Collected Archive of Shoemaker Reports
The Shoemaker Report is Rav Hoshea’s weekly Torah publication. Its focus is on internalizing and living Torah from the heart, not only from the head. The divrei Torah often take the parashah of the week as their point of entry and address central questions of inner avodah — including teshuvah, prayer (tefillah), emunah, bitachon, and related areas of spiritual and personal refinement.
The writing assumes seriousness from the reader and speaks from within Torah life, with meaning emerging organically from honest analysis of our holy Torah and the words of Chazal, rather than from short-lived inspiration or simplified conclusions.
In Parashat Bo, the mitzvah of tefillin reveals a deep map of inner avodah. Drawing on Likutei Moharan 15, this essay explores how fallen fear (yirah) is elevated through self-judgment and humility into da’at, transforming fear into awe and opening the path to the hidden light of the Torah.
At the end of Parashat Shemot, B’nei Yisrael believe Moshe’s promise of redemption. But after Pharaoh intensifies the bondage, they can no longer hear it. Not rebellion, but kotzer ruach – a collapse of human capacity under crushing pain. The Torah records this without blame, and redemption moves forward anyway.
You pray, fast, and struggle to change, yet nothing seems to last. The effort feels sincere, even heroic, but the same patterns return. The failure is not moral weakness – it is structural. Self-reliance itself becomes the barrier to true repair.
Why does Hashem lift us only to send us down again? Rebbe Nachman teaches that ascent is just the breath before a descent. Through Parashat Toledot, we see how even our descents—whether struggles or missions—become pathways to deeper light, strength, and true tikkun.
Our destiny as Israel is not only to keep mitzvot, but to rule over the angels themselves. Rebbe Nachman teaches that this comes by binding to the root of all souls, drawing da’at into the heart, and rebuilding Yerushalayim with true yirah.
Bribes don’t only corrupt courts—they blind our conscience. In Parashat Shoftim the Torah warns: a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise. Self-bribes—flattery, pride, excuses, comfort, pleasure—distort our inner judge. Learn the five subtle bribes that block truth and teshuvah.
Parashat Re’eh calls us to ‘see’—not just with our eyes, but with vision shaped by memory, joy, and contentment. Rebbe Nachman reveals how imagination can distort reality or illuminate truth, guiding us toward blessing, clarity, and spiritual purpose.
This essay explores Rebbe Nachman’s teaching that life flows not from bread alone, but from Hashem’s word—activated through vision and bitachon. Just as observation shapes reality in physics, focused spiritual sight forms the vessel that draws down blessing exactly be’ito—in its perfect time.
The destruction of the Beit ha‑Mikdash left us blind, but the ashes call us to action. At chatzot we join the Shechinah, turning sorrow into splendor and becoming partners in rebuilding Hashem’s House and bringing the light of geulah into our lives.
What made Pinchas worthy of the eternal covenant of peace? This deep dive into Parashat Pinchas explores why Moshe couldn't stay, why Korach fell, and how true greatness lies not in rising—but in returning. Discover the mystery of the brit shalom and its relevance for our generation.
What will bring the final geulah? This deep Torah essay explores Moshe’s test at the rock, Miriam’s well, and the true path to redemption: humble, unified prayer. Learn why only through the collective tefillah of Klal Yisrael can the wellsprings of Torah reopen and Mashiach come.
Why did some Israelites reject the manna and spend all day collecting and cooking it? The Zohar reveals this was more than a food complaint—it was a test of emunah. Discover the spiritual depth behind the manna and the true meaning of “eating to satisfy the soul."
