Watching From Afar, Seeing Beyond the Moment

This devar Torah by Rabbi Kenigsberg was first published in yesterday's Hanassi Highlights.

When a Jewish child is placed in a small basket among the reeds of the Nile, the Torah tells us that his sister, Miriam stood watch over him—“Va-tetatzav achoto me-rachok, le-de’ah mah ye’aseh lo”—she stood from afar, to know what would be done to him. What is the significance of the Torah's description that she watched him from afar?

The Torah is giving us far more than a description of Miriam's physical location. Rather, it is teaching us about her long-term vision. The story begins long before that riverbank scene. Rashi (Shemot 2:1) describes a moment of crushing despair. Amram, leader of his generation, divorced his wife Yocheved as a result of Pharaoh’s decree that every Jewish newborn boy be cast into the Nile. His logic was unassailable: why bring children into a world where they are condemned at birth? But his daughter Miriam challenged him. “Your decree is harsher than Pharaoh’s,” she said. Pharaoh condemned the boys; yet Amram, by separating from his wife, denied the entire Jewish future. Amram relented, remarried Yocheved, and as a result Moshe was born.

Yet, again, crisis struck. The baby had to be hidden, cast into the river. Salvation still seemed far off. But Miriam was able to look beyond, longing for historical destiny to take its course.

Even as a child, Miriam understood that redemption is rarely announced with fanfare. It is incubated in reeds, hidden in the margins of history, advanced by those who refuse to surrender to despair. She stood from afar because she was not merely observing a basket—she was tracking a promise. Would the covenant made with Avraham, that his descendants would become a nation and ultimately inherit their land, be fulfilled? She watched, waiting to see how her seemingly small act—persuading her father to remarry—would ripple outward toward redemption.

Today, Miriam’s posture is ours to emulate. We live in a world that pushes us to react instantly, to measure success in news cycles and viral moments. But the deeper story of the Jewish people has always been written by those who can stand back far enough to ask: Where will this lead? What does this moment demand of our destiny? It is not distance that breeds indifference; it is distance that enables perspective.

Like Miriam, we do not always see the end of the story immediately. But we can be confident through the historic moment in which we live that the small, faithful acts—of service, learning, courage, and hope—are far more than footnotes. They are the reeds from which the next chapter grows.

Miriam watched a basket and saw redemption. May we too merit the vision and clarity to recognize our place in the great puzzle of Jewish history.

Shabbat Shalom!

Raised by Choice, Not Just Climate: Vayechi 5786

This article was first published in Hanassi Highlights for parashat Vayechi, 1 January 2026.

The berachah we give our children each week comes from our parsha: “Yesimcha Elokim ke’Ephraim e’chiMenashe.” But why these two? What did Ephraim and Menashe embody that made them the model of Jewish blessing for all generations? And why does the Torah emphasize a reversal of order—Ephraim blessed before Menashe—just when we might have expected the family to have fully internalized the dangers of favouritism and division?

Rav Yaakov Kamenetzky zt”l offers a profound reframing. The berachah was not necessarily an affirmation that Ephraim and Menashe were more deserving, but rather a recognition that they were the ones who most needed it. They were the first generation born entirely outside the home of their ancestors, raised at the heart of Egyptian civilization rather than in the tent of Yaakov Avinu. Their lives force us to ask a question that would echo throughout Jewish history: What happens when Jewish identity is no longer inherited by atmosphere, but must be forged by effort?

Rav Kamenetzky saw in them the prototype of the Jew in exile—not the Jew who fails, but the Jew who succeeds, and in doing so, risks forgetting that exile is a passageway, not a destination. Menashe, whose name reflects forgetting, was still anchored in Yosef’s yearning for home, a child named for loss but raised in memory. Ephraim, however, whose name celebrates flourishing in galut, carried the subtler danger: that cultural success can create the illusion of cultural belonging. Prosperity can blur perspective more than persecution.

Even their names reflect the challenge. Rav Kamenetzky notes that the letter פ (pey) appears repeatedly in Egyptianized names of the era—Pharaoh, Potiphar, Tzafnat Pe’aneach, Puah. Ephraim’s name, he suggests, bore the phonetic fingerprint of Egypt. This was not a critique, but a diagnosis: Ephraim’s identity was more exposed, more blended, more tested—and therefore demanded reinforcement. Yaakov crossed his hands and reversed the order not to select a favourite, but to fortify the child carrying the greater cultural gravity.

Yaakov’s message was not nostalgic, but strategic. Remember who you are before you attempt to change the world. Flourish, but don’t forget the soil you grew from. Thrive outward, but remain tethered inward.

Yosef completes this mission. As his life draws to a close, he binds his descendants to history through oath, instructing them to carry his bones out of Egypt when redemption finally comes. The Jewish people would ultimately journey toward geulah accompanied by two Aronot: the Aron HaBrit, carrying Torah, and the Aron of Yosef, carrying mesorah—purpose moving ahead, identity reaching back.

Ephraim and Menashe teach us that exile begins not when Jews suffer, but when Jews forget. And redemption begins when we ensure we will remember—remember who we are, where we came from, and to where we are ultimately returning.

Shabbat Shalom!

From Revelation to Responsibility: Vayigash 5786

This piece was originally published in Hanassi Highlights on 25 December 2025. You can also read it in Hebrew (translated by ChatGPT) here.

From Revelation to Responsibility

This week we mark Asara b’Tevet—the fast commemorating the beginning of the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem. It is the first step in a slow, tightening process that ends in the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash. A siege begins quietly, through mounting pressure. But spiritual collapse, the Torah shows us, often begins more quietly still—not with armies, but with fractures in our relationships.

