Be’halot’cha (Numbers 8-12 ) What were the Children of Israel complaining about? “The people were like those who seek complaints in the ears of G-d, and G-d heard and His wrath flared…” (1) As the Jewish people were on the verge of entering the land of Israel, they began complaining to… Read More »PARSHAT BE’HALOT’CHA: UNDERSTANDING COMPLAINTS
Naso (Numbers 4:21-7:89 ) Bamidbar, 5:2: “Speak the Children of Israel, and you will say to them, ‘A man or a woman when he makes a vow to be a Nazir to Hashem.”Rashi, 5:2: Dh:“…why is the Portion of Nazir next to the portion of Sotah? To teach that whoever sees a… Read More »PARSHAT NASO: THE CONNECTION BETWEEN ARROGANCE AND IMMORATILY
Bamidbar (Numbers 1:1-4:20 ) The Torah portion outlines how G-d instructs that each tribe should have Its own flag (degel). The Midrash provides fascinating background to the seemingly mundane passage. The Midrash1 teaches that says that when G-d’s Presence descended upon Mount Sinai 22,000 angels descended with Him – each with flags. The Jewish… Read More »PARSHAT BAMIDBAR: FINDING OU LIFE’S PURPOSE
Bechukotai (Leviticus 26:3-27:34 ) Vayikra, 26:42: And I will remember my Covenant with Yaakov, and even my Covenant with Yitzchak, and even my Covenant with Avraham will I remember, and the Land I will remember. Rashi, 26,42: Dh: Vezacharti: “Why were they [the Avot] listed in reverse order? It is as… Read More »PARSHAT BECHUKOTAI: BRING THE REDEMPTION THROUGH KINDNESS
Behar (Leviticus 25:1-26:2 ) On two occasions in Behar the Torah instructs us not to afflict our fellow Jew. In the first instance, the Torah states: “When you sell an item to one of your people or buy from one of your people, a man should not afflict his brother.” (1) A… Read More »PARSHAT BEHAR: HURTFUL WORDS
Emor (Leviticus 21-24 ) The Parsha ends with the tragic story of the blasphemer – the man who cursed G-d when he was not accepted into any Tribe by the Jewish Court of Law (Beit Din), because his father was non-Jewish and the membership of a Tribe was dependent on the father’s… Read More »PARSHAT EMOR: THE PERILS OF JUDGEMENT
Kedoshim (Leviticus 19-20 ) In the latter part of the Parsha the Torah enumerates the various forbidden relationships and their punishments. Towards the end of this list the Torah states: “A man who takes his sister, the daughter of his father, or the daughter of his mother, and sees her nakedness, it is… Read More »PARSHAT KEDOSHIM: UNDERSTANDING THE TRUE MEANING OF ‘CHESED’
Acharei Mot (Leviticus 16-18 ) Before detailing the list of forbidden relationships the Torah instructs us: “Do not perform the practices of the land of Egypt in which you dwelled; and do not perform the practices of the land of Canaan to which I bring you…” (1) Rashi writes that Egypt and… Read More »PARSHAT ACHAREI MOT: NEGATIVE SURROUNDINGS
Metzora (Leviticus 14-15 ) Vayikra, 14:2: “This is the law of the metzorah on the day of his purification, and he shall be brought (v’huvah) to the Kohen.”Bamidbar, 6:13: “This is the law of the Nazir on the day his abstinence is completed, he shall bring himself (yavi oso) to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. In… Read More »PARSHAT METZORAH: THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE NAZIR AND THE METZORAH
Tazria (Leviticus 12-13 ) On Passover we celebrate the Exodus from Egypt, yet even after leaving Egypt, the dangers of being affected by that corrupt nation remained very real. Accordingly, the Torah commands us: “Do not perform the practices of the land of Egypt in which you dwelled…1” Rashi writes that Egypt… Read More »PARSHAT TAZRIA – LEAVING THE IMPURITY OF EGYPT
