“….If you go out to war against your enemies, and G-d, your G-d, will deliver him into your hands, and you will take his captives….” (Devarim 21:10) כִּי תֵצֵא לַמִּלְחָמָה עַל אֹיְבֶיךָ וּנְתָנוֹ ה’ אֱלֹקֶיךָ בְּיָדֶךָ וְשָׁבִיתָ שִׁבְיוֹ – דברים כא, י The wars addressed in this verse are not only those fought on the physical battlefield. The number one […]

“….When you build a new house you shall make a guardrail for your roof, so as not to cause blood in your house when the faller will fall from it….” (Devarim 22:8)    כי תבנה בית חדש ועשית מעקה לגגך ולא תשים דמים בביתך כי יפל הנפל ממנו  – דברים כב, ח   This verse speaks of building a home not […]

“…When you build a new house you shall make a guardrail for your roof, so as not to cause blood in your house; for he who falls will fall from it…..” (Devarim 22:8) כי תבנה בית חדש ועשית מעקה לגגך ולא תשים דמים בביתך כי יפל הנפל ממנו – דברים כב, ח “House” – This includes also the rooftop of […]

כִּי הָאָדָם עֵץ הַשָּׂדֶה – דברים כ, יט “…Is the tree of the field a man…” (Devarim 20:19) Translated literally, this verse is asking a rhetorical question: is the tree a human being? Why then should a tree be wantonly destroyed even when waging a war against the inhabitants of the city? We find, however, that the Talmud interprets this […]

“You shall set up judges and law enforcement officials for yourself in all your cities…” – Devarim 16:18 שפטים ושטרים תתן לך בכל שעריך – דברים טז, יח In every city where Jews live, the Torah instructs us to set up court systems comprising judges who determine the law, and officials who enforce the judges’ rulings. In the prophecies regarding […]

You may eat from them, but you shall not cut them down. Is the man a tree of the field? (Devarim 20:19) “The man a tree of the field” …If a Torah scholar is upright, you should benefit from him (alone – Tosfos) and not cut off from him. —Talmud, Taanis 7a The Talmud interprets this verse as reference to […]

שׂוֹם תָּשִׂים עָלֶיךָ מֶלֶךְ – דברים יז, טו “…..You shall appoint a king over you….” (Devarim 17:15) When a king is appointed, he is anointed with oil. —Rambam, Hilchos Melachim 1:7 When stating the mitzvah to appoint a king, the Torah does not mention the process of anointing the king with oil. Furthermore, Yehoshua is considered to have the Halachic […]

“…..You are all Standing today before G-od, your G-od: the leaders of your tribes, your elders and your officers, every man of Israel, your young children, your women, and your convert who is within your camp, both your woodcutters and your water drawers. So that you may enter the covenant of G-od, your G-od…” – Devarim 29:9-11 אַתֶּם נִצָּבִים הַיּוֹם […]

“…And you will return to Hashem your G-d, and you will listen to His voice…” – Devarim 30:2 וְשַׁבְתָּ עַד ה’ אֱלֹקֶיךָ וְשָׁמַעְתָּ בְקֹלוֹ – דברים ל, ב The Sefer Mitzvos Katan (#53) interprets this verse as a command to do teshuvah; meaning, one has a positive obligation to repent, and has neglected a mitzvah if he does not. Others, however, […]

“…And it will be, when you come into the land which G-d, your G-d, gives you for an inheritance, and you possess it and settle in it, that you shall take of the first of all the fruit of the ground… ” (Devarim 26:1-2) וְהָיָה כִּי תָבוֹא אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר ה’ אֱלֹקֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ נַחֲלָה וִירִשְׁתָּהּ וְיָשַׁבְתָּ בָּהּ וְלָקַחְתָּ מֵרֵאשִׁית […]

“…So we cried out to Hashem, G-d of our fathers, and G-d heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression…” –  (Devarim 26:7) וַנִּצְעַק אֶל ה’ אֱלֹקֵי אֲבֹתֵינוּ וַיִּשְׁמַע ה’ אֶת קֹלֵנוּ וַיַּרְא אֶת עָנְיֵנוּ וְאֶת עֲמָלֵנוּ וְאֶת לַחֲצֵנוּ – דברים כו, ז Our toil – these are the sons, as it is written “Every son […]

Parashat Ki Tavo “…..G-D HAS SET YOU APART THIS DAY TO BE HIS TREASURED PEOPLE, JUST AS HE SPOKE CONCERNING YOU…..” (DEVARIM 26:18) In Shemos 19:5, Rashi explains the significance of being G-d’s “treasure”:   A beloved treasure, like “and the treasures (וּסְגֻלַּת) of the kings” (Koheles 2:8) – costly vessels and precious stones, which the kings store away. Likewise, […]

The seven days of the festival of Sukkos are followed by Shemini Atzeres (and Simchas Torah). Regarding the seven days of Sukkos, the Torah explicitly commands us to be additionally joyous, even more so than all other festivals. But what of Shemini Atzeres, the eighth day of the holiday? According to the Talmud, the words “you will be only happy” […]

“……And you shall tear down their altars… You shall not do so to G-d, your G-d….” – Devarim 12:3-4 וְנִתַּצְתֶּם אֶת מִזְבְּחֹתָם . . לֹא תַעֲשׂוּן כֵּן לַה’ אֱלֹקֵיכֶם – דברים יב, ג-ד Anyone who demolishes a single stone from the Altar or any part of the Temple building… with a destructive intent is worthy of lashes, as is written: […]

“…Safeguard the month of spring, and offer a Pesach to G-d…” – Devarim 16:1 We are commanded to set up the calendar in a manner that ensures that the holiday of Pesach will always be in the spring. The season of spring and its symbolism teach us a most uplifting and inspirational lesson. Throughout the winter, the earth’s processes of […]

Even though the simcha mentioned here refers to the korban shlamim… included in this simcha is to make himself, his children and members of his household joyous, each one according to his means. How? For children one gives roasted kernels and nuts and sweets. For women one buys clothing and pleasant jewelry based on what one can afford. And men […]

“…..And you shall teach them to your children to speak with them, when you sit in your house and when you go on the way; when you lie down and when you rise….” (Devarim 11:19) The final words of this verse teach that the mitzvos of studying Torah and reciting the Shema (“to speak with them”) must be observed at […]

The Sifri explains the commandment to walk in G-d’s ways as an obligation to emulate the kind and just ways which the Torah attributes to G-d, such as patience and compassion. Our Sages taught, “The word of G-d is like an accomplished act (see Rashi, Beraishis 15:18).” According to the above Sifri, it can be suggested that we are obligated […]

“…Who fed you with manna in the desert, which your ancestors did not know, in order to afflict you…” – Devarim 8:16 הַמַּאֲכִלְךָ מָן בַּמִּדְבָּר אֲשֶׁר לֹא יָדְעוּן אֲבֹתֶיךָ לְמַעַן עַנֹּתְךָ – דברים ח, טז The Talmud (Yoma 74b) interprets this verse quite literally, saying, the manna was a food that left you feeling hungry and afflicted.  According to one […]

In the previous parsha, Va’eschana, the Torah commands us: “– You shall teach them thoroughly to your children”. Rashi (6:7) explains that “children” in that context is a reference to students, and the words ושננתם לבניך instruct us to teach the Torah to all who seek to study, and not only to our own children. It is only from the […]