Parshat Vayigash is a study in the opposite movement—not constriction, but revelation; not estrangement, but approach. Yehuda steps forward, speaks directly to power, and takes responsibility for his youngest brother. Yosef steps out from concealment and answers his brothers not with accusation, but with identity restored: “I am Yosef—is my father still alive?” (Bereishit 45:3).

Among the most powerful scenes leading into this moment occurs in last week’s parsha, when Yosef meets Binyamin. The Torah describes Yosef hurrying aside to cry, overwhelmed by compassion (Bereishit 43:30). Rashi, quoting Chazal, explains that these brothers’ tears were not only personal, but prophetic:

·       Yosef cried for the two Batei M
ikdash that would one day stand in Binyamin’s portion and be destroyed.

·       Binyamin cried for Mishkan Shiloh, destined for Yosef’s portion, which would also be destroyed.

The obvious question is why Chazal saw the need to distance Yosef and Binyamin’s tears from this direct encounter into visions of the future? Why not simply say that their tears were due to the long separation they had endured?

Rav Chaim Drukman zt”l explains that Chazal’s intent was not to displace the simple meaning—of course brothers weep when decades of absence collapse into a single embrace. Rather, they were illuminating a deeper question: What created a world in which brothers could be torn apart, and sacred homes could be torn down? What led to the tears? What led to the churban?

The answer goes back to the root of the fracture – when jealousy and hatred between the brothers first begins to emerge:

“lo yachlu dabro le-shalom—they could not speak to him in peace.” (Bereishit 37:4)

The tragedy began not with an invasion, but with a failure of speech, recognition, and responsibility. The sale of Yosef was not merely a family crisis—it was the prototype of a Jewish story that would tragically repeat itself throughout the ages.

The correction occurs in our parsha. Two decades after proposing the sale, Yehuda returns and this time does something entirely different. He becomes a model of arvut—personal responsibility for the welfare of his brother.

Asara b’Tevet reminds us how a siege begins. Vayigash reminds us how a nation heals—through the courage to speak, the willingness to step forward, and the refusal to let a brother face darkness alone.

In days of mounting pressure, we must choose which language to speak: the silence of fracture, or the speech of peace; the logic of distance, or the loyalty of responsibility.

May this week strengthen in us a renewed commitment to clarity, unity, and mutual responsibility, so that the chain of churban that once began in silence will, in our days, end in rebuilding.

Shabbat Shalom!

The Strength of Being Seen: Miketz 5786

This devar Torah was first published in Hanassi Highlights, 18 December 2025. You can also read it in Hebrew (thanks to ChatGPT) by clicking here.

The interaction between Yosef and Pharaoh is one of the more surprising encounters in Sefer Bereishit. Yosef is summoned from prison after two long years of silence and disappointment and brought before the most powerful ruler of his time. He faces what might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to secure his future. How might we expect him to act?

One might imagine that Yosef would try to blend in. At the very least, to soften the edges of his difference. To speak in a way that sounds familiar, acceptable and safe. After all, we know that Esther, generations later, conceals her Jewish identity in the Persian palace. Survival, it would seem, sometimes requires discretion.

Yet Yosef does nothing of the sort.

From his very first response to Pharaoh, Yosef marks himself as different. When asked if he can interpret dreams, he replies without hesitation: “Bil’adai—it is not me; God will answer Pharaoh’s welfare.” He does not credit his own brilliance, nor does he translate his faith into neutral terms. Yosef speaks openly, in a distinctly Jewish register, naming God without apology or calculation.

What is striking is how Pharaoh responds. Rather than recoiling from this difference, he is drawn to it. Yosef’s clarity, integrity, and rootedness inspire confidence. He is elevated not in spite of his identity, but alongside it. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks zt”l once captured this dynamic succinctly: “Non-Jews respect Jews who respect Judaism.” Yosef does not seek legitimacy by erasing who he is; he earns it by standing firmly within it.

This theme resonates powerfully as we approach Chanukah. The mitzvah of lighting the Chanukiah is centered in the Jewish home, yet placed where its light can be seen. Pirsumei nisa emerges not from the public square, but from a place of rooted identity. Chanukah affirms a Judaism that is visible because it is lived, not because it is proclaimed.

The symbol of Chanukah is oil, and Chazal famously compare Am Yisrael to the olive. Oil does not mix. No matter how vigorously it is shaken, it always rises to the top and separates again. For generations, Jews believed that perhaps this time we could fully blend in, finally fit in, finally disappear into the surrounding culture. History has taught us, repeatedly, that this was an illusion.

Even in our own days, recent tragic events have reminded us how fragile acceptance can be, and how quickly ancient hatreds resurface. The response cannot be confined to fear and retreat. It must be quiet strength and dignified confidence.

Yosef embodies a Jewish identity that is neither concealed nor apologetic. His faith is visible, his values intact, his presence grounded and confident. Like olives, we may be pressed, and at times deeply shaken—yet we endure. And across Jewish history, often in the most painful of moments, it has been precisely this quiet fidelity—rooted in who we are and in our trust in Hashem—that has sustained us.

Shabbat Shalom and Chanukah Sameach!

Refusing to Give Up: Vayeshev 5786

 This piece by Rabbi Joel Kenigsberg was originally published in yesterday's Hanassi Highlights.

Parashat Vayeshev opens with a note of hope: Yaakov finally believed he had reached a point of calm after a lifetime of struggle. After wrestling with Esav, surviving Lavan, and enduring the trauma of Dinah, surely now he had earned a measure of peace.

But Chazal tell us otherwise: “Bikesh Yaakov leishev b’shalvah—kafatz alav rogzó shel Yosef.” Just when Yaakov longed for tranquillity, the anguish of Yosef’s disappearance fell upon him. Shattered by his sons’ report and the blood-stained coat they presented, Yaakov enters a prolonged and unrelenting mourning. His children rise to comfort him, yet the Torah records: “Vayema’en lehitnachem”—he refused to be comforted.

