What Is a Brit? A Precise Definition The word brit is usually translated “covenant” — but that English word is nearly as opaque as the Hebrew. To understand what a brit is, we first need to clear away three things…
Categorization of Mitzos In total, there are 613 mitzvot, or commandments, in the Torah. They encompass much of our daily living; from which animals can pull a plow together, to which foods we eat on varied days. We have different…
Introduction This week’s parsha, Korach, details the only major attempt at challenging Moshe’s position as G-d’s chosen leader and prophet of the Jewish people. Rashi tells us that this rebellion was rooted in jealousy, as Korach felt he should have…
B”H marrying off our oldest daughter, Orah, in a week from Sunday, and we’d like to invite you to join in our simcha, which will be on June 21, 2026, at 6:30PM at the Fountain Ballroom, 725 Vassar Ave, Lakewood,…
When a Mission Stops Being a Shlichus The primary narrative of our parsha is the story of the spies. Before we delve into it in depth, here is a quick synopsis of what transpired. Moshe sent twelve distinguished men, one…
The essay at the beginning of this Shabbos email is a reprint from the Shabbos email sent exactly this Shabbos, Parshas Behaloscha, but in 2019. The message is unfortunately even more relevant today, in a time when the faith in…
Life isn’t easy, everyone is going to have to go through some tough stuff. But you can put pretty much put people in four baskets, based on when and how frequently they have to swim in the muck. Some people…
Parsha Overview I’d like to give a brief overview of all the topics contained in this week’s portion, and then focus in and elaborate on one of the topics. The Longest This week’s Torah portion, Parshat Nasso, is the longest…
In[1] the early 20th century, arguably the most famous economist in the world was a man named Irving Fisher[2]. Fisher was not just an economist, he was one of those rare people who seemed to turn anything into gold. His…
Me Time | Mrs. Dassie Bausk