Elul: Renewal and Recenter
Encounters | Mrs. Sara Aliza Scheinberg
Ki Savo 5784
In the glorious days of the Holy Temple, every week, in cities all over the Land of Israel, one of the 24 families of Cohanim (and the Levites assigned to them), would meet to travel together to Yerushalayim. There were…
Parshas Ki Tezei 5784
In this week’s portion, the Torah commands us (Deuteronomy 22:8): (ח) כִּי תִבְנֶה בַּיִת חָדָשׁ וְעָשִׂיתָ מַעֲקֶה לְגַגֶּךָ וְלֹא תָשִׂים דָּמִים בְּבֵיתֶךָ כִּי יִפֹּל הַנֹּפֵל מִמֶּנּוּ 8) If you build a new house, you shall make a fence for your…
Parshat Shoftim 5784
If statistics are correct, Jews comprise .02% of the world’s population: There are over 2.5 billion Christians, almost 2 billion Muslims, and billions more people in many other religions, including non-believers. Interestingly, the Torah instructs us to follow the majority…
Parshat Re’eh 5784
This week’s portionראה starts with a bang. Moshe tells the Jewish people in the name of Hashem (Deuteronomy 11:26): כו) רְאֵה אָנֹכִי נֹתֵן לִפְנֵיכֶם הַיּוֹם בְּרָכָה וּקְלָלָה 26) Look! I am placing before you today blessing and curse! Rabbi Ovadia…
Parshat Ekev 5784
This week’s portion contains, the only Torah-mandated ברכה - blessing, according to all opinions, namely, ברכת המזון - Birkat Hamazon, the Grace after meals, which is derived from the verse in (Deuteronomy 8:10): י) וְאָכַלְתָּ וְשָׂבָעְתָּ וּבֵרַכְתָּ אֶת יְדֹוָד אֱלֹקֶיךָ…
Tisha B’Av 5784
Yesterday, was Rosh Chodesh Av, the first day of the month of Av. The Code of Jewish Law (551:1) teaches us: א) משנכנס אב ממעטין בשמחה; ובר ישראל דאית ליה דינא בהדי כותי, לישתמיט מיניה דריע מזליה 1)…
Parshas Matos – Masei 5784
In this week’s double portion, (depending on the year and on what days the holidays fall out, sometimes two weekly portions are read together) Hashem charges Moshe with his final task: retaliate against the Midianites for the catastrophe that…
Parhas Balak 5784
This week’s portion, Balak, introduces us to בלעם - Bilaam, history’s only legitimate non-Jewish prophet. Although many others claim to have had a prophecy (and, hence, so many religions in the world), they are all impostors, for after Bilaam misused…