Why? Other great figures experience devastating loss yet eventually find strength to move forward. The Torah tells us explicitly how Avraham arose after grieving for Sarah. What made Yaakov’s grief different?

The Midrash, cited by Rashi, teaches that consolation is granted only when death is final. Since Yosef was still alive, Yaakov felt an inexplicable inability to accept comfort. But the Netivot Shalom adds a striking layer: Yaakov sensed that Yosef was alive—but what tormented him was not Yosef’s physical state. It was the fear that Yosef, alone in a foreign land, surrounded by moral darkness and spiritual danger, might lose himself. Would the Yosef who grew up in Yaakov’s home still exist? And so “vayema’en”—he refused to give up on his son. He prayed, he hoped, he believed.

That same rare word appears a second time in our parasha. When Yosef faces relentless temptation in Egypt, he too refuses (“vayema’en”). Rav Soloveitchik notes that this word is marked in the Torah with a shalshelet, a musical note shaped like a chain. Yosef remembered he was part of a chain—of his father, his people, his destiny. The Gemara tells us that in that moment he saw his father’s image. Remembering that Yaakov had never given up on him gave him the strength not to give up on himself.

This is the story of Jewish history. Through darkness, dispersion, persecution, and the pressures of modernity, we have refused – refused to surrender our identity, our mission and our faith. Because our ancestors believed in us, and because HaKadosh Baruch Hu believes in us still.

The candles that we light on Chanukah represent this stubborn refusal. The pirsum hanes of these special days is the fact that, no matter how strong the winds outside, those tiny flames will always endure.

Shabbat Shalom and Chanukah Same’ach, Rabbi Joel Kenigsberg

Fear, Faith, and the Courage to Walk Forward: Vayishlach 5786

 This item was first posted in Hanassi Highlights, 4 December 2025. You can also read it in Hebrew via AI translation here.

As Yaakov Avinu prepares to meet his brother after 20 long years, he is engulfed by uncertainty. He had fled when Esav’s anger was still burning, and now he must face him again—without knowing how Esav will respond, or whether the old desire for revenge still lingers. Yaakov faces the unknown.

The Torah describes his emotional state with raw honesty: “וַיִּירָא יַעֲקֹב מְאֹד וַיֵּצֶר לוֹ – Yaakov was very afraid and distressed.” Fear, anxiety, and uncertainty are not abstract concepts here; they are lived, felt experiences. And they resonate deeply with us today

But there is a major question. If anyone should not have been afraid, surely it was Yaakov. Hashem had already promised him, more than once, that He would guard him, return him safely, and never abandon him. So why the fear? Why the distress?

Chazal and the Rishonim offer several explanations. Rashi (based on Gemara Berachot) suggests “שמא יגרום החטא” – Yaakov was concerned that perhaps he had sinned and was no longer worthy of the promise. The Ibn Ezra adds that perhaps he feared not for himself but for his family; Hashem had guaranteed his safety, but not theirs.

But the Abarbanel boldly rejects all of this. His reading is remarkably simple and profoundly human. Yaakov was afraid because going into a potential war is frightening. Divine promises do not erase human emotion. Emunah does not override the heart.

According to the Abarbanel, Yaakov’s fear is not a sign of weak faith. It is the opposite:
His faith is what allowed him to act despite his fear. He still prays. He still strategises. He still prepares. Faith does not remove uncertainty—it gives us the courage to navigate uncertainty.

This is a transformative idea, especially in the world we inhabit today. Over the past years we have been repeatedly reminded that life is far less predictable than we once imagined. We have lived with sirens and shifting realities. The sense of certainty we once took for granted feels shattered.

Modern psychology tells us that one of the greatest drivers of anxiety is not danger, but the intolerance of uncertainty. Our instinct is to try to control everything, predict everything, know everything.

But Parashat Vayishlach offers a different path. We are allowed to feel fear. We are allowed to feel unsettled. That is part of being human. But we do not let fear decide our next step. Like Yaakov, we move forward - with caution, with preparation, and with faith that we do not walk alone.

As we face an unpredictable world, may we draw strength from Yaakov  Avinu’s example and find the courage not necessarily to be unafraid—but to keep walking even when we are.

Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Joel Kenigsberg

Finding Purpose in the Long Journey: Vayetzei 5786

This piece was first published in Hanassi Highlights, 27 November 2025. You can also read it in Ivrit here.

There is a puzzling phrase at the heart of this week’s parsha. After Yaakov agrees to work seven years in order to marry Rachel, the Torah tells us that these years were “in his eyes like a few days”—keyamim achadim. Anyone who has waited for something deeply desired knows that time does not pass quickly. It drags. The Akeidat Yitzchak sharpens the point: for someone so eager to marry the love of his life, the wait should have felt like a thousand years. What, then, is the Torah trying to teach us?

The Sforno offers a simple but powerful explanation. The phrase keyamim achadim does not mean the years passed quickly; rather, they felt light—an insignificant price compared to what Yaakov was receiving. He would gladly have worked even longer because Rachel was worth far more than seven years of labour. The Torah is describing not the speed of time but the magnitude of Yaakov’s love.

But perhaps there is something deeper happening. The stories of Yaakov’s early years—from his flight to Charan to his years of labour—are strikingly unspiritual. We read about wages, contracts, sheep, daughters, and family disputes. It feels more like a biography than a parsha. Why does the Torah spend so much time on what appears to be the mundane details of Yaakov’s personal life?

