Genaleph - Parenting in the Parsha Archives

April 17, 2024 Parenting Lessons from Tzara’as: Building Homes of Connection and Community – Tazria – Rav Mordechai Burg

In describing the affliction of tzara’as, the Torah uses the peculiar language of ונתתי, which literally means “and I give.” This seems to imply that by placing tzara’as on...

April 8, 2024 Allowing our Children to be their Imperfect Selves – Tazria – Rav Mordechai Burg

וּבִמְלֹ֣את | יְמֵ֣י טָֽהֳרָ֗הּ לְבֵן֘ א֣וֹ לְבַת֒ תָּבִ֞יא כֶּ֤בֶשׂ בֶּן־שְׁנָתוֹ֙ לְעֹלָ֔ה וּבֶן־יוֹנָ֥ה אוֹ־תֹ֖ר לְחַטָּ֑את אֶל־פֶּ֥תַח אֹֽהֶל־מוֹעֵ֖ד אֶל־הַכֹּהֵֽן: And when the days of her purification have been completed, whether for a...

April 4, 2024 Raising Our Children in Their Unique Way – Shemini – Rav Mordechai Burg

Several weeks ago my wife and I had the distinct privilege to attend a Chizzuk Mission Shabbaton (led by the one and only Mrs. Barrie Feld!) in Yerushalayim. I...

March 28, 2024 Anchored in the Past, Parenting in the Present – Parshas Tzav – Rav Mordechai Burg

וְלָבַ֨שׁ הַכֹּהֵ֜ן מִדּ֣וֹ בַ֗ד וּמִכְנְסֵי־בַד֘ יִלְבַּ֣שׁ עַל־בְּשָׂרוֹ֒ וְהֵרִ֣ים אֶת־הַדֶּ֗שֶׁן אֲשֶׁ֨ר תֹּאכַ֥ל הָאֵ֛שׁ אֶת־הָֽעֹלָ֖ה עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ וְשָׂמ֕וֹ אֵ֖צֶל הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ: וּפָשַׁט֙ אֶת־בְּגָדָ֔יו וְלָבַ֖שׁ בְּגָדִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֑ים וְהוֹצִ֤יא אֶת־הַדֶּ֨שֶׁן֙ אֶל־מִח֣וּץ לַמַּֽחֲנֶ֔ה אֶל־מָק֖וֹם טָהֽוֹר: And the...

March 21, 2024 The Sensitive Balance of פורים this year – Rav Mordechai Burg

Chazal (Megillah 2a) teach us that the Megillah can be read on the 11th through the 15th of Adar. What is the source for this Halacha? The Megillah itself...

March 15, 2024 Love Thy Going Off/On The Derech Child With All Thy Heart – Parshas Pekudei – Rav Mordechai Burg

וַיְהִ֗י מְאַת֙ כִּכַּ֣ר הַכֶּ֔סֶף לָצֶ֗קֶת אֵ֚ת אַדְנֵ֣י הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ וְאֵ֖ת אַדְנֵ֣י הַפָּרֹ֑כֶת מְאַ֧ת אֲדָנִ֛ים לִמְאַ֥ת הַכִּכָּ֖ר כִּכָּ֥ר לָאָֽדֶן: וְאֶת־הָאֶ֜לֶף וּשְׁבַ֤ע הַמֵּאוֹת֙ וַֽחֲמִשָּׁ֣ה וְשִׁבְעִ֔ים עָשָׂ֥ה וָוִ֖ים לָֽעַמּוּדִ֑ים וְצִפָּ֥ה רָֽאשֵׁיהֶ֖ם וְחִשַּׁ֥ק אֹתָֽם: One...

March 7, 2024 Raising Children to Believe In Themselves – Parshas Vayakhel – Rav Mordechai Burg

וּלְהוֹרֹ֖ת נָתַ֣ן בְּלִבּ֑וֹ ה֕וּא וְאָֽהֳלִיאָ֥ב בֶּן־אֲחִֽיסָמָ֖ךְ לְמַטֵּה־דָֽן: And He put into his heart to teach, both him and Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan....

February 28, 2024 Parenting the Stiff Necked Child from the Stick Necked Nation – Ki Tisa – Rav Mordechai Burg

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־משֶׁ֑ה רָאִ֨יתִי֙ אֶת־הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה וְהִנֵּ֥ה עַם־קְשֵׁה־עֹ֖רֶף הֽוּא: And the Lord said to Moses: "I have seen this people and behold! they are a stiff necked people. (Shemos 32:9) וַיְמַהֵ֖ר...

February 23, 2024 Showing Our Children our Proverbial Tzitz – Maintaining a Focus on Life with Hashem – Rav Mordechai Burg

וְהָיָה֘ עַל־מֵ֣צַח אַֽהֲרֹן֒ וְנָשָׂ֨א אַֽהֲרֹ֜ן אֶת־עֲוֹ֣ן הַקֳּדָשִׁ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר יַקְדִּ֨ישׁוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לְכָל־מַתְּנֹ֖ת קָדְשֵׁיהֶ֑ם וְהָיָ֤ה עַל־מִצְחוֹ֙ תָּמִ֔יד לְרָצ֥וֹן לָהֶ֖ם לִפְנֵ֥י יְהֹוָֽה: It shall be upon Aaron's forehead, and Aaron shall bear...

