, this is a good sign; the reason is that before sunrise, the darkness is picking up. Before complete redemption, there might be spiritual darkness. This should strengthen our trust in G-d and nullify our fears, as the last elevation of creation to the kingship of Mosciach is around the corner. We just have to open the door, change our mindset, and let it in.

The Torah teaches us that the Jews were freed from Egypt because they trusted in G‑d. Likewise, our full trust that G‑d will bring us out of our current exile will make the redemption come sooner. Observing the 7 Noahide laws is surely one of the things that could bring about salvation for the entire world sooner.

*This is from a series of articles by Rabbi Bernstein Moshe.

This time, two articles by Rabbi Bernstein Moshe related to the Torah portion of this week, Parashat Vayechi, together.

Vayechi- Living True Life

This Torah reading, is titled “Vayechi” or “And he lived,” even though it discusses Jacob’s death. Jacob’s life was characterized by a connection to G-d that went beyond physical realms. This trait, shared with his descendants, continued even after his earthly life ended. As our Sages put it: “Jacob, our forefather, did not die. As long as his descendants are alive, he is alive.” This idea is relevant to all who study the Torah at any time. Despite spending years in Egypt, a place full of idolatry, these were the best years of Jacob’s life. This was because Jacob had sent Judah ahead to establish a Torah study center in Egypt, ensuring that he and his descendants would be protected from the negative influences of Egypt’s idolatrous and immoral society.

This is why Jacob’s best years were those that he spent in Egypt, for it was only there that he could see that his children had fully absorbed his moral guidance. He knew that the Divine mission would continue to the generation of redemption.

Similarly, we often find ourselves in “Egypt,” in places of spiritual darkness in all kinds of personal limitations. Like Jacob, through studying the Torah, especially the 7 Noahide laws for all humanity we remain safe from the darkness of “Egypt”, meaning the boundaries and limitations of this world, and reveal G‑dliness anywhere.

This caution from idol worship must be strengthened at this time of the year. Many stores in the Western world are selling items associated with idol worship. This includes physical objects like statues or images, both of which are prohibited to be bought. Man commits idolatry whenever he honors a creature or a created thing in place of G-d. Any statue or image Noahide inherited from his parents should be removed from his home or nullified by damaging it and removing a part of it.

The way to achieve the feeling of the unity of G-d, the infinite creator of all, is by studying the 7 Noahide laws that derive from the Torah for this inspires us to love G‑d and cleave to Him through observance of His 7 eternal commandments.

Vayechi: Is Eternal Life Possible?

The sages in the Talmud said the following: Yaakov Avinu did not die; rather, he lived forever.” (Taanit 5a) This source establishes an association between Yaakov and his descendants. Just as his descendants are alive, he too is alive.” Furthermore, the statement that Yaakov did not die was meant to be taken in a literal sense, that simply his physical body did not die. Rashi, the leading commentator, states that Yaakov was embalmed because “they thought that he had died.” And afterward, he writes: “It appeared to them that he had died, but he was alive.” From this, it is apparent that Rashi interprets the statement “Yaakov Avinu did not die” in the most literal sense, that his body did not die, as he writes: “he did not die, rather, he lives forever.”

According to the laws of nature, death is an unequivocal reality, for it is impossible for a limited, created being, subject to change, to exist with eternal vitality. However, Yaakov Avinu did not die. In the statement: “Yaakov Avinu did not die,” not only is the Torah not confined by the limits of nature, it transcends that sphere entirely. Yaakov was “the chosen of the Patriarchs,” and as such, his entire existence was the Torah, as it is written: Therefore, just as the natural order does not limit the Torah itself, it cannot restrict Yaakov. The same applies to anyone who observes the divine commands that G-d gave to all humanity. Maimonides, the Rambam, says that both Jews and Gentiles can have eternal life by adhering to their commandments. For Jews by fulfilling their 613 Commandments, and for Noahides by observing the 7 Noahide laws.

This leads us to the concept of the Resurrection of the Dead in the ultimate and true redemption. While the notion of eternal physical existence is primarily associated with Yaakov, it can be applied to all Jews and Noahides to the extent that even their bodies will possess eternal vitality.