The answer is that Yaakov’s life is never just personal. Rather, it is about the future of Am Yisrael. His work, his marriage, his family—all of this forms the foundation upon which the Jewish people will be built. In that context, seven years truly are like a few days. When a person understands that his actions are part of a mission stretching across generations, the scale shifts. What might otherwise feel like a burden becomes meaningful. What might feel endless becomes purposeful.

This idea also sheds light on the only other place where the phrase yamim achadim appears. When Rivka tells Yaakov to flee from Esav’s wrath, she urges him to remain in Charan for just “a few days”, yet he ends up staying for over two decades. Rivka was not promising a short exile; she was giving Yaakov a framework. Measured against the long arc of Jewish history, even decades can be understood as a short chapter in a much larger story.

In our world of instant results and constant immediacy, we often lose that broader perspective. We judge our lives by the urgency of the moment rather than the purpose of the journey. Yaakov teaches us to look up, to see ourselves as part of something far bigger than today’s pressures or frustrations.

If we remember that our daily efforts—our Torah, our mitzvot, our commitment to community—are part of the ongoing story of Am Yisrael, then we too can experience moments of keyamim achadim. Not because life is easy, but because it is meaningful.

 Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Joel Kenigsberg

The Quiet Strength of Continuity: Toledot 5786

This piece was first published in yesterday's Hanassi Highlights.  To read it in Ivrit, courtesy of AI, click here.

n March 1921 Winston Churchill, the British Colonial Secretary of the time, visited the young city of Tel Aviv. Eager to present the best possible impression, Meir Dizengoff, the city’s mayor, arranged for palm trees to be planted along the still-bare Rothschild Boulevard. As the procession moved down the street, the crowd began to climb the newly planted trees to get a better view. The trees promptly collapsed. Churchill turned to Dizengoff and remarked dryly: “Roots, Mr. Dizengoff—without roots, it won’t work.”

That observation serves as an unexpected introduction to Parashat Toledot, the only parasha focused squarely on Yitzchak Avinu. If Avraham’s life is marked by drama, movement, and sweeping transformation, Yitzchak’s seems almost muted by comparison. He stays in the Land and avoids conflict. The Torah devotes its longest narrative about him to the redigging of wells his father had dug—even preserving their original names.

Yet it is precisely here that we encounter the depth of Yitzchak’s greatness.

Beginning a revolution is bold; ensuring that it endures is far more demanding. Avraham’s role was to introduce an entirely new spiritual vision to the world. Yitzchak’s was to ensure that vision took root—that it would not disappear once the initial excitement faded.

But genuine continuity is never mere imitation. Yitzchak could not simply repeat Avraham’s actions; his world was different, his generation different, and the spiritual challenges he faced required a distinct response. Redigging the wells was an act of renewal, not nostalgia: the same water, the same values,but drawn in a way that his generation could understand.

Rav Soloveitchik notes this idea in his explanation of the Midrash that Avraham and Yitzchak looked identical. Rashi explains that this was to silence the “leitzanei hador” —the scoffers of the generation—who questioned whether Avraham had truly fathered Yitzchak. Rav Soloveitchik explains that the critics of the time were not merely questioning biological lineage. They were doubting whether Avraham’s achievements could truly be transmitted. Could a new generation genuinely carry forward the ideals of the previous one? Would Avraham’s covenant endure, or would it fade with him?

The Torah’s emphatic answer, “Avraham holid et Yitzchak”, affirms that the legacy did, in fact, take root. The values endured. The wells flowed again.

This remains one of the central tasks of Jewish life. Each generation receives a precious inheritance, yet each must dig again. Circumstances shift, language shifts, cultural assumptions shift—but the underlying waters remain unchanged. The work of preserving the mesorah is not passive; it calls for sensitivity, wisdom, and creativity.

Yitzchak reminds us that continuity is courageous. It is the quiet heroism of ensuring that something ancient remains vibrant and life-giving even as the world changes around it. May we continue to draw from those wells with strength and clarity.

Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Joel Kenigsberg

Rising After the Fall -- Avraham’s Model for Resilience: Chayei Sarah 5786

How do we raise ourselves up after loss—not merely to survive, but to rebuild life with meaning? It is a question that runs through the human story. There are times when events—personal or national—unsettle our sense of certainty. Eventually, routine returns; we go back to work, to family, to community. Yet the deeper challenge remains: How do we move forward with faith, purpose, and hope?

Sefer Bereishit offers several models of recovery. Noach survives the Flood but cannot rebuild; from an ish tzadik he becomes an ish ha’adamah, a man of the earth, weighed down by the destruction he has seen. Lot, too, emerges from catastrophe only to lose his moral bearings. Both are tragic figures—survivors who could not begin again.

Avraham Avinu shows another way.

At the start of Parshat Chayei Sarah, Avraham returns from the Akeidah only to face another heartbreak: the death of Sarah. The Midrash, quoted by Rashi, links the two—upon hearing of the Akeidah, Sarah’s soul departs. Avraham thus faces a double trauma: the near loss of his son and the actual loss of his wife.

And yet the emotional blow is only part of the picture. As Avraham nears the end of his life, God’s great promises still seem unfulfilled. He had been promised both a land and a nation—yet he owns no land, and his entire future rests on one son, Yitzchak, who is still unmarried. The divine vision appears to have stalled, the covenant incomplete. At such a moment, many would have given up. They would have cried out: What was it all for?

But Avraham responds differently. As Rabbi Sacks zt”l (whose fifth yahrtzeit fell this week) observed, Avraham understood that God’s promises are not fulfilled by waiting but by acting. He does not sit back in despair or passive faith. Instead, he takes initiative—buying a burial cave in Chevron, the first tangible foothold in the Promised Land, and finding a wife for Yitzchak, ensuring the continuity of the next generation. Through quiet, determined deeds, Avraham transforms faith into action and promise into reality.

