Parshat Vaetchanan 5778

Parshat Vaetchanan                 This week’s portion, ואתחנן  - Vaetchanan, which means “and I implored,” seems to begin in the middle of nowhere. Following the description in the end of the previous portion of how the Jewish people decimated the two…

Continue ReadingParshat Vaetchanan 5778

Tisha B’Av 5778

Tisha B’Av Napoleon once passed a shul in Paris on Tisha B’Av. Hearing crying and wailing coming from inside and thinking that there was something terrible going on, he stepped inside to see what he could do to help. What…

Continue ReadingTisha B’Av 5778

Parshat Matot-Masei 5778

Parshat Matot – Masei תשע"ח                 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: retaliation against the…

Continue ReadingParshat Matot-Masei 5778

Parshat Pinchas 5778

Parshat Pinchas תשע"ח This week’s portion begins with Hashem praising Pinchas for the zealous act that he performed 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…

Continue ReadingParshat Pinchas 5778