Parshas Shlach This week’s Torah portion’s concluding paragraph (Numbers 15:37-41) commands us to affix tzizit (“fringes”)to most four-cornered garments that men wear. The commandment is fulfilled by wearing theטלית קטן , a “small tallit,” or what we call tzizit or…
Beha'alotcha תשפ"ג On the night of the 15th of Nissan, Passover night, 3,335 years ago, the Jewish people fulfilled the mitzva of eating matza for the first time at the seder. After eating the afikomen (dessert - a piece…
Naso תשפ"ג We all know the story of Samson (Shimshon) and Delila, how she extracted from him that the secret of his strength lay in his hair. Indeed, when the Philistines cut his hair, his strength subsided and they subdued…
Shavuot תשפ"ג The president of the local JCC was once confronted by an angry board member at a meeting. This person was upset because the JCC was closed on all Jewish holidays, including Shavuot. “I understand the JCC being closed…
Bamidbar תשפ"ג This coming Shabbat we begin reading the Torah’s fourth book, Bamidbar - “Numbers,” so -called because in this book the Jewish people are counted twice. The first counting took place on the first day of Iyar, more than…
This Shabbat, we will read two portions, Behar and Bechukotai. In Parshat Bechukotai (Leviticus 26:3-13), Hashem promises the Jewish people that if they keep His commandments, they will receive many blessings and experience no hardships. The rains will fall in…
Emor תשפ"ג This week’s portion contains the mitzvah to “count the omer,” one we are in the midst of fulfilling. Starting from the second day of Passover, we make a blessing every night thanking Hashem for sanctifying us with His…
Acharei Mot - Kedoshim תשפ"ג The famous, oft-quoted, verse, “Love thy neighbor as thyself,” is found in this week’s portion (Leviticus 19:18). יח) לֹא תִקֹּם וְלֹא תִטֹּר אֶת בְּנֵי עַמֶּךָ וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ אֲנִי יְדֹוָד 18) You shall not…
Tazriah – Metzorah תשפג This coming Shabbat, two portions will be read in Shul. The main topic of these two portions is the “metzorah,” one who is stricken with the malady -צרעת “tzaraat” (or tzaraas). The usual translation of tzaraat is leprosy, a translation that…
Pesach תשפ"ג The Jews are finally out of Egypt. Hashem has delivered the knockout punch to Pharaoh by killing every first born, and Pharaoh threw the Jews out of Egypt. This chapter in Jewish history, viz, the slavery and the process of…