Even the Torah’s small details reflect his inner strength. The word livkotah—“to weep for her”—is written with a small kaf, hinting that Avraham mourns, but not excessively. He grieves deeply, yet he does not allow sorrow to paralyze him.

Avraham’s greatness lies in this balance—the ability to weep and to act, to accept loss yet still believe in the future. His story reminds us that faith is not passive trust but courageous partnership—a readiness to build, to hope, and to help bring God’s promises to life in our own time. May we too continue that legacy and play our part in shaping the ongoing story of Am Yisrael.

Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Joel Kenigsberg

Avraham’s Prayer—Seeing the Spark in Sodom: Vayeira 5786

 This piece by Rabbi Joel Kenigsberg was first published in this week's Hanassi Highlights.

When God reveals to Avraham His plan to destroy the city of Sodom, Avraham does the unthinkable: he argues back. We are told “Vayigash Avraham”—“Avraham stepped forward”—a term elsewhere used to describe battle. Avraham, the man of faith, goes to war with Heaven itself.

But why? Why fight for Sodom, a city whose cruelty and corruption were beyond repair?

At first glance, Avraham seems to be pleading for the righteous minority. “Will You destroy the righteous with the wicked?” he asks. Yet as the dialogue unfolds, something deeper emerges. Avraham doesn’t just ask that the righteous be spared; he pleads for the entire city to be saved - “Perhaps there are fifty righteous people within the city; would You not forgive the place for their sake?”

This is not a technical argument about justice. It’s a vision of hope. Avraham sees potential not only in the innocent few but even in the wicked many. As the Taz notes, Avraham didn’t need to argue for the survival of the righteous—Hashem would never punish them unjustly. What Avraham was really praying for was Sodom’s redemption, not its survival alone.

To understand this, it’s helpful to contrast Avraham’s approach with that of Noach. Chazal fault Noach for failing to pray for his generation. Rashi quotes the statement of our Sages that Noach was “mikatnei Emunah”—lacking in faith. The Kedushat HaLevi explains that Noach’s flaw was not a lack of faith in God but really a lack of faith in himself and, by extension, in others. Noach didn’t believe he could change his world. Avraham, by contrast, had faith on three levels: in God, in himself, and in humanity.

Sodom was everything Avraham opposed—a society that outlawed kindness and punished compassion. Yet he still believed that even in Sodom there might be a spark of holiness waiting to be rekindled. Ultimately, God revealed that it was too late for the inhabitants of Sodom, but Avraham’s struggle stands as a testament to his faith in human potential.

Avraham taught us that to believe in others is to help them believe in themselves. That belief—seeing people not as they are but as they could be—remains his legacy. To live as children of Avraham is to look at others with eyes of possibility - to see the Divine spark even in those who seem distant, and to help bring it to light.

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Joel Kenigsberg

A Matter of Mindsets: Lech Lecha 5786

Lech lecha - “Go for yourself, from your land… to the land that I will show you.”

With these words, Avraham Avinu not only begins a physical journey but continues a lifelong mission of growth and discovery. His path—and the contrasting path of Lot—teaches us one of the Torah’s most enduring lessons: the power of stepping beyond comfort in pursuit of spiritual greatness.

Psychologist Carol Dweck famously distinguishes between a “fixed mindset” and a “growth mindset.” Those with a fixed mindset see their abilities and circumstances as unchangeable; those with a growth mindset believe in learning, striving, and the possibility of transformation. Avraham and Lot personify these two outlooks.

When Lot separates from Avraham, he chooses the fertile plains near Sodom. Rashi comments that he turned away “mikedem” (Bereishit 13:11) —literally “from the east,” but also away from kadmono shel olam—the One who preceded the world. Lot said to himself “I can no longer bear to be with Avraham nor with his God”. Lot sought comfort and prosperity, and in so doing he rejected his faith, calling and purpose. His decision was guided by convenience rather than conviction.

Yet later we find Lot risking his life to host guests in Sodom. His act of hospitality is admirable, yet limited. Lot continues doing what comes naturally, what came effortlessly in the home of Avraham without stretching beyond the familiar zone of comfort. He follows what feels right but avoids the harder work of growth.

Avraham, by contrast, constantly pushes past what feels natural. He continuously answers the call to move beyond what seems possible. Not by coincidence are his descendants compared to the stars. Rav Meir Shapiro explains that, when Hashem tells Avraham to count the stars and “thus shall be your descendants”, Hashem is telling him: Just as it is impossible to count the stars, so too the Jewish people will achieve the impossible in this world. As Rabbi Jonathan Sacks captured it beautifully: “Judaism is the defeat of probability by the power of possibility.”

These past two years have shown that spirit vividly. In moments of trial, Am Yisrael once again defied expectation - rising in unity, faith, and courage. Like Avraham’s stars, we illuminated the night with acts of bravery, chesed and resilience, proving that the Jewish story is one of surpassing limits.

As we read Lech Lecha, we are reminded that greatness begins when we step beyond what is comfortable. Each of us can follow Avraham’s call by leaving our “land” —our routines, familiar assumptions and old habits—to grow closer to Hashem. May we continue to walk in Avraham’s footsteps, transforming comfort into courage and possibility into reality.

 Shabbat Shalom! Rabbi Joel Kenigsberg

True Unity v Forced Conformity – Reflections on the Tower of Bavel: Noach 5786

This piece by Rabbi Kenigsberg was first published in Hanassi Highlights, 23 October 2025 (parashat Noach)

The short story of the Tower of Bavel is among the most mysterious episodes in the opening chapters of the Torah. Our understanding of it is often shaped by Midrashic imagery we recall from childhood - a tower attempting to reach the heavens, divine anger, and the scattering of humanity. But when we look closely at the pesukim themselves, the story seems far less straightforward.