In this context, “World to Come” signifies the Era of Resurrection. This is passed down as a legacy from Yaakov Avinu, who did not die. This is especially relevant because Yaakov was “the chosen of the three patriarchs,” selected by G-d Himself. The third Holy Temple is parallel to Jacob, who was the third patriarch. This is about to happen soon in the complete redemption.

In our Torah portion, Vayigash Genesis 45:1-3, Joseph discloses his true identity to his brothers: he is their younger sibling, the one they had sold into Egyptian slavery years prior, and who has since risen to the position of Egypt’s governor. His brothers were jealous of him, had sold him into slavery years ago, and assumed he was dead. They did not recognize him in his position of power. They failed to recognize their long-lost brother, whom they took by force and sold to Egypt in his foreign attire, serving as an Egyptian official.

Joseph, once their younger brother and a slave, was now the governor of Egypt. Joseph had been testing his brothers’ integrity and commitment to their youngest brother, Benjamin. He used a series of dramatic maneuvers to generate their repentance for selling him to a slave! He wanted to see his brothers repent of their sins, especially for the theft they committed when they sold him. These combined to create a surprising revelation for his brothers. The person they least expected to see was now in a position of power and testing them to see if they were willing to sacrifice themselves to avoid the kidnapping of their brother to slavery for the king of Egypt. They could have anticipated any outcome in Egypt except this!

Theft is one of the Noahide commandments, and it is forbidden even in the smallest value possible. This also applies to land. Since G-d gave the land of Israel to the Jewish people, any attempt by a non-Jew to take land from this holy land is considered theft and is forbidden according to the 7 Noahide laws.

This is the inner meaning of our Sages’ statement: “A person will never take a portion designated for a colleague.” This is true of not only physical matters but also matters of sanctity. The divine sparks enrobed in material property are destined to be elevated by only one person in the entire universe. Every soul has a certain measurement of G‑dliness it must elevate; it is tied to a particular soul because of that soul’s nature.

G‑d structures the events of the natural world to enable anyone to elevate the portion of creation he ought to purify. As long as the person does not elevate the sparks destined for him, they remain in exile. And since the sparks connected with a person’s soul are found in exile, the soul itself is in exile. Finally, the world is on the verge of Moshiach revelation, so we must prepare ourselves for that transformative event that will change the entire creation for good.

*This is from a series of articles by Rabbi Bernstein Moshe.

As we near the close of autumn in 2023, it’s troubling to observe that academics and students from America and Europe have been downplaying, justifying, and even lauding a brutal mass killing of Jews by a terrorist faction that endorses an anti-Jewish genocide plan.

The House Committee on Education and the Workforce asked a simple question to the presidents of three of America’s premier universities: “Does advocating for the genocide of Jews infringe upon your institution’s code of conduct related to bullying and harassment?” Unfortunately, none of them could provide a definitive “yes” in response. We must ask ourselves: How could so many brilliant individuals have been so mistaken? We must first comprehend where the academic world has deviated from the right path.

In each era, educated Jews have grappled with reconciling two types of wisdom: the divine wisdom of our Torah and the worldly wisdom of foreign civilizations. The philosophers of Ancient Greece are particularly notable in this narrative. Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of the Chabad school, was himself proficient in mathematics, astronomy, and other aspects of secular knowledge.

The untainted oil of the Holy Temple symbolizes divine wisdom, which was tainted by the worldly wisdom of the Hellenizers. The triumph of the Hasmoneans culminated in unearthing a concealed flask of pure, untouched oil. This oil was ignited and miraculously shone for eight days. Divine wisdom not only triumphed but ascended to unprecedented heights.

This is the juncture where academic institutions diverged; here they failed. They failed to embrace the divine wisdom of the Torah and the 7 Noahide laws. At this point, these institutions began to focus more on secular or human wisdom—the knowledge derived from human experience and intellect, often emphasized in academic and scientific fields—rather than the divine wisdom outlined in the 7 Noahide laws.

The story of Chanukah is the story of the natural intellect redemption. It underscores the nullification of our reason to the divine wisdom represented in the seven Noahide laws, bringing the world closer to full redemption.

*This is from a series of articles by Rabbi Bernstein Moshe.