Intentions Alone Won’t Do

Intentions Alone Won’t Do

“…And when Bnei Yisrael were in the desert, they found a man gathering wood on the Shabbos day…” – Bamidbar 15:32 וַיִּהְיוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּמִּדְבָּר וַיִּמְצְאוּ אִישׁ מְקֹשֵׁשׁ עֵצִים בְּיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת – במדבר טו, לב The Torah relates that a man gathered wood in violation of the Shabbos, and G-d instructed that he be put to death. According to the […]

June 1, 2018 at 2:46 AM 0 comments

Lamps and Flames

Lamps and Flames

“…Speak to Aharon and say to him, “When you ignite the lamps, the seven lamps shall cast their light toward the face of the menorah…” – Bamidbar 8:2 דַּבֵּר אֶל אַהֲרֹן וְאָמַרְתָּ אֵלָיו בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ אֶת הַנֵּרֹת אֶל מוּל פְּנֵי הַמְּנוֹרָה יָאִירוּ שִׁבְעַת הַנֵּרוֹת – במדבר ח, ב The Talmud regards the menorah as a symbol of Torah study. Hence, our […]

May 27, 2018 at 2:24 AM 0 comments

Your Honor

Your Honor

“…Arise, O G-d, may Your enemies be scattered and may those who hate You flee from You…” – Bamidbar 10:35 קוּמָה ה’ וְיָפֻצוּ אֹיְבֶיךָ וְיָנֻסוּ מְשַׂנְאֶיךָ מִפָּנֶיךָ – במדבר י, לה Rashi explains that Moshe’s entreaty to G-d, “may those who hate you flee from you,” refers to those who hate the Jewish people. “for anyone who hates the Jewish […]

May 27, 2018 at 1:54 AM 0 comments

Fight for Your Rights

Fight for Your Rights

“…And G-d spoke to Moshe in the Sinai Desert, in the second year of their exodus from the land of Egypt, in the first month, saying: Bnei Yisrael shall make the Pesach sacrifice in its appointed time…” – Bamidbar 9:1-2 וַיְדַבֵּר ה’ אֶל מֹשֶׁה בְמִדְבַּר סִינַי בַּשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית לְצֵאתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן לֵאמֹר: וְיַעֲשׂוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַפָּסַח בְּמוֹעֲדוֹ […]

May 27, 2018 at 1:45 AM 0 comments

Searching for Connection

Searching for Connection

“…Why should we be deprived, that we may not bring the offering of G-d in its appointed season?…” – Bamidbar 9:7 לָמָּה נִגָּרַע לְבִלְתִּי הַקְרִיב אֶת קָרְבַּן ה’ בְּמֹעֲדוֹ – במדבר ט, ז The mitzvah of Pesach Sheni, the second opportunity to offer the Pesach sacrifice, is somewhat of an anomaly among the other mitzvos of the Torah. All the […]

May 26, 2018 at 1:45 AM 0 comments

I am Holy, Therefore I am Different

I am Holy, Therefore I am Different

“…All the days of his separation, he is holy to G-od…” – Bamidbar 6:8 כֹּל יְמֵי נִזְרוֹ קָדֹשׁ הוּא לַה’ – במדבר ו, ח A nazir is an individual who chooses to dedicate himself to G-d, by vowing to abstain (usually for a limited period of time) from wine or any grape products, from cutting his hair, and from defiling himself […]

May 23, 2018 at 1:20 AM 0 comments

Just a Number?

Just a Number?

“…Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel…” – Bamidbar 1:2 שְׂאוּ אֶת רֹאשׁ כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל – במדבר א, ב According to Jewish law, if a mixture contains two components, and one is minute in comparison to the other, we regard the smaller component (under certain conditions) as negligible and insignificant. For example, if […]

May 15, 2018 at 2:41 AM 0 comments

Are You Seeing Things?

Are You Seeing Things?

“…And all the people saw the sounds and the flames, the sound of the shofar, and the smoking mountain; and the people saw and trembled, and they stood from afar…” – Shemos 20:15 וְכָל הָעָם רֹאִים אֶת הַקּוֹלֹת וְאֶת הַלַּפִּידִם וְאֵת קוֹל הַשֹּׁפָר וְאֶת הָהָר עָשֵׁן וַיַּרְא הָעָם וַיָּנֻעוּ וַיַּעַמְדוּ מֵרָחֹק – שמות כ, טו From the Torah’s depiction of […]

May 14, 2018 at 10:43 PM 0 comments

24-Hour Security

24-Hour Security

“… Six cities of refuge shall serve for you…” – Bamidbar 35:13 שֵׁשׁ עָרֵי מִקְלָט תִּהְיֶינָה לָכֶם – במדבר לה, יג The Sefer Hachinuch enumerates six mitzvos that are obligatory constantly; “their obligation does not depart from the person for a single moment throughout his lifetime.” These are: 1) To believe in G‑d. 2) Not to believe in any power […]

July 20, 2017 at 1:28 AM 0 comments

Reciprocating the Gift of the Land of Israel

Reciprocating the Gift of the Land of Israel

“…Command the Bnei Yisrael and say to them: When you arrive in the land of Canaan, this is the land that will fall to you as an inheritance, the land of Canaan according to its borders…” – Bamidbar 34:2 צַו אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם כִּי אַתֶּם בָּאִים אֶל הָאָרֶץ כְּנָעַן זֹאת הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר תִּפֹּל לָכֶם בְּנַחֲלָה אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן לִגְבֻלֹתֶיהָ […]

