West Deal Torah Center

Rabbi David Semah hosts classes every morning at 6:45 AM at West Deal Shul.In this class, Rabbi David Semah explores how the tribe of Gad perceived God at Matan Torah. Having witnessed God as a mighty warrior at Yam Suf, they struggled to reconcile that image with the merciful, elder-like revelation at Har Sinai. Rabbi Semah examines the opening words of the Aseret HaDibrot, 'Anochi Hashem Elokecha,' and raises the question of why God addresses the Jewish people in the second person singular. Drawing on Rashi, he explains that God deliberately framed the Torah's introduction in personal terms because He knew the Jewish people — coming out of Egypt, surrounded by idol worship — would be drawn to idolatry, and so the language was meant to speak directly to each individual. The class closes with admiration for Rashi's depth and beauty of interpretation.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -(0:00) Opening: Bnei Gad at Matan Torah(1:00) How Bnei Gad perceived God(1:32) God revealed as merciful elder(2:00) Two perceptions: warrior vs. elder(3:03) Torah as the legal document(3:17) Anochi: 'I am Hashem your God'(3:29) Why God speaks in second person(4:13) The Rashi's beautiful teaching- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Visit: westdealshul.orgSponsorships: west.deal.classes@gmail.com

Rabbi Moshe Tobal hosts classes Monday through Friday at 6:50 AM at West Deal Shul.The class opens by revisiting the story of Rabbi Gidel at the Beit Tivilah and how certain Talmudic sages were so spiritually elevated that they completely conquered the Yetzer Hara. Rabbi Tobal discusses the famous Gemara about the Yetzer Hara appearing as a mountain to the tzadikim and a hair to the resha'im, explaining that Hashem only asks a person to overcome the 'hair,' while He takes care of the mountain. The class then transitions to Rabbi Yochanan's practice of sitting at the gates of the mikveh so that women would see him and merit beautiful children, and the discussion expands into the nature of physical beauty as a reflection of good middot, drawing on the Ven Lagan and sources about the Imahos. Rabbi Tobal then addresses Rabbi Yochanan's immunity to Ayin Hara as a descendant of Yosef, citing Rashi in Vayishlach that Yosef merited this protection because he shielded his eyes from Potiphar's wife. The class concludes by opening the new Mishnah in Berachot 20a regarding women, slaves, and minors being exempt from Kriat Shema and Tefillin, while being obligated in Tefillah, Mezuzah, and Birkat Hamazon, with discussion of the debate surrounding women and Tefillin and the father's obligation of chinuch.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -(0:00) Rabbi Gidel & the Beit Tivilah(1:38) Rabbis above the Yetzer Hara(3:45) Bais Alevi: conquering the Yetzer(5:04) Tzadikim vs. Resha'im in Olam Haba(8:43) Rabbi Yochanan at the Mikveh gates(10:24) Beauty as a reflection of Middot(13:41) Rabi Yochanan & the Ayin Hara(15:44) L'chida: what is an Ayin Hara(17:36) Yosef's descendants & Ayin Hara(19:12) Rashi in Vayishlach: source of blessing(22:30) Mazal Dagim & Ayin Hara(25:19) New Mishnah: women & mitzvot(26:37) Women & Birkat Hamazon debate(30:39) Women wearing Tefillin & Yohara(35:01) Chinuch obligation on the father(37:01) Tefillin & knowing how to guard- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Visit: westdealshul.orgSponsorships: west.deal.classes@gmail.com

Rabbi David Semah hosts classes Monday through Friday at 6:45 AM at West Deal Shul.In this class on Parashat Bamidbar, Rabbi Semah opens with a Rashi highlighting that all beginnings are difficult, but once a person commits to taking the first step in Torah observance, Hashem makes the path easier. He then discusses Moshe Rabbeinu's hesitation to enter the tents for the census and how Hashem assured him that a Heavenly voice would provide the answers — teaching that our job is to act, and Hashem will provide the means. Rabbi Semah then examines the arrangement of the tribes around the camp, noting that Yehuda, Yissachar, and Zevulun were positioned near Moshe, and their greatness in Torah was influenced by that proximity — illustrating the principle that a tzaddik's neighbors benefit spiritually from being near him. Conversely, Datan and Aviram, despite being righteous people who sacrificed for Klal Yisrael in Egypt, fell into rebellion because of their proximity to Korach. Rabbi Semah drives the lesson home with a vivid historical story about Daniel Itzik of Berlin, a wealthy and charitable man whose close friendship with Moses Mendelssohn, the founder of Reform Judaism, ultimately led to the spiritual destruction of his entire line — underscoring the paramount importance of surrounding oneself with good, Torah-observant people.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Visit: westdealshul.orgSponsorships: west.deal.classes@gmail.com