February 16, 2024 Making Our Homes Into a Mikdash Me’at – Parshas Terumah – Rav Mordechai Burg

בְּטַבְּעֹת֙ הָֽאָרֹ֔ן יִֽהְי֖וּ הַבַּדִּ֑ים לֹ֥א יָסֻ֖רוּ מִמֶּֽנּוּ: The poles of the ark shall be in the rings; they shall not be removed from it. (Shemos 25:15) Parshas Terumah begins with the...

February 9, 2024 Discipline with Love – Parenting in the Parsha – Rav Mordechai Burg

כִּ֤י תִקְנֶה֙ עֶ֣בֶד עִבְרִ֔י שֵׁ֥שׁ שָׁנִ֖ים יַֽעֲבֹ֑ד וּבַ֨שְּׁבִעִ֔ת יֵצֵ֥א לַֽחָפְשִׁ֖י חִנָּֽם: Should you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall work six years, and in the seventh , he shall...

February 2, 2024 Parenting in the Parsha – Yisro – Rabbi Yair Menchel

Parshat Yitro Sibling rivalry is something that exists in every home, it started in the תורה when the first sibling was born with קין...

January 31, 2024 “And Yisro Heard” – Active Listening with Our Children – Rav Mordechai Burg

וַיִּשְׁמַ֞ע יִתְר֨וֹ כֹהֵ֤ן מִדְיָן֙ חֹתֵ֣ן משֶׁ֔ה אֵת֩ כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָשָׂ֤ה אֱלֹהִים֙ לְמשֶׁ֔ה וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עַמּ֑וֹ כִּֽי־הוֹצִ֧יא יְהוָֹ֛ה אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מִמִּצְרָֽיִם: Now Moses' father in law, Jethro, the chieftain of...

January 25, 2024 Seeing the Best in our Children – Parshas Beshalach

הַיָּ֣ם רָאָה וַיָּנֹ֑ס הַ֜יַּרְדֵּ֗ן יִסֹּ֥ב לְאָחֽוֹר The sea saw and fled; the Jordan turned backward. (Tehillim 114:3) Dovid HaMelech is referring here to the miracle...

January 19, 2024 Analyzing the 3 Sons – Parshas Bo – Rav Mordechai Burg

וְהָיָ֞ה כִּֽי־תָבֹ֣אוּ אֶל־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִתֵּ֧ן יְהֹוָ֛ה לָכֶ֖ם כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֣ר דִּבֵּ֑ר וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־הָֽעֲבֹדָ֥ה הַזֹּֽאת: וְהָיָ֕ה כִּי־יֹֽאמְר֥וּ אֲלֵיכֶ֖ם בְּנֵיכֶ֑ם מָ֛ה הָֽעֲבֹדָ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את לָכֶֽם: וַֽאֲמַרְתֶּ֡ם זֶֽבַח־פֶּ֨סַח ה֜וּא לַֽיהֹוָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר פָּ֠סַ֠ח עַל־בָּתֵּ֤י...

January 12, 2024 Parenting Grateful Children – Parshart Va’eira – Rav Mordechai Burg

In this week’s Parsha we begin to learn about the plagues that Hashem brought upon Mitzrayim as Klal Yisrael began their journey towards redemption. While Moshe Rabbeinu was the...

January 2, 2024 Raising the Next Generation of Leaders – Parshas Shemos

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם לַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֖ת הָֽעִבְרִיֹּ֑ת אֲשֶׁ֨ר שֵׁ֤ם הָֽאַחַת֙ שִׁפְרָ֔ה וְשֵׁ֥ם הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית פּוּעָֽה: וַיֹּ֗אמֶר בְּיַלֶּדְכֶן֙ אֶת־הָ֣עִבְרִיּ֔וֹת וּרְאִיתֶ֖ן עַל־הָֽאָבְנָ֑יִם אִם־בֵּ֥ן הוּא֙ וַֽהֲמִתֶּ֣ן אֹת֔וֹ וְאִם־בַּ֥ת הִ֖וא וָחָֽיָה: וַתִּירֶ֤אןָ הַֽמְיַלְּדֹת֙ אֶת־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים וְלֹ֣א עָשׂ֔וּ...

December 28, 2023 What It means to be Mevater – Parshas Vayechi

וַֽאֲנִ֣י | בְּבֹאִ֣י מִפַּדָּ֗ן מֵ֩תָה֩ עָלַ֨י רָחֵ֜ל בְּאֶ֤רֶץ כְּנַ֨עַן֙ בַּדֶּ֔רֶךְ בְּע֥וֹד כִּבְרַת־אֶ֖רֶץ לָבֹ֣א אֶפְרָ֑תָה וָֽאֶקְבְּרֶ֤הָ שָּׁם֙ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ אֶפְרָ֔ת הִ֖וא בֵּ֥ית לָֽחֶם: As for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel...

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