The Torah section of Eikev begins (Devarim 7:12-15): “And it will be because of your listening to these ordinances, and your observing and performing them; then the L-rd your G-d will safeguard for you the covenant and the kindness that He swore to your forefathers. He will love you, He will bless you and He will…
In the Torah section of VaEtchanan, G-d commands the people of Israel, “Safeguard the Sabbath day to sanctify it… Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is the sabbath of the L-rd your G-d, you shall not do any labor” (Devarim 5:12-14). In the Babylonian Talmud, Bava Kamma 2a, our…
We read in the beginning of the Torah section of Devarim, in his final discourse before his death, Moses, amongst a series of recollections concerning the people of Israel, relates, “G-d your L-rd has multiplied you and behold you are like the stars of heaven in abundance. May G-d, the L-rd of your forefathers, add to you…
In the Torah section of Masei, we read (Bamidbar 33:50-53): “And G-d spoke to Moses in the plains of Moav, by the Jordan, at Jericho, saying: ‘Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: When you cross the Jordan to the land of Canaan. You shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land before…
Amidst a lengthy enumeration of the different tribes of the nation of Israel, upon their impending entry into the land promised them by G-d, we read in the Torah section of Pinchas (Bamidbar 26:38-43): “The offspring of Benjamin according to their families: of Bela, the Belaite family; of Ashbel, the Ashbelite family; of Achiram, the Achiramite…
Five times during the year, other than the Biblical day of atonement Yom Kippur, the people of Israel are encouraged to fast: Tzom Gedaliah, Asara be-Tevet, Ta’anit Esther, Shiv’ah Asar be-Tammuz and Tish’ah be-Av. On these days, except Tish’ah be-Av, we fast during the daytime hours, from dawn until the stars appear, whereas we fast…
On the Torah section of Balak, the great Hasidic Rebbe, R. Meir Pramishlan (1703–1773), disciple of the Baal Shem Tov, asks a basic question: Why is this Torah section called Balak, the name of an avowed hater of the people of Israel? We do not call the Torah portion Bilam, understandably so, since he attempted to curse…
In the Torah section of Chukat, the Torah goes into length about a specific incident wherein Moses erred. The people of Israel were thirsting for water. G-d told Moses to speak to a given stone that would pour out water for everyone to drink. Instead of speaking to the stone, after being overcome by anger at the…
In the Torah section of Korach, the Torah tells us of an unwarranted and baseless assault by Korach, borne by jealousy, on the characters of no less than the great leader of the people of Israel Moses, hand picked by G-d himself, and his illustrious brother Aaron, chosen by G-d to be Kohen Gadol (high…
Towards the end of the Torah portion Shelach, G-d tells His messenger, our teacher Moses: “Speak to the children of Israel and you shall say to them that they are to make for themselves fringes on the corners of their garments throughout their generations…and you shall look upon it and remember all the commandments of…
