The Differences We Have in Common

The Differences We Have in Common

“…Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ houses…” – Bamidbar 1:2 שְׂאוּ אֶת רֹאשׁ כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם – במדבר א, ב The census taken in the beginning of the Book of Bamidbar seems paradoxical. On the one hand, a tally of the entire nation, in which […]

May 17, 2020 at 11:06 AM 0 comments

Choose Your Neighbors Carefully

Choose Your Neighbors Carefully

“…The families of the sons of Kehos shall camp to the south side of the Mishkan…” – Bamidbar 3:29 מִשְׁפְּחֹת בְּנֵי קְהָת יַחֲנוּ עַל יֶרֶךְ הַמִּשְׁכָּן תֵּימָנָה – במדבר ג, כט The tribe of Levi camped on all four sides of the Mishkan, and around them the other twelve tribes camped, three tribes on each side. Rashi notes that the […]

May 31, 2019 at 2:28 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

Parashat Bamidbar – What’s so special about the desert?

Parashat Bamidbar – What’s so special about the desert?

Duration of class: 42:37          

May 14, 2018 at 1:58 AM 0 comments

Parashat Bamidbar – Why are Jews divided?

Parashat Bamidbar – Why are Jews divided?

The Torah teaches us to be united and love each other, so why are the Jews divided into tribes and groups? that and much more in this class Duration of class: 1:04:21            

May 21, 2017 at 7:26 PM 0 comments

Numbers that Matter

Numbers that Matter

“…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 In the first thirteen months after their exodus from Egypt, the Jewish people were counted three times (see Shemos 12:37; Ibid. 30:12-16; and Bamidbar, chapters 1-3). Rashi explains the significance of all this counting: “Because […]

May 21, 2017 at 6:04 AM 0 comments

Hide and Go

Hide and Go

“…When the camp is about to travel, Aharon and his sons shall come and take down the dividing curtain, and they shall cover the Aron of Testimony with it. They shall place upon it a covering of tachash skin and on top of that they shall spread a cloth of pure blue wool…” – Bamidbar 4:5-6 וּבָא אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו בִּנְסֹעַ […]

June 10, 2016 at 4:44 AM 0 comments

You Must Be a Levi Too

You Must Be a Levi Too

“…They shall take charge of all the vessels of the Ohel Moed and the charge of B’nei Yisrael, to perform the service of the Mishkan…” – Bamidbar 3:8 וְשָׁמְרוּ אֶת כָּל כְּלֵי אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וְאֶת מִשְׁמֶרֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לַעֲבֹד אֶת עֲבֹדַת הַמִּשְׁכָּן – במדבר ג, ח The Rambam writes that the extraordinary sanctity that G-d conferred upon the tribe of Levi […]

June 8, 2016 at 10:36 AM 0 comments

Outside Influences

Outside Influences

“…You shall not have other gods…” – Shemos 20:3 לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ אֱלֹקִים אֲחֵרִים – שמות כ, ג The Talmud (Shabbos 88b) relates that the angels protested G-d giving the Torah to Bnei Yisrael, insisting that G-d’s wisdom must not be shared with mortals of flesh and blood. In response, Moshe demonstrated that only humans could fulfill the Torah’s commands, […]

May 21, 2015 at 6:36 PM 0 comments