July 19, 2017 at 5:25 PM 0 comments

No Ordinary Matter

No Ordinary Matter

“…If a man makes a vow… he shall not profane his word…” – Bamidbar 30:3 אִישׁ כִּי יִדֹּר נֶדֶר . . לֹא יַחֵל דְּבָרוֹ – במדבר ל, ג The Torah expresses the prohibition of violating your vows with the words, לֹא יַחֵל דְּבָרוֹ. Rashi explains that the Hebrew word יַחֵל is akin to the word יְחַלֵּל, and should be understood […]

July 17, 2017 at 6:38 AM 0 comments

Tough Staff

Tough Staff

“…And Moshe spoke to the heads of the tribes of Bnei Israel…” – Bamidbar 30:2 וַיְדַבֵּר משֶׁה אֶל רָאשֵׁי הַמַּטּוֹת לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל – במדבר ל, ב The Torah refers to the tribes of Bnei Yisrael here as מטות, matos, each individual tribe called a mateh. Elsewhere, the tribes are called shevatim, each tribe known as a sheivet. Mateh and sheivet are […]

July 16, 2017 at 8:17 AM 0 comments

Just a Thought

Just a Thought

After naming the families of the tribe of Reuven that would enter the Land of Israel, the Torah recounts that Dasan and Aviram (who were from the tribe of Reuven) perished along with Korach when they incited a rebellion against Moshe and were swallowed by the earth. The Torah then notes that the sons of Korach did not die in […]

July 12, 2017 at 2:49 AM 0 comments

An Eternal Reward

An Eternal Reward

“…Pinchas son of Elazar, the son of Aharon the kohen, has turned My anger away from Bnei Yisrael by his zealously avenging Me among them, so that I did not destroy Bnei Yisrael because of My zeal…” – Bamidbar 25:11 פִּינְחָס בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן הֵשִׁיב אֶת חֲמָתִי מֵעַל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּקַנְאוֹ אֶת קִנְאָתִי בְּתוֹכָם וְלֹא כִלִּיתִי אֶת בְּנֵי […]

July 11, 2017 at 3:20 AM 0 comments

A Legacy of Love

A Legacy of Love

A deadly plague broke out among Bnei Yisrael, punishing them for sinning with the daughters of Moav and worshipping their gods. Meanwhile, Zimri, the leader of the tribe of Shimon, publicly took a Midianite princess into his tent. Moshe and the elders were stunned.  Pinchas, remembering what Moshe had taught regarding such a situation, entered Zimri’s tent, caught him in […]

July 10, 2017 at 1:06 AM 0 comments

Grassroots Initiative

Grassroots Initiative

 A deathly plague was spreading among Bnei Yisrael, killing thousands of people. Meanwhile, Zimri, the leader of the tribe of Shimon, took a Midianite princess into his tent. Moshe, Elazar and the elders of Bnei Yisrael all witnessed Zimri’s brazen act, but were at a loss of how to respond. Pinchas, who had no previous position of importance, remembered what […]

July 9, 2017 at 2:38 AM 0 comments

How I Really Feel About You

How I Really Feel About You

“…The entire house of Israel wept for Aharon for thirty days…” – Bamidbar 20:29 וַיִּבְכּוּ אֶת אַהֲרֹן שְׁלשִׁים יוֹם כֹּל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל – במדבר כ, כט The Torah emphasizes that Aharon’s passing was mourned by the entire Jewish nation. The Midrash (Avos d’Rabbi Nosson 12:3) explains that Aharon was particularly beloved upon the people because he was active in restoring […]

June 29, 2017 at 1:29 AM 0 comments

The Cow and the Calf

The Cow and the Calf

“…They shall take to you a perfectly red heifer…” – Bamidbar 19:2 וְיִקְחוּ אֵלֶיךָ פָרָה אֲדֻמָּה תְּמִימָה – במדבר יט, ב The ashes of the Parah Adumah were used for the ritual purification of people or articles that contracted impurity from a dead corpse. In order to remove this impurity, the Parah Adumah must also undo to some degree the […]

June 27, 2017 at 3:22 AM 0 comments

Is Death Final? Depends Who You Ask

Is Death Final? Depends Who You Ask

“…They shall take to you a perfectly red heifer…” – Bamidbar 19:2 וְיִקְחוּ אֵלֶיךָ פָרָה אֲדֻמָּה תְּמִימָה – במדבר יט, ב The Torah commands us to prepare the ashes of a parah adumah, a red heifer, for use in the ritual purification of people or articles that contracted impurity from a dead corpse. The Torah attributes this mitzvah to Moshe, […]

June 26, 2017 at 2:22 AM 0 comments

Protecting Your Information

Protecting Your Information

“…The entire congregation are holy, every one of them, and G-d is in their midst. So why do you raise yourselves above the assembly of G-d?”…” – Bamidbar 16:3 כִּי כָל הָעֵדָה כֻּלָּם קְדשִׁים וּבְתוֹכָם ה’ וּמַדּוּעַ תִּתְנַשְּׂאוּ עַל קְהַל ה’ – במדבר טז, ג The Midrash (Tanchuma, Korach 2) relates that Korach challenged Moshe, “If a house is full […]

June 19, 2017 at 2:45 AM 0 comments