Humanity comes together, united in language and purpose, to build a city and a tower. Yet, God intervenes, confounding their speech and dispersing them across the earth. What exactly was their sin? Why was such collaboration deserving of punishment?

The Netziv, in his commentary Ha’amek Davar, offers a profound and timely interpretation. He sees in the Tower of Bavel not merely a failed architectural project, but the birth of the world’s first totalitarian society -- a regime of forced unity and suppression of difference. The Torah tells us, “And the whole earth was of one language and of singular words.” (Bereishit 11:1)

Rav Hirsch distinguishes between “one language” -- a shared means of communication -- and “singular words,” meaning a common understanding of ideas. The Netziv writes further that although such unity is ostensibly a positive factor, in fact the opposite is true. “Singular words” implies that their unity had become so absolute, to the extent that it allowed for no individuality, no dissent, and no freedom of expression. He writes:

“It was not because of the substance of their deeds that God was aroused, but rather because they were entirely of one mind... Although such unity may appear positive... nonetheless in this case it became dangerous for civilization.” (Ha’amek Davar, Bereishit 11:1)

In other words, the problem was not cooperation, but conformity. A society that demands everyone think and speak alike sadly leaves no room for creativity, for conscience, or for truth.

This warning feels strikingly relevant in our own times. We live in an age when on so many issues there is often only one “acceptable” voice. Disagreement is too easily dismissed, and honest debate too quickly silenced.

During the Yamim Noraim we prayed “Uv’chen ten… u’fitchon peh lameyachalim lach” - “Place... the confidence to speak[1] into all who long for You.” (Koren Translation).  We ask Hashem to give voice to the silenced and to help each of us speak with conviction, integrity, and faith. As we continue to strive, pray for and work towards achdut among Am Yisrael, let us remember that unity does not mean uniformity. True unity is not when we all think the same, but when we stand together -- different yet devoted, diverse yet united, and bound by a shared purpose and destiny.

Shabbat Shalom!

 Rabbi Joel Kenigsberg

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[1] Literally: An opening of the mouth.

A living link in the chain of destiny

 Here''s the full text of Rabbi Kenigsberg's speech at the Sheloshim for Rabbi Wein et'l, delivered at Beit Knesset Hanassi on 14 September 2025. The full proceedings of the Sheloshim, including Rabbi Kenigsberg's speech, can also be viewed on YouTube, here.

As we gather tonight to mark the Sheloshim for Moreinu veRabbeinu, Rav Berel Wein zt”l, finding words of hesped feels no easier now, than it did 30 days ago. If anything, with time to reflect, the sense of loss is even greater, and the void more keenly felt.

Over these weeks, I have often caught myself instinctively wondering: What would Rabbi Wein say? Faced with a dilemma, confronted by the turmoil of our times, I have longed for his sharp, clear voice - the voice that could, in a moment, place events into perspective and set our minds at ease. That voice is no longer here, and how bereft we feel.

In keeping with Rabbi Wein’s wishes, our remarks tonight will be brief. But the outpouring of tributes from across the length and breadth of the Jewish world reminds us of what we already knew: Rabbi Wein was a connector of worlds. Who else could be admired and loved by the President of the State of Israel and at the same time revered in the halls of Satmar Chassidut? To all of them, and to all of us, Rabbi Wein was the voice of Torah, the voice of the Jewish people. He showed us our place in the eternal story of Am Yisrael and charged us with the mission of writing its next chapter.

Many times he would recall the verse we recite in Shofarot of Mussaf of Rosh Hashana:

וַיְהִי קוֹל הַשֹּׁפָר הוֹלֵךְ וְחָזֵק מְאֹד מֹשֶׁה יְדַבֵּר וְהָאֱלֹקים יַעֲנֶנּוּ בְקוֹל

 In his own words, penned just three years ago in Majesty, Memory and Resonance – Insights on Musaf for Rosh Hashana, he captured the verse’s meaning thus:

“When Human beings sound shofar blasts, the sound weakens as the length of the note increases. The Ba’al Tokeah simply runs out of breath. But the sound of the shofar at Sinai emanated from Heaven and had eternity encased within it. The sound of that Shofar did not weaken in time, but rather continued and strengthened.

That mighty sound came to symbolize Torah itself: not only has it maintained itself in Jewish life over millenia, it has the uncanny ability to become stronger and evermore resonant as the generations of Israel proceed… one of the great phenomena of our time… has been the resurgence of Torah study on a mass scale in Jewish populations the world over… the sound of the shofar at Sinai never weakens or abates…

The verse states… Moshe yedaber… the Torah uses the past perfect form of the verb “to speak”. It infers that Moshe not only spoke in the past, but that he continues to speak, even in the present and future.

This is the timeless quality of Torah; it has the ability to speak to every generation, providing values and guidance under all human circumstances.”

 Moshe yedaber, veHaElokim ya’anenu bekol. Rabbi Wein heard that eternal voice of Torah echoing through the generations and the events of our day - and when he spoke, he allowed us to hear it too.

Rabbi Wein was a bridge. A bridge across communities and ideologies, and a bridge across generations. His countless students are proof of that. There is hardly a rabbi in the English-speaking world today who does not, in some way, see himself as a talmid of Rabbi Wein. Though renowned for his history tapes, lectures, and books, Rabbi Wein never simply recounted the past. He revealed history not as a chronicle of what once was, but as a living continuum – in which we each take part. To sit in his presence was to sense the company of the Gedolim of the past. How many times did a conversation with him begin “The Ponovezher Rav told me...” or the like. Now it is upon us to keep his presence alive for the generations to come.

