“…The people came to Moshe and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against G-d and against you…” So Moshe prayed on behalf of the people…” – Bamidbar 21:7 וַיָּבֹא הָעָם אֶל משֶׁה וַיֹּאמְרוּ חָטָאנוּ כִּי דִבַּרְנוּ בַה’ וָבָךְ . . וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל משֶׁה בְּעַד הָעָם – במדבר כא, ז The Bnei Yisrael spoke against G-d and Moshe and were […]

“…They shall take to you a perfectly red heifer…” – Bamidbar 19:2 וְיִקְחוּ אֵלֶיךָ פָרָה אֲדֻמָּה תְּמִימָה – במדבר יט, ב The Rambam’s compendium of Jewish law, the Mishneh Torah, is famous for its precise wording and organization. It is therefore most unusual that in the midst of a discussion on the laws of the Parah Adumah, the ashes of […]

“…They brought their offering before G-d: six covered wagons and twelve oxen, a wagon from each two princes, and an ox from each one…” – Bamidbar 7:3 וַיָּבִיאוּ אֶת קָרְבָּנָם לִפְנֵי ה’ שֵׁשׁ עֶגְלֹת צָב וּשְׁנֵי עָשָׂר בָּקָר עֲגָלָה עַל שְׁנֵי הַנְּשִׂאִים וְשׁוֹר לְאֶחָד – במדבר ז, ג The generosity of Bnei Yisrael in their donation of materials for the […]

“…They shall confess the sin they committed…” – Bamidbar 5:7 וְהִתְוַדּוּ אֶת חַטָּאתָם אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ – במדבר ה, ז The Rambam writes in Sefer Hamitzvos: “The 73rd mitzvah is that we are commanded to verbally acknowledge the sins we have committed before G-d, exalted be He, when we repent from them… As the Torah states, ‘They shall confess the sin […]

“…Every raised-offering of all the holy things that the children of Israel bring to the kohen, it shall be his…” – Bamidbar 5:9 וְכָל תְּרוּמָה לְכָל קָדְשֵׁי בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר יַקְרִיבוּ לַכֹּהֵן לוֹ יִהְיֶה – במדבר ה, ט Rashi explains that this verse comes to teach us that bikkurim are given to the kohen. Elsewhere (Shemos 23:19), the Torah instructs […]

“…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 […]

“…And Moshe spoke to the entire community of Bnei Israel, saying: this is the word that g-d has commanded…” –  Shemos 35:4 וַיֹּאמֶר משֶׁה אֶל כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר זֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה’ – שמות לה, ד The Torah’s wording is concise, even cryptic at times; an extra word or even letter is already cause for discussion among the […]

“…And Moshe assembled the entire community of Bnei Israel…” – Shemos 35:1 וַיַּקְהֵל משֶׁה אֶת כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל – שמות לה, א Moshe assembled “the entire community of Bnei Yisrael” when he announced G-d’s command to gather the materials necessary and construct the Mishkan. According to the Ohr Hachaim, the Torah’s emphasis that Moshe assembled the entire community teaches us […]

Duration of class:42:41              

Duration of class:1:12:42              

“…Speak to Bnei Yisrael and have a contribution taken for me…” – Shemos 25:2 דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִקְחוּ לִי תְּרוּמָה – שמות כה, ב According to one opinion in the Zohar (vol. 2 p. 224a), both the commandment to build the Mishkan, as well as Bnei Yisrael’s donation of materials for its construction, took place immediately after the Giving of […]

Duration of class:24:20              

“…And it came to pass on the third day as morning dawned, there was thunder and lightning… and the entire nation that was in the camp shuddered…” – Shemot 19:16 וַיְהִי בַיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי בִּהְיֹת הַבֹּקֶר וַיְהִי קֹלֹת וּבְרָקִים . . וַיֶּחֱרַד כָּל הָעָם אֲשֶׁר בַּמַּחֲנֶה – שמות יט, טז If to instill fear alone, the thunder and lightning storm that […]

“….And they stood at the bottom of the mountain….” – Shemot 19:17 וַיִּתְיַצְּבוּ בְּתַחְתִּית הָהָר – שמות יט, יז According to the Talmud, the words “at the bottom of the mountain” mean that G-d raised Mt. Sinai over Bnei Yisrael and said to them, “If you accept the Torah, that’s great. But if not, you will be summarily buried beneath […]

“….G-d spoke all these words, to say….” – Shemot 20:1 וַיְדַבֵּר אֱלֹקִים אֵת כָּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה לֵאמֹר – שמות כ, א The Midrash (Mechilta) explains that the word לאמר, to say, in the verse that introduces the sounding of the Ten Commandments, is not an instruction to those being addressed to repeat what they are being told to others, as […]

“….And Moshe said to Yehoshua, “Choose men for us, and go out and fight against Amalek…” – Shemot 17:9 וַיֹּאמֶר משֶׁה אֶל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בְּחַר לָנוּ אֲנָשִׁים וְצֵא הִלָּחֵם בַּעֲמָלֵק – שמות יז, ט When Bnei Yisrael were under imminent threat of attack by Pharaoh and his army, Moshe told them not to fear the Egyptians nor to wage war against […]

“….But the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea…” – Shemot 14:29 וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הָלְכוּ בַיַּבָּשָׁה בְּתוֹךְ הַיָּם – שמות יד, כט Our Sages taught, “Everything that exists on land also exists in the sea” (Talmud, Chulin 127a). The difference between them is only the extent to which their inhabitants are visible to the […]

….And Moshe said to Yehoshua, “Choose men for us, and go out and fight against Amalek” – Shemot 17:9 וַיֹּאמֶר משֶׁה אֶל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בְּחַר לָנוּ אֲנָשִׁים וְצֵא הִלָּחֵם בַּעֲמָלֵק  – שמות יז, ט The Ananei Hakavod, the protective Clouds of Glory, sheltered all Bnei Yisrael who lived and traveled within them from enemy attack. Amalek was capable of attacking only […]

Unfortunately all around the world most people associate Jews with loving money, greedy for money, control with money and so forth. Where does this come from and why in this week’s Parasha G-d is making sure we leave Mitzraim with money?   Duration of class: 1:16:46              

“….And there was thick darkness over the entire land of Egypt…” – Shemot 10:22 וַיְהִי חשֶׁךְ אֲפֵלָה בְּכָל אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם – שמות י, כב Rashi notes that one of the purposes of the Plague of Darkness was to allow for the Egyptians’ homes to be searched by the Jews. This would enable the fulfillment of G-d’s directive (Shemos 3:22 and […]