Bahar – Bechukotai תשפ In Parshat Bechukotai (the second of the two portions that should be read if there were Shul this week), Hashem promises the Jewish people that if they keep His commandments, they will receive every blessing in…
Emor תשפ This week’s portion, Emor, contains the mitzvah to count the omer (Leviticus 23:15,16). (טו) וּסְפַרְתֶּם לָכֶם מִמָּחֳרַת הַשַּׁבָּת מִיּוֹם הֲבִיאֲכֶם אֶת עֹמֶר הַתְּנוּפָה שֶׁבַע שַׁבָּתוֹת תְּמִימֹת תִּהְיֶינָה: (טז) עַד מִמָּחֳרַת הַשַּׁבָּת הַשְּׁבִיעִת תִּסְפְּרוּ חֲמִשִּׁים יוֹם וְהִקְרַבְתֶּם מִנְחָה חֲדָשָׁה…
Acharei Mot – Kedoshim תשפ This week (if shul were open!), we would read a double portion, Acharei Mot and Kedoshim. The third verse in Kedoshim (Leviticus 19:3) tells us: (ג) אִישׁ אִמּוֹ וְאָבִיו תִּירָאוּ וְאֶת שַׁבְּתֹתַי תִּשְׁמֹרוּ אֲנִי יְדֹוָד…
Tazriah – Metzorah תשפ This coming Shabbat, two portions will be read in Shul (that is, if there were services). The main topic of these two portions is the “metzorah,” one who was stricken with the malady -צרעת “tzaraat” (or…
Pesach II תשע"ט The Pesach holiday which commemorates the release of the Jewish nation from 210 years of slavery in Egypt is celebrated in the month of Nissan. Nevertheless, we are commanded to remember the Exodus from Egypt twice…
Pesach תשפ During the period of the Judges (the roughly 350 years from the death of Joshua until David became king), the Jewish people had sinned, and Hashem subjugated them to the Midianites for seven years. In desperation, the people…