In the beginning of the Torah section of Chaye Sarah, we read that Abraham’s son Isaac had come of age. After G-d’s miraculously giving Abraham’s wife Sarah the ability to conceive a child at an advanced age and subsequently testing Abraham’s and Isaac’s conviction, the time had come for Isaac to marry. To this purpose,…
In the beginning of the Torah section of VaYerah (Bereshit 18:2-6), we read: “And he [Abraham] lifted his eyes and saw, and behold three men were standing over him, and he perceived and he ran toward them from the entrance of the tent and bowed toward the ground. And he said…’Let some water be brought…
In the Torah section of Lekh Lekha, G-d appears to Abraham and reveals to him what He has in store for Abraham and his offspring. “And He said to Abram, ‘Know with certainty that your offspring shall be aliens in a land not their own, and they will serve them, and they will oppress them…
In the Torah section of Noach, we read of G-d’s decision, as a result of the corruption that engulfed the planet, to destroy all that was on Earth in an extraordinary flood except for those creatures spared by G-d in the ark that he asked Noach to build. In order to prepare for the flood and…
In synagogues around the world, as we culminate the Sukkot holiday and complete another cycle of readings of the Torah, we begin once again with the first Torah section of Bereshit. In the Torah section of Bereshit, we read of G-d’s creation of the heavens and earth, the sun, moon and stars, grass, living creatures…
In the Babylonian Talmud, Arakhin 16a, we learn that there are two forbidden actions, murder and lashon hara (tale bearing), for which atonement cannot be achieved through regular sacrifices – other means are necessary. The example given of the atonement for murder is the Eglah Arufah (Decapitated Calf), concerning which we read at the end of the Torah section of…
In the Torah section of Naso (Bamidbar 6:1-21), we find an elaboration on the subject of the Nazirite: “A man or woman who shall dissociate oneself by taking a Nazirite vow … From new or aged wine shall he abstain, and he shall not drink vinegar of wine or vinegar of aged wine; anything in…
“And G-d spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai.” So begins the first verse of the Torah section of Bamidbar, which begins the fourth book of the five books of Moses by the same name. As regards this verse, R. Shimshon Pincus notes an oft asked question: Why of all places was the Torah…
The Torah section of Bechukotai begins with an account of the blessings that await the people of Israel if they fulfill their covenant with G-d. We then read the tokhocha (admonition), a sobering report of punishments, frustrations and curses that G-d promises those who undermine His covenant. The main thrust in G-d’s admonition to His…
We find towards the end of the Torah section of Emor: “And a man who strikes mortally any human life shall be put to death. And a man who strikes mortally an animal life shall make restitution… And if a man inflicts a wound upon his fellow, as he did, so shall be done to…
