The Census. More statutes and laws. Adventures of the Hebrews en route to Canaan through the desert.
This week’s Parsha introduces us to an anti-Semite named Balak. He hired the wicked Bilaam to destroy the Jews; Bilaam agreed and even attempted to do so but was unsuccessful. At one point, Bilaam uttered a remarkable statement; something we would not have expected to come from the mouth of such a malicious person.Let me […]
Is common sense all one really needs in life (and Judaism)? That’s what Annie Oakley said in one of Broadway’s most beloved musicals,Annie Get Your Gun.Folks like us could never fussWith schools and books and learnin’Still we’ve gone from A to Z Doin’ what comes naturally You don’t have to know how to read or […]
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 you shall not wander after […]
Miriam (Moses’ sister) spoke negatively about Moses to Aaron, their brother. As a result, she broke out intzaras, a form of leprosy that existed only in biblical times; it emerged when a person spokelashon hara, negative talk-non beneficial criticism. Moses prayed for Miriam, but the prayer was just five words.Moses cried out to G-d, saying, “Please, […]
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. After its completion, there was a seven-day ceremony in which the clergy was installed into their sacred office. At the end of each […]
When the cycle for the weekly Torah readings was established centuries ago, this week’s Parsha was designated specifically to be read this Shabbos. I.e. the reading is from the first few chapters of the Torah’s fourth book, Numbers and always proceeds the holiday of Shavuos. What connection is there between this week’s Parsha and Shavuos, the festival commemorating the […]
This week we learn about the laws of inheritance; it’s taught here because of five incredible women, who were the daughters of Tzelafchad. Here’s the claim they presented to Moses.Our father died in the desert. He was not among the members of Korach’s faction, who protested against G-d, but he died because of his own […]
This week’s Parsha introduces us to an anti-Semite named Balak. He hired the wicked Bilaam to destroy the Jews; Bilaam agreed and even attempted to do so but was unsuccessful. At one point, Bilaam uttered a remarkable statement; something we would not have expected to come from the mouth of such a malicious person.Let me […]
One of the greatest pianists of the 20th century was Leon Fleisher, but at the peak of his career he developed a rare hand condition due to his 7-8 hours of practice each day and was no longer able to play with his right hand. “”I was desolate, my life fell apart, and this mysterious debilitating […]
Although seeing is believing, that’s not necessarily the case in the digital age. For years, the internet has been flooded with fake images, but recently, technology has been improved to create forgeries of videos. A recent famous example is the doctored video of Nancy Pelosi which appears as if she is slurring her words. There […]
Miriam (Moses’ sister) spoke negatively about Moses to Aaron, their brother. As result, she broke out in tzaras, a form of leprosy that existed only in biblical times; it emerged when a person spoke lashon hara, negative talk-non beneficial criticism. Moses prayed for Miriam, but the prayer was just five words.Moses cried out to G-d, saying, “Please, G-d, […]
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 […]