Rabbi Wein was a living link in the great chain of Jewish destiny. In a world of confusion, he was an anchor of clarity. He had the rare gift of making the complex simple: That’s what’s written in the Torah. What more do you need?

As we enter the Yamim Noraim without his guiding voice, the loss is especially sharp. Yet his charge to us is clear: to carry forward his lessons, his love of Torah, his faith in HaKadosh Baruch Hu, and his unwavering commitment to the Jewish people. May we be worthy to do so, and ensure that his voice continues to resound – not only for us but for generations to come.

Am KeLavi - Rectifying the Sin of the Spies

Through the lens of history, some images become more than photographs — they become turning points. The paratroopers gazing up at the Kotel in 1967. Rav Goren blowing the shofar. These were not just moments — they became part of our national soul.

And now, as we live through a defining chapter in our own history, we find ourselves asking: what image will capture this moment?

Perhaps it may not come from the battlefield. It may just come from the airport. This week, a photograph was published of a woman who, upon landing in Israel, knelt to kiss the ground. Her act, so quiet and personal, says more than a thousand words. To much of the world, returning to a war zone makes no sense. But we — the Jewish people — understand. This is not recklessness. It is teshuva. It is a return of the heart.

As rockets fall and sirens sound, thousands of Israelis abroad are doing everything they can to come home. And what we are witnessing is not just a logistical operation — it is a spiritual movement, a national teshuva unfolding before our very eyes.

The Sin of the Spies: A Threefold Failure

This week’s parsha, Shelach, recounts one of the most devastating episodes in the Torah: the sin of the spies. Sent to scout the land, they returned not with lies, but with fear. They acknowledged the land’s beauty — but saw only its threats. “We cannot ascend,” they said. “The people are stronger than us.”

The sin was layered — and each layer cut deep:

• Against the Land: They slandered Eretz Yisrael, calling it “a land that devours its inhabitants.”
• Against the People: Their report demoralized the nation, spreading fear and despair.
• Against God: Most profoundly, they doubted Hashem’s promise, acting as though He could not fulfill it.

The result was national paralysis. Hashem decreed that the generation who rejected the land would not enter it.

Teshuva Done Wrong

The next day, a group known as the ma’apilim tried to undo the damage. “We will go up!” they declared, ready to fight. But it was too late. They acted without Hashem’s guidance and were defeated. The lesson is clear: teshuva must come with humility, not just urgency.

Our Generation’s Response

Today, we are blessed to witness something altogether different — a slow, sincere tikkun of that ancient sin. And remarkably, it addresses all three of its dimensions:

1. Love for the Land

While the spies recoiled, today Jews across the globe are embracing Eretz Yisrael. Even amidst rockets and fear, rescue flights are full. People are desperate to return. The photo of a woman kissing the ground of Israel was not staged — it was instinctive. The Rambam writes that the Sages would kiss the dust of the land, fulfilling the verse, “For Your servants cherished her stones and loved her dust.” What was once rejected is now held close.

2. Unity of the People

The spies’ words broke the spirit of the nation. But today, we see remarkable unity. After Simchat Torah and again during Operation Rising Lion, Israelis across all divides stood as one. Political rivals speak with mutual support. One opposition leader said it best: “Today, in this war, there is no right and left — only right and wrong.”

3. Rekindling of Faith

The deepest sin was spiritual. The spies questioned God’s protection. And in the aftermath of October 7, many asked: Where was God? Yet what followed was not spiritual collapse, but renewal. Faith and prayer have reentered the public sphere — from soldiers, from leaders, from returned hostages. Just hours before Israel’s pre-emptive strike on Iran, the Prime Minister was photographed at the Kotel, wrapped in a tallit, placing a handwritten verse inside the stones:

הֶן־עָם כְּלָבִיא יָקוּם וְכַאֲרִי יִתְנַשָּׂא — “Behold, a people that rises like a lioness and lifts itself like a lion.”

The Power of This Moment

The Rambam writes that the highest form of teshuva (teshuva gemura) occurs when a person is faced with the same challenge and chooses to act differently. As a nation, we find ourselves in a great moment of teshuva gemura. The fear is still here. The threats are real. And yet, we choose to return. We choose to stay. We choose to believe.

Parshat Shelach is more than a story of failure — it is a challenge to future generations. Will we learn from the past? Will we respond with faith instead of fear?

This Shabbat, our tefillot continue — even in limited numbers. And while we may not all be gathered together in shul, we remain deeply united in spirit and in purpose.

May we merit to continue this process of teshuva, and to write a new chapter — of love for our land, of unity among our people, and of renewed faith in Hashem.

Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Joel Kenigsberg

Shavuot Night at Beit Knesset Hanassi: A Celebration for the Whole Family

This year, in addition to the usual all-night fare, we were treated to a delightful innovation which, we hope, we will be able to repeat in the future. Rabbi Kenigsberg writes:

This Shavuot night, the halls of Beit Knesset Hanassi were filled with the sounds of Torah, laughter, and community spirit, as several young families gathered for a festive dinner and learning program geared especially for children and parents.

Hosted together with Rabbi and Rebbetzin Kenigsberg and their family, the meal brought together the families who regularly attend our weekly children’s service, creating a sense of connection and belonging as we welcomed the chag together. The atmosphere was lively and warm, with delicious food, engaging conversation, and divrei Torah delivered by two of our young stars, who shared thoughtful insights on Matan Torah.

Following the meal, families moved into a specially prepared “Tikkun Leil" — a night of learning designed for children and their parents. Each family received a guided source sheet with age-appropriate materials for learning together, sparking meaningful discussions and questions. The learning session concluded with a story and an interactive quiz led by Rabbi Kenigsberg, creating an exciting and memorable lead-in to the main Shavuot learning program later that evening.

