The Census. More statutes and laws. Adventures of the Hebrews en route to Canaan through the desert.
Imagine a college freshman who is away from home for the first time; the feeling of freedom sets in immediately. He can finally party, drink, and do other activities whenever he likes but he isn’t mature in how he uses his new autonomy (Is this fiction? A May 30, 2013 article in the Harvard Crimson […]
One of the subjects discussed in this week’s Torah portion is the punishment for involuntary manslaughter, which is banishment to a city of refuge. You shall designate cities for yourselves… and a murderer shall flee there one who takes a life unintentionally. (Numbers 35:11) For example, if an axe head slips out of its handle (while chopping) […]
One of the topics in this week’s Parsha is the law concerning inheritance. It is taught because of an incident initiated by five remarkable women, all of whom were daughters of a man named Tzelafchad. This is what they asked Moses: And the daughters of Tzelafchad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the […]
This week’s Torah portion is about Balaam, the non-Jewish prophet hired to destroy the Jewish people. The ancient nations of the world complained to the Almighty that if He would give them a prophet like Moses, they too would be able to lead spiritual lives. G-d responded by granting prophecy to Balaam. Instead of using […]
[Introduction: Where did millions of Jewish men and women get water for themselves and their children (and their flocks) during their 40 year desert sojourn? They were nourished by the miraculous manna, which fell daily, but their water came as a result of another miracle; the well of Miriam. The entire nation was “watered” in […]
The last time a professional sports team from Washington DC won a national championship was 36 years ago when the Redskins won the Super Bowl-but that recently changed when the Washington Capitals defeated the Vegas Golden Knights to win the Stanley Cup. The arena in Vegas erupted the second after the Caps won. While Alex […]
Rabbi O’s Weekly Parsha: Shelach (Numbers 13-15) A Student, a Prostitute, and a Sag We are introduced to the mitzvah of tzitzis at the end of this week’s Parsha. Speak to the children of Israel and you shall say to them that they shall make for themselves fringes on the corners of their garments, throughout their generations…and when you see it, […]
[Rav Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter, known as Sfas Emes,the title of his magnum opus, was one of the most prominent Chassidic masters of the 19th century. Many of his writings focus on helping the downtrodden and persecuted Jews of his time find meaning in their existence. He employs the deep mystical concepts of Kabbala in his compositions […]
G-d spoke to Moses saying: Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, This is how you shall bless the children of Israel, saying to them: May G-d bless you and watch over you. May G-d cause His countenance to shine to you and favor you. May G-d raise His countenance toward you and grant you […]
These are the offspring of Aaron and Moses on the day G-d spoke with Moses at Mount Sinai. These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the eldest is Nadav, then Avihu, Elazar, and Ithamar. Nadav and Avihu died before G-d because they offered a foreign fire before G-d; they had no sons, and Elazar and Ithamar […]
Moses had been the consummate conciliator for the past 40 years. From the sin of the Golden Calf when he appeased G-d and throughout the many ordeals during the 40-year desert sojourn, he is constantly an advocate for the wishes of his nation. This week, however, Moses reacts totally different to what appears to be […]
Who will go out before them …who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the G-d will not be like sheep without a shepherd. (27:17) What prerequisites did Moses request his successor have; what were his criteria for leadership? A leader “who will go out before them and who […]
Balak the king of Moav, was willing to pay Bilaam to curse the Jewish people. Why Bilaam? He is an interesting character who is unique in scripture because he was a non-Jewish prophet who was given the gift of prophecy on a level equivalent to Moses’. The Almighty gave Bilaam these powers so that the […]
In Judaism there’s much emphasis on life and fulfilling one’s potential. There’s a decree of the Torah that states that when one comes in contact with a corpse, there’s a spiritual contamination that takes place and a seven day process on how to return to one’s original state. A dead body represents a being that […]
There is no shortage of drama and tragedy in this week’s Parsha. The central narrative revolves around a group of 250 prominent people led by Korach, their outspoken and charismatic leader. He contested Moses and Aaron’s leadership. They gathered together against Moses and against Aaron and said to them, ‘It is too much for you! […]
We are introduced to the mitzvah of tzitzis at the end of this week’s Parsha. Speak to the children of Israel and you shall say to them that they shall make for themselves fringes on the corners of their garments, throughout their generations…and when you see it, you will remember all of G-d’s the commandments…and […]
At this point in the Exodus story, things seem to be going well for the Jews. After being enslaved for 210 years, they had miraculously been freed and were now living in the desert. Their protection, food, and water were given to them in a miraculous way. One would think that this ideal existence is […]
The Mishkan (Tabernacle) was the portable place of worship for the Jews in the wilderness and the precursor to the Temple (Beit Hamikdash) that King Solomon would build hundreds of years later in Jerusalem. Due to the unusual structure and language employed in the Torah to describe the day of the Tabernacle’s completion, Rashi explains […]
The Midrash enumerates three earthy components that were part of the Sinai experience. Three elements are associated with the giving of the Torah…fire, water, and desert. (Midrash Rabbah, 1:7) Lightning and flashes of fire were in the air when Moshe received the Torah (Exodus 19), the clouds dripped water while the Jews were at Mount […]
Rabbi O’s Weekly Parsha: Matot-Masay (Numbers 30-36) Forks Over Knives; Voices and Choices …but it must be purified with purifying waters. (31:23) One of the cryptic aspects of Jewish observance is the mikvah, a ritual body of collected rainwater or a natural spring. It is used on various occasions having to do with a change […]
The main character in the beginning of this week’ Torah portion is Pinchas, who meted out punishment of a licentious act. Concerning Pinchas, G-d said “Pinchas avenged My vengeance…”(ibid 25:11). According to the commentary of Rashi he did what G-d would have had to do. As a result, Pinchas was rewarded by having his stature […]
The 20th century was the bloodiest in all of human history and serves as testimony that two beloved theories about humanity are wrong. These ideas emanated a few hundred years ago during the Enlightenment and remain popular in secular humanist ideology. One is the idea that all moral questions, all issues of right and wrong, […]
Sichon, the king of the Amorite nation did not let the Jewish people pass through his borders on their way to the Land of Israel. Instead, he and his nation came out to wage war against them. The Jews were victorious and they temporarily settled in his city of Cheshbon. The poets of the time […]
One Sentence Synopsis of this week’s Torah portion: A man named Korach convinced 250 men to join him in challenging Moses’ leadership and accuses him of placing his (Moses’) own interests before the rest of the people [due to his choice of his brother, Aaron, as Kohen Gadol (High Priest)]. The Almighty commands Moses to […]
Imagine getting a phone call from your a beloved aunt who tells you she is sending a gift. When it arrives, you call the bomb squad to make sure it is safe. This scenario seems absurd but something even more ludicrous happened to the Jews while they were traveling in the desert. They sent twelve […]
This week the Torah tells us that the Children of Israel once again complained; they wanted meat in the desert. They recalled what they considered a better time in a better place–Egypt! Like many of us who are discontented with the world we live in, they spoke about the good old days. The rabble that […]
(There is a new feature at the end of this dvar Torah. It is a short prayer and meditation suggestion on based on the dvar Torah.) One of the most controversial topics in the Torah is the Sotah, the suspected adulteress. Adultery is an equal opportunity misdeed; both men and women are commanded not to […]
