Trumah (Exodus 25:1-27:19 ) This week’s Torah portion outlines the building of the Tabernacle (Mishkan), a holy Sanctuary where G-d’s presence dwelled. Rashi describes the Tabernacle as a “House of Holiness1.” It is well-known that the Tabernacle and later, the Temple, was the place where people came to offer Sacrifices, yet it… Read More »PARSHAT TRUMAH – PRAYING IN HOLY PLACES
Mishpatim (Exodus 21-24 ) It is well known that honesty is one of the most important character traits and that its antithesis, falsehood, is one of the most undesirable. The Sefer Hachinuch speaks very strongly about how disdainful it is to lie: “Falsehood is abominable and disgraceful in everyone’s eyes, there is nothing more… Read More »PARSHAT MISHPATIM – TRUTH AND FALSEHOOD
Yitro (Exodus 18-20 ) Shemot, 18:27: “And Moshe sent his father-in-law [Yisro] and he went to his land.”Rashi, Shemot, 18:27, Dh: And he went: “To convert his family.” In the Torah Portion named after him, Yitro, Moshe’s father-in-law, visits the Jewish people in the desert and, convinced by the miracles of the Exodus, joins the… Read More »PARSHAT YITRO – TEACHING TORAH EVERYWHERE
Beshalach (Exodus 13:17-17:16 ) Shemos, 13:18: “The children of Israel were ‘chamushim’ when they went up from Egypt.”Rashi, 13:18, Dh: Chamushim: Chamushim means that one in five left and four parts [out of five] died in the three days of darkness:Targum Yonasan, ibid: “…Each one of the Children of Israel came with five children when they left… Read More »PARSHAT BESHALACH – THE GOOD DEED OF THE JEWS LEAVING MITZRAYIM
Bo (Exodus 10:1-13:16 ) One of the most distinctive aspects of the Ten Plagues was the persistent refusal of Pharaoh to recognize the error of his ways and accept that the G-d of the Jews was indeed all-powerful. Miracle after miracle failed to persuade him of the veracity of Moses’ claims of… Read More »PARSHAT BO – THINKING
Va’eira (Exodus 6:2-9:35 ) Moshe Rabbeinu and Pharaoh This week’s Torah portion describes in great detail the first seven of the ten plagues that brought Egypt to its knees. A major feature of the plagues is the behavior of Pharaoh in reaction to the destruction of his nation. When Moses and Aaron… Read More »PARSHAT VA’ERIA- MOSHE RABBEINU AND PHARAOH
Shmot (Exodus 1:1-6:1 ) This week’s Torah portion outlines the famous story of the birth of Moshe and how he was placed in basket on the River Nile and he was rescued by none other than the daughter of Pharaoh who brought him up as an adopted son in the Palace. The… Read More »PARSHAT SHMOT- NATURE VERSUS NURTURE
Vayechi (Genesis 47:28-50:26 ) Bereishis, 49:10: “The Kingship will not be removed from Yehuda…Rashi, 49:10: Dh: “From King David and on…” In this week’s Torah portion, Yaakov blesses Yehudah that the Kingship would belong to the members of the Tribe of Yehuda1. Two strong questions are asked about this. Firstly, it is well-known that… Read More »PARSHAT VAYECHI- JEWISH KINGSHIP
Vayigash (Genesis 44:18-47:27 ) “Pharaoh said to Yaakov, ‘How many are the days of the years of your life?” Yaakov answered Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my sojourns have been one hundred and thirty years. Few and bad have been the days of the years of my life, and they… Read More »PARSHAT VAYIGASH- DEALLING WITH SUFFERING
Mikeitz (Genesis 41:1-44:17 ) On Hanukkah we celebrate the momentous defeat of the Hasmoneans over the mighty Greek army and the subsequent miracle of the oil that lasted eight days. The war with the Greeks was far more than a standard military confrontation between two nations striving to attain power. This was… Read More »PARSHAT VAYESHEV- CHANUKAH’S IDEOLOGICAL CLASH