We’re so proud of the children who participated with such enthusiasm and curiosity, and deeply grateful to all the parents who made the effort to join. Moments like these remind us that Torah is truly morasha kehilat Yaakov — an inheritance passed down through the generations.

Revelation and Legislation

Last Wednesday Rabbi Kenigsberg replaced regular speaker Rabbi Anthony Manning in the Wednesday morning program that Hanassi hosts with OU Israel. His subject? “Revelation and Legislation”—a fascinating review of the dramatic transition the Torah makes when it switches from telling the story of our people to itemising many specific rules within the code of Jewish law. 

In the time allotted to him, our rabbi set himself a steep challenge, examining the adjacent parshiyot of Yitro and Mishpatim in terms of their juxtaposition. Along the way he discussed the view of Rabbi Tzevi Yehudah Kook that we can learn from construing each parashah in the Torah together with its "pair" (in this case Yitro and Mishpatim). He also contrasted the views of Ramban and Rashi regarding the chronology of the Torah's content. Ultimately this powerful shiur forced us to consider a profound question: what, apart from literally laying down the law, does the parashah of Mishpatim teach us? 

You can watch and listen to Rabbi Kenigsberg's shiur on the OU Israel YouTube channel here.

More on halachic challenges in the State of Israel

In his previous lecture (noted with a link to YouTube here) Rabbi Kenigsberg asked whether halachah was equipped to cope with the challenges posed by a modern Jewish state? His answer was an emphatic “yes!”, because the very existence of the State of Israel provides a live factual context that enables us to express the halachah more clearly. He then related this conclusion to the position taken by Rav Moshe-Tzvi Neria in his debates with Yeshaya Leibowitz that it is fundamental to our Jewish belief that the Torah has a divine source of Torah, being applicable in all places and at all times.

In this lecture Rabbi Kenigsberg expanded on the need to the State to provide greater factual detail in order to apply halachah with greater precision, in particular with regard to hilchot Shabbat, where it is so important to distinguish routine factual scenarios from emergencies. He also raised the question as to what sources are most appropriate for resolving she’elot on issues of national security. While Israel was an autonomous state in the era of Tanach, Rabbi Asher Weiss has observed that one cannot pull halachot straight out of the Tanach because its contents are not presented to us in a structured manner in which we are made aware of relevant surrounding circumstances. We also do not know whether applications of halachah in Tanach reflect normal circumstances of states of emergency.

Rabbi Kenigsberg then referred to Rav Kook’s writings on the halachot of war in his Mishpat Kohen. In that work of war he discusses issues of pikuach nefesh (saving life) within the context of the war that is not mandated by Torah law—Milchemet reshut – and whether it can be allowed when it endangers lives. We see that wars of that nature were fought for the State’s economic benefit. However, laws relating to the collective (i.e. the State) are not found within Shulchan Aruch, this being a code that deals with the yachid, the individual, not the State. Seridim (remnants) of State halachah do still exist within Tanach: it is for us to trawl through Tanach for these seridim and seek to reconstitute them.

By way of a practical phenomenon that did not exist in bygone times and which is a matter of State responsibility, Rabbi Kenigsberg focused at length on the problems of cyber-defence on Shabbat. Cyber-attacks might be of obvious threat to life, such as those designed to contaminate the water supply, or they might pose risks for one of more individuals, as in the case of data capture that would enable foreign governments to identify Israeli soldiers on active service and arrest them for war crimes if they visited those countries.  The rabbi discussed the applicability to these scenarios of the long-established halachot relating to extinguishing a fire on Shabbat as well as the principles that govern self-protection on the part of cities on Israel’s borders.

From what Rabbi Kenigsberg told his audience, it appears that there are two general principles that can be invoked when weighing up whether to allow a breach of Shabbat prohibitions. The first is that, even if a threat or danger is initially very small, one must look ahead and calculate how much greater might the damage be to the public and the State if it is not immediately abated. The second is that, if action is not taken to defend oneself even against an apparently small loss, an enemy will learn to attack the State on Shabbat on the basis that there will be no response or retaliation by those who are Shabbat-observant.

This note cannot really do justice to Rabbi Kenigsberg’s presentation, which was replete with references and citations and came with printed source materials—but you can listen to it in full on YouTube here.

Halachic dilemmas in the State of Israel

Speaking last week on the Beit Midrash Rechavia program which Hanassi hosts in conjunction with OU Israel, Rabbi Kenigsberg delivered the first of two lectures on the topic of "Halachic dilemmas in the State of Israel". This lecture pointed to the emergence of a range of questions about the application of halacha that arose from the creation of a modern Jewish state. Some of these questions had never been considered before; others had been furnished with answers -- but only within the context of Jews living within a non-Jewish society. A third source of questions arose from the need to apply halacha to hitherto unknown technologies. 

The range of issues is vast. Israel, being a state, is required to maintain law, order, security and safety within its jurisdiction. The existence of the concept of pikuach nefesh, for example, is well established: we can violate even the laws of Shabbat in order to save a life. But how far does this go, in terms of maintaining an army, a police force, medical services and other essential services across the board? And is there a notion of State pikuach nefesh? 

If these topics intrigue you, why not enjoy this lecture in full (54 minutes) on YouTube by clicking here.

Rabbi Kenigsberg will be giving his second lecture in the series on Wednesday 11 December in Beit Knesset Hanassi. Come and hear him live!

Watch our Yom HaAtzma'ut celebrations!

 Thanks to our recently-joining member Heshy Engelsberg we have a most enjoyable link to his recording of the Beit Knesset Hanassi Yom HaAtzma'ut celebrations, as well as a most thought-provoking link to Rabbi Joel Kenigsberg's Yom HaAtzma'ut breakfast presentation. Enjoy!