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

Uncountable Mitzvos

Uncountable Mitzvos

“…Who has counted the dust of Yaakov?…” – Bamidbar 23:10 מִי מָנָה עֲפַר יַעֲקֹב – במדבר כג, י Bilaam’s plot to curse the Jewish people was foiled when G-d forced him to bless and praise them instead. Describing the Jewish people’s endearment to G-d, Bilaam said, “Who can count the dust of Yaakov?” According to one interpretation brought by Rashi, […]

July 18, 2019 at 1:30 AM 0 comments

Outnumbering

Outnumbering

“…Who has counted the dust of Yaakov?…” – Bamidbar 23:10 מִי מָנָה עֲפַר יַעֲקֹב – במדבר כג, י Bilaam attempted to curse the Bnei Yisrael, but G-d caused him to bless them and praise them instead. Extolling Bnei Yisrael’s great merits and their endearment to G-d, Bilaam said, “Who has counted the dust of Yaakov?” According to one interpretation brought […]

July 17, 2019 at 2:55 AM 0 comments

Irrational Judaism

Irrational Judaism

“…This is the decree of Torah that G-d commanded to say. Speak to Bnei Yisrael and have them take to you, a red heifer…” – Bamidbar 19:2 זֹאת חֻקַּת הַתּוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה’ לֵאמֹר דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִקְחוּ אֵלֶיךָ פָרָה אֲדֻמָּה – במדבר יט, ב The Torah commands us to use the ashes of a parah adumah, a red […]

July 8, 2019 at 2:45 AM 0 comments

When Moshe Forgives

When Moshe Forgives

“…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 […]

July 7, 2019 at 7:16 PM 0 comments

Living On Edge

Living On Edge

“…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 […]

July 7, 2019 at 1:25 AM 0 comments

Where More is Less

Where More is Less

“…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 […]

June 3, 2019 at 2:50 PM 0 comments

Holistic Healing

Holistic Healing

“…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 […]

June 2, 2019 at 1:13 AM 0 comments

How to Give

How to Give

“…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 […]

June 1, 2019 at 2:40 PM 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

Radical Blessings

Radical Blessings

“…Come, I will advise you… what this people will do to your people at the end of days…” – Bamidbar 24:14 לְכָה אִיעָצְךָ אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה הָעָם הַזֶּה לְעַמְּךָ בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים – במדבר כד, יד Fearing that the Jews would wage war against him and conquer his land, Balak, the king of Moav, summoned the prophet Bilaam and asked him to curse them. […]

June 24, 2018 at 1:15 AM 0 comments

Beauty Lies in the Details

Beauty Lies in the Details

“…How beautiful are your tents, Yaakov!…” – Bamidbar 24:3 מַה טֹּבוּ אֹהָלֶיךָ יַעֲקֹב – במדבר כד, ג What was the beauty that Bilaam saw in Bnei Yisrael’s tents? The Talmud (Bava Basra 60a) explains that Bilaam observed that Bnei Yisrael arranged their tents in such a manner that the tents’ entrances did not exactly face one another. This practice reflected […]

June 23, 2018 at 2:12 AM 0 comments

Live Prey

Live Prey

“…Behold, a people that rises like a lioness, and raises itself like a lion…” – Bamidbar 23:24 הֶן עָם כְּלָבִיא יָקוּם וְכַאֲרִי יִתְנַשָּׂא – במדבר כג, כד Bilaam compared the Jewish people to lions. As interpreted by the Midrash Tanchuma, this comparison hints to the vigor with which the Jewish people recite the Shema, like a lion pouncing on its […]

June 22, 2018 at 1:06 AM 0 comments

A Morning Person’s Teshuva

A Morning Person’s Teshuva

“…In the morning, G-d will make known who is His, and who is holy, and He will draw them near to Him…” – Bamidbar 16:5 בֹּקֶר וְיֹדַע ה’ אֶת אֲשֶׁר לוֹ וְאֶת הַקָּדוֹשׁ וְהִקְרִיב אֵלָיו – במדבר טז, ה Korach and his followers contested Moshe’s authority and his appointment of Aharon as the Kohen Gadol, the High Priest.  Moshe challenged […]

June 13, 2018 at 2:30 AM 0 comments

To Save Those You Love

To Save Those You Love

“…“Speak to the congregation saying, ‘Withdraw from the dwelling of Korach, Dasan and Aviram.’” And Moshe arose and went to Dasan and Aviram and the elders of Israel followed him…” – Bamidbar 16:24-25 דַּבֵּר אֶל הָעֵדָה לֵאמֹר הֵעָלוּ מִסָּבִיב לְמִשְׁכַּן קֹרַח דָּתָן וַאֲבִירָם: וַיָּקָם מֹשֶׁה וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל דָּתָן וַאֲבִירָם וַיֵּלְכוּ אַחֲרָיו זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל – במדבר טז, כד-כה The fate of […]

June 13, 2018 at 12:48 AM 0 comments

Separate is Better than Equal

Separate is Better than Equal

“…In the morning, G-d will make known who is His, and who is holy, and He will draw [them] near to Him…” – Bamidbar 16:5 בֹּקֶר וְיֹדַע ה’ אֶת אֲשֶׁר לוֹ וְאֶת הַקָּדוֹשׁ וְהִקְרִיב אֵלָיו – במדבר טז, ה Korach fought for equality, which he believed to be the key to Jewish unity. “The entire congregation are all holy” (Bamidbar […]

June 12, 2018 at 7:01 AM 0 comments

Same, Same but Different

Same, Same but Different

“…In the morning, G-d will make known who is His…” – Bamidbar 16:5 בֹּקֶר וְיֹדַע ה’ אֶת אֲשֶׁר לוֹ – במדבר טז, ה Korach and his followers took issue with Moshe’s authority over Bnei Yisrael. They acknowledged that G-d communicated the Torah directly to Moshe, and that Moshe was therefore superior to the rest of the nation in his understanding […]

June 11, 2018 at 2:11 AM 0 comments

Committed Clothing

Committed Clothing

“…And it shall be a fringe for you, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of G-d and do them…” – Bamidbar 15:39 וְהָיָה לָכֶם לְצִיצִת וּרְאִיתֶם אֹתוֹ וּזְכַרְתֶּם אֶת כָּל מִצְוֹת ה’ וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם – במדבר טו, לט Rashi explains how the tzitzis fringes remind us of all the mitzvos. The numerical equivalents of the […]

June 3, 2018 at 1:38 AM 0 comments

The Theory of Dough

The Theory of Dough

“…The beginning of your dough you shall separate as challah… A gift to G-d…” – Bamidbar 15:20-21 רֵאשִׁית עֲרִסֹתֵכֶם חַלָּה תָּרִימוּ תְרוּמָה . . תִּתְּנוּ לַה’ תְּרוּמָה – במדבר טו, כ-כא The mitzvah of challah obligates us to separate a portion of every (large) batch of dough that we bake and give it as a gift to the kohen. The […]

June 2, 2018 at 2:38 AM 0 comments

Where the Angels Failed

Where the Angels Failed

“…There we saw the Nephilim, sons of the giant, who descended from the Nephilim…” – Bamidbar 13:33 וְשָׁם רָאִינוּ אֶת הַנְּפִילִים בְּנֵי עֲנָק מִן הַנְּפִלִים – במדבר יג, לג The Midrash (Yalkut Shimoni, Beraishis 44) relates that when the early humans took to worshipping idols, two angels named Shamchazai and Azael suggested before G-d that they could replace humanity in […]

June 1, 2018 at 2:53 AM 0 comments