Every passage below was checked against the original Hebrew text. Hebrew is quoted as written; the translator is named under each one.
His opening words
Verifiedבְּעֵזֶר יוֹצֵר אוֹרָה. אֲבָאֵר פֵּירוּשׁ הַתּוֹרָה. לְיַחֵד שְׁמוֹ הַנּוֹרָא.
“With the help of the Creator of light, I will elucidate the explanation of the Torah, to unite His awesome name.”
Ohr HaChaim on Genesis 1:1 · Sefaria Community Translation
Why God spoke to Avraham first
Verifiedוּבֶן חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים הִכִּיר אֶת בּוֹרְאוֹ מֵעַצְמוֹ
God spoke to Abraham without first appearing in a vision, because Abraham “already recognised his Creator at the age of five without having received any guidance from a teacher.”
Ohr HaChaim on Genesis 12:1 · Eliyahu Munk translation
Make Me a Sanctuary — for all times
Verifiedוְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ הִיא מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה כּוֹלֶלֶת כָּל הַזְּמַנִּים
“Make Me a Sanctuary” is a positive commandment that includes all times — in the desert, in the Land, and for all generations.
Ohr HaChaim on Exodus 25:8 · Study translation of the Hebrew
Our actions below affect blessing above
Verifiedכִּי כְּשֶׁהַתַּחְתּוֹנִים מַטִּין מִדֶּרֶךְ הַטּוֹב מִסְתַּלְּקִים הַהַשְׁפָּעוֹת
“When people who dwell in the lower parts of the universe stray from the correct path they cause the beneficial outpourings from the upper part of the universe to cease.”
Ohr HaChaim on Leviticus 25:25 · Eliyahu Munk translation
Two obstacles to keeping the Torah
Verifiedאֶחָד מִצַּד הַשָּׂגַת יְדִיעַת הַתּוֹרָה עַצְמָהּ, וּשְׁנִיָּה מִצַּד קִיּוּם מִצְוֹתֶיהָ
The Torah answers two causes of failure: “Ignorance of what is written in the Torah” and “the difficulty in keeping the commandments.”
Ohr HaChaim on Deuteronomy 30:11 · Eliyahu Munk translation