Parshat Re’eh 5781

Reeh תשפא             A student recently asked me, “There are two major types of social systems, democracy and socialism. What social system does the Torah recommend?”              I answered him that the Torah’s social system is neither, as it operates on a different…

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Parshat Ekev 5781

Parshat Ekev             This week’s portion contains, according to all opinions, the only Torah-mandated  ברכה  - blessing, namely, the ברכת המזון - Birkat Hamazon, the Grace after meals, which is derived from the verse in (Deuteronomy 8:10): ספר דברים פרק ח י) וְאָכַלְתָּ וְשָׂבָעְתָּ וּבֵרַכְתָּ אֶת יְדֹוָד…

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Parshat Vaetchanan 5781

Vaetchanan תשפא             The Talmud (Makot 23b) teaches us that Hashem gave the Jewish people 613 מצות - commandments.  דרש רבי שמלאי: שש מאות ושלש עשרה מצות נאמרו לו למשה ...אמר רב המנונא מאי קרא תורה צוה לנו משה מורשה תורה בגימטריא שית מאה…

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Tisha B’Av 5781

Tisha B’ Av תשפ"א Last Shabbat, July 10, 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…

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Parshat Pinchas 5781

 Parshat Pinchas תשפא This week’s portion, Pinchas, begins with Hashem praising him for his zealous act at the end of last week’s portion, Balak. Pinchas’s conduct appeased Hashem’s anger and stopped the plague that had begun. Hashem rewarded Pinchas with His covenant of…

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Parshat Balak 5781

Balak תשפא This week’s portion, Balak, introduces us to בלעם  - Bilaam, history’s only legitimate non-Jewish prophet. The information he conveyed via his prophecy was straight from Hashem. It is remarkable to know that Bilaam’s prophecy was the same high-level prophecy as Moshe Rabbeinu’s!…

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Parsha Chukat 5781

Parshat Chukat תשפא In this week’s portion’s final two chapters , the Jewish nation is attacked by the world’s two most powerful leaders, Sichon, King of the Emori, and Og, king of Bashan, whom the Jews handily defeat. When the Jewish people merely asked Sichon…

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Parshat Korach 5781

Parshat Korach תשפא             This week’s portion, Korach, details the events of Korach’s (and his 253 compatriots) rebellion, against Moshe and Aharon (Numbers 16:1,2): א) וַיִּקַּח קֹרַח בֶּן יִצְהָר בֶּן קְהָת בֶּן לֵוִי וְדָתָן וַאֲבִירָם בְּנֵי אֱלִיאָב וְאוֹן בֶּן פֶּלֶת בְּנֵי רְאוּבֵן…

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