Rabbi Moses Hidary hosts classes Monday nights at West Deal Shul.In this class, Rabbi Hidary continues the Chovot HaLevavot's Shaar HaBitachon, focusing on how bitachon applies to income beyond basic survival needs. He explains that while basic sustenance — food and minimal clothing — is guaranteed by Hashem, everything beyond that requires normal hishtadlut, and over-hustling will not produce more than what is decreed. The class explores the idea that Hashem channels money through individuals who are then responsible for sustaining others, including family, employees, and the poor — each representing a different portion of one's income. Rabbi Hidary outlines three key mistakes a person makes regarding wealth: earning it through dishonest means, believing all income is solely for personal use, and becoming arrogant when giving to others as if the generosity is his own rather than Hashem's. The lesson concludes with the sobering reminder that a person who toils for wealth but acts with arrogance risks losing his eternal reward, while true bitachon brings both material and spiritual peace.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -(0:00) Introduction: Bitachon & Income(0:49) Basic Needs Are Guaranteed(1:46) Beyond Basic: Work & Livelihood(3:22) What Work Is Right for You?(6:15) Extra Income Comes Without Overworking(7:06) Hourly Wage & the Hustle Question(9:57) Hashem Channels Money Through People(14:46) The Test of Wealth(17:37) Supporting Family & Dependents(21:41) Mistake #1: Earning Dishonestly(24:30) Mistake #2: Thinking It's All for You(24:47) The Three Parts of Your Paycheck(31:26) Mistake #3: Arrogance in Giving(36:01) Closing- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Visit: westdealshul.orgSponsorships: west.deal.classes@gmail.com

Rabbi Albert Setton hosts classes every Shabbat at West Deal Shul.In this class, Rabbi Albert Setton begins Perek 5 of Pirkei Avot, noting that its opening Mishnayot are structured around the number 10, and asking both what the rabbis are classifying and why. He explores the first three Mishnayot together as a thematic unit: the world's creation through 10 divine utterances establishes humanity's responsibility to either uplift or damage the world; the 10 generations from Adam to Noah illustrate God's patience and set the stage for the Jewish people's role as a corrective force in history; and Avraham Avinu's 10 trials demonstrate that being a righteous, world-sustaining person requires sacrifice and perseverance. Rabbi Setton then moves through Mishnayot 4 and 5, contrasting the 10 miracles God performed for the Jewish people in Egypt and at the Red Sea with the 10 times the Jewish people tested God in the desert, and then offering the 10 daily miracles of the Beit Hamikdash as an affirmation of the enduring relationship between God and Israel. The class concludes with the beginning of Mishnah 6, which lists 10 things created at twilight on the eve of the first Shabbat, including the mouth of the earth that swallowed Korach, Bilam's talking donkey, the manna, Moshe's staff, and the shamir worm.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Visit: westdealshul.orgSponsorships: west.deal.classes@gmail.com

Rabbi Ike Hanon hosts classes Monday through Friday at 6:10 AM at West Deal Shul.The class covers Pesachim 38a-38b, focusing on the question of why the loaves accompanying a korban todah and korban nazir cannot be used to fulfill the mitzvah of matzah on Pesach. Rabbah derives this from the pasuk 'ushmartem et hamatzot,' requiring that matzah be safeguarded specifically for the mitzvah, while Rav Yosef derives it from 'shivat yamim matzot tochelu,' requiring that the matzah be fit for eating all seven days — making Rav Yosef's opinion the stricter of the two. The Gemara then tests and rejects several alternative derivations based on lechem oni and the requirement that matzah be edible anywhere, with Reish Lakish defending the latter point by noting that in the era of Nov and Givon these breads were in fact accessible beyond a central location. The sugya concludes with a Beraita recording a dispute between Rebi Eliezer and Rebi Yehoshua, with Rabba explaining that loaves made with intent to sell can be used for matzah because the maker had flexible intentions in mind from the outset. The class ends with a brief note that the next topic, hilchot maror, will follow.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Visit: westdealshul.orgSponsorships: west.deal.classes@gmail.com

