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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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