Rabbi Joseph Dana hosts classes every Friday at 6:45 AM at West Deal Shul.In this class on Parashat Behar/Behukotai, Rabbi Dana focuses on a single pasuk describing a brother who becomes impoverished and must sell his ancestral land, with a family redeemer obligated to buy it back. On the level of pshat, he draws on Rav Soloveitchik's insight that helping someone in poverty means caring for the whole person — their emotional state, confidence, and dignity — not just their finances. Shifting to a Chassidic lens, Rabbi Dana explores the Noam Elimelech's reading of the pasuk as describing spiritual poverty, where a person becomes distracted by the pleasures of this world and drifts from their true mission of serving God. The Noam Elimelech identifies the 'redeemer who is close' as the tzaddik or rabbi, who shares a spiritual root with the person and has the power to pull them back to their connection with Hashem. Rabbi Dana closes with a practical call to action rooted in the Mishna in Pirkei Avot — not only should every person cultivate a real relationship with a rabbi, but friends too carry an obligation to bring one another closer to Torah, meaning we are all participants in the work of kiruv.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Visit: westdealshul.orgSponsorships: west.deal.classes@gmail.com

Rabbi Moshe Tobal hosts classes Monday through Friday at 6:10 AM at West Deal Shul.Rabbi Moshe Tobal opens by addressing a deeply challenging question: the Torah promises three years of blessing to those who keep Shemitah, yet this miraculous outcome does not always visibly occur. He cites the Chafetz Chaim and Chazon Ish, who explain that Torah blessings and rabbinic berachot are not automatic — they depend on the full picture of a person's merits — but Rabbi Tobal notes this answer alone feels incomplete. He adds that the one exception is Maaser, where Hashem uniquely says "test Me," indicating that Tzedakah is the one area where the blessing is guaranteed regardless, giving a person a clear anchor for Emunah. To connect Parashat Behar and Bechukotai, Rabbi Tobal brings the story of Achav visiting Chiel during shiva after Chiel's sons died from Yehoshua's curse, and Achav's challenge to Eliyahu HaNavi questioning why Moshe Rabbeinu's curse of drought had not materialized. The lesson is that just as Hashem delays curses out of patience and mercy, so too are blessings sometimes delayed — both operate within a larger Divine calculation — and Tzedakah remains the one reliable test of Hashem's direct and certain response.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Visit: westdealshul.orgSponsorships: west.deal.classes@gmail.com

Rabbi Ike Hanon hosts classes every day at 6:10 AM at West Deal Shul.The class covers Pesachim 38a, focusing on a question posed by Rish Lakish regarding whether a Kohen can fulfill his matzah obligation using challah that was separated from Ma'aser Sheni produce in Jerusalem. The Gemara first establishes that the question is only relevant according to Rebbe Akiva, who permits using Ma'aser Sheni for matzah, while Rebbe Yosi HaGlili is disqualified outright since he already restricts plain Ma'aser Sheni. A second version of the question introduces a more complex case where challah is purchased using Ma'aser Sheni money, raising the issue of whether the redemption leniency (ho'il) still applies when the sanctity was acquired through money rather than directly from produce. The Gemara grapples with whether two separate ho'il arguments can be stacked to permit using such challah for matzah, particularly according to the opinion that food purchased with Ma'aser Sheni money that becomes impure must be buried rather than redeemed. Rava resolves the question by ruling that Ma'aser Sheni is "shem echad" — one unified category — meaning that if the original produce case is permitted, derivative cases reached through multiple ho'il arguments are equally permitted.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Visit: westdealshul.orgSponsorships: west.deal.classes@gmail.com

Rabbi Joseph Dana hosts classes every day at 6:50 AM at West Deal Shul.This class covers the laws of Kriat Shema as they apply to those involved in a funeral, beginning with the Mishnah's ruling that pallbearers and their replacements are exempt from Shema. The Gemara discusses whether one may schedule a funeral so early that it interferes with the time for Shema, concluding that it is forbidden unless the deceased is a great scholar, in which case the large attendance constitutes Kavod HaTorah. The class then examines what a mourner says during the eulogy, including the Siduk HaDin prayer, and raises the principle of Al Tiftach Peh L'Satan — that one must be careful not to verbally invite further punishment. The Gemara also addresses a contradiction between the Mishnah and a Baraita regarding whether one must complete the entire Shema or whether finishing even one verse or paragraph is sufficient, with the conclusion supporting opinions that the first verse or paragraph carries biblical-level obligation. Finally, the class explores how the rows of consolers at a mourner's house affect the Shema exemption, with the opinion of Yehudah suggesting that personal intent to console — rather than physical proximity — is the determining factor.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -(0:00) Nosé HaMéta: Carrying the Coffin(1:33) Early Funerals and Shema Timing(5:55) Rav Yosef's Funeral: Adam Hashuv(6:34) Hakham Ovadia vs. Ariel Sharon(9:09) Eulogies and Saying Shema(10:00) The Mourner's Prayer: Siduk HaDin(13:40) Al Tiftach Peh L'Satan(16:00) Proof from Yeshayah(18:47) Returning from Burial: Shema Rules(20:05) Contradiction Between Mishnah and Baraita(23:49) Value of One Pasuk of Shema(24:53) Rows of Consolers and Shema Exemption(26:56) Yehudah: Intent Determines Exemption- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Visit: westdealshul.orgSponsorships: west.deal.classes@gmail.com

Rabbi Ike Hanon hosts classes Monday through Friday at 6:10 AM at West Deal Shul.The class begins with a recap of the decorated matzot discussion from 37a, where Rav Yose rules that thin, cracker-like matzot may be decorated without concern for chametz. The Gemara then transitions into a related discussion about hafrashat challah, examining which unusual bread types — including pan-made, sun-baked, and fried varieties — are exempt from the obligation. A major dispute between Resh Lakish and Rabbi Yochanan is explored: Resh Lakish holds that only oven-baked bread requires challah, while Rabbi Yochanan maintains that pan-made bread is also obligated, and the exemptions stem from breads baked in the sun. The Gemara defends Resh Lakish through the concept of a preheated pan making it equivalent to oven baking, and this framework is applied to whether pan-made matzah qualifies for use at the Seder. A brief digression defines matzah hina — underdone matzah — as valid for use as long as it no longer pulls strings when broken, with the same threshold applied to the loaves accompanying a korban todah.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Visit: westdealshul.orgSponsorships: west.deal.classes@gmail.com

Rabbi Joseph Dana hosts classes every Friday morning at 6:45 AM at West Deal Shul.In this class on Parashat Emor, Rabbi Dana surveys the parasha's broad topics — laws of the kohanim, korbanot, and the Jewish holidays — before focusing on a striking question raised by Rabbi Moshe Feinstein in Darash Moshe: why are the laws of leket and peah, gifts for the poor, inserted in the middle of the Torah's listing of the holidays? Rabbi Feinstein establishes that Shabbat and the holidays represent two intertwined pillars of Jewish faith — Shabbat testifies that Hashem created the world, while the holidays testify that Hashem actively runs and guides the world — and that these beliefs are inseparable, each incomplete without the other. From this foundation, Rabbi Dana explains that tzedakah is placed among the holidays because giving charity is the direct expression of the belief that Hashem is the true provider of all parnasah, making charity not a sacrifice of one's own wealth but a return of what God has already given. Rashi and Chazal further connect this theme by teaching that one who properly gives matanot aniyim is credited as though he built the Beit HaMikdash and offered korbanot, rooted in Yeshaya's prophecy that the Jewish people will return to Zion through tzedakah. The class concludes with the practical message that internalizing Hashem's role as provider — expressed through joyful and faithful giving — is both an act of deep emunah and a step toward the ultimate redemption.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -(0:00) Parashat Emor Overview(1:14) Rav Moshe Feinstein: Darash Moshe(2:46) Why Is Tzedakah Mid-Holidays?(3:28) Shabbat Listed Among Holidays(4:44) Shabbat = Belief in Creation(5:33) Holidays = Hashem Runs the World(6:52) Half-Belief Is No Belief(8:38) Tzedakah and Emunah Are Linked(10:58) The Store Rental Analogy(13:13) Bitachon and Parnasah(17:44) Rashi: Leket Among the Holidays(20:16) Tzedakah = Building the Mikdash(21:53) Veshavehah Besedakah(23:18) Tzedakah as a Korban(24:00) Summary and Conclusion- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Visit: westdealshul.orgSponsorships: west.deal.classes@gmail.com