….Assemble the people: The men , the women and the children, and your strangers in your cities, in order that they hear, and in order that they learn and fear G-od, your G-od and they will observe to do all the words of this Torah…. (Devarim 31:12)   Hakhel is observed every seven years, in the year following Shemitah. Why […]

“….This day I am one hundred and twenty years old, I can no longer go or come…..”(Devarim 31:2) The Talmud (Kiddushin 38a) explains: ‘This day’ need not be stated; why then is it stated? It teaches that G-d sits and completes the years of the righteous from day to day and month to month. The Tanya (Igeres Hakodesh 27) teaches […]

Parashat Ki Tavo “…..Yet until this day, g-d did not give you a heart to know, eyes to see, and ears to hear. i led you through the desert for forty years… you must safeguard the words that constitute this covenant….” (Devarim 29:3-8) …ולא נתן ה’ לכם לב לדעת ועינים לראות ואזנים לשמוע עד היום הזה; ואולך אתכם ארבעים שנה במדבר.. […]

“….And he went down to Egypt and sojourned there with a small number of people ….” (Devarim 26:5) וַיֵּרֶד מִצְרַיְמָה וַיָּגָר שָׁם בִּמְתֵי מְעָט – דברים כו, ה And he went down to Egypt – forced by Divine decree. —Passover Hagaddah If Yaakov’s descent to Egypt was by Divine instruction, why did Yaakov feel forced? Could it be that Yaakov, […]

“……..When a man takes a wife… “(Devarim 24:1) כי יקח איש אשה ובעלה והיה – דברים כד, א Once the Torah was given, the Jews were commanded that when a man desires to marry a woman, he must acquire her as a wife in the presence of witnesses and only after this does she become his wife. This is stated in […]

“….You may offer interest to a gentile, but to your brother you shall not offer interest….” (Devarim 23:21) לנכרי תשיך ולאחיך לא תשיך – דברים כג, כא Offering – and taking – interest from “your brother” is prohibited; from people at large, by contrast, it is permitted. It is a positive mitzvah to lend money to a gentile at interest, […]

“….You shall set up judges and law enforcement officials for yourself in all your cities….” (Devarim 16:18) Effective governance relies on judges to establish the law, and law enforcement officials to ensure that the law is being upheld by all the citizens. Yet, of the future era of Moshiach, the prophet Yeshayahu (1:26) prophesied, “And I will restore your judges […]

“…I see him but not now, I behold him but not near; a star shoots forth from Yaakov…” – Bamidbar 24:17 אֶרְאֶנּוּ וְלֹא עַתָּה אֲשׁוּרֶנּוּ וְלֹא קָרוֹב דָּרַךְ כּוֹכָב מִיַּעֲקֹב – במדבר כד, יז Many early sources interpret Bilaam’s prophecy, “A star shoots forth from Yaakov,” as a reference to Moshiach, the future redeemer of the Jewish people (see Ramban and others). According […]

“…Calev silenced the people regarding Moshe, and he said, “We shall surely go up and take possession of it, for we can indeed overcome it…” – Bamidbar 13:30 וַיַּהַס כָּלֵב אֶת הָעָם אֶל מֹשֶׁה וַיֹּאמֶר עָלֹה נַעֲלֶה וְיָרַשְׁנוּ אֹתָהּ כִּי יָכוֹל נוּכַל לָהּ – במדבר יג, ל Moshe sent spies to the Land of Israel. Upon their return, they reported: […]

“…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 […]

“…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 […]

“…And the tree of the field will give forth its fruit…” – Vayikra 26:4 וְעֵץ הַשָּׂדֶה יִתֵּן פִּרְיוֹ – ויקרא כו, ד The Torah’s reference to “the trees of the field”—as opposed to trees planted in an orchard—denotes trees that do not currently bear fruit, according to the Midrash (Toras Kohanim, cited by Rashi on Vayikra 26:4). The promise that “the […]

“…If you follow my statutes and observe my commandments…” – Vayikra 26:3 אִם בְּחֻקֹּתַי תֵּלֵכוּ וְאֶת מִצְוֹתַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ – ויקרא כו, ג The term chok, statute, has a number of meanings. In the context of Torah study, Rashi interprets the phrase “If you follow my statutes” as a requirement to “toil in Torah.” Generally, however, the Torah uses the term chok […]

“…You shall not make idols for yourselves…you shall keep my sabbaths…I am Hashem…” – Vayikra 26:1-2 לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ לָכֶם אֱלִילִם . . אֶת שַׁבְּתֹתַי תִּשְׁמֹרוּ . . אֲנִי ה’ – ויקרא כו, א-ב The final verses of Parshas Behar caution us in the observance of a number of mitzvos stated previously in the Torah. Rashi explains that the Torah directs these […]

“…and your brother becomes destitute with him and is sold to a resident non-jew among you or to an idol of the family of a non-jew…” – Vayikra 25:47 וּמָךְ אָחִיךָ עִמּוֹ וְנִמְכַּר לְגֵר תּוֹשָׁב עִמָּךְ אוֹ לְעֵקֶר מִשְׁפַּחַת גֵּר – ויקרא כה, מז The Talmud (Kiddushin 20a-b) views the series of laws discussed in Parshas Behar as depicting the downward […]

“…And the kohen shall wave them with the bread of the first-fruits for a wave-offering before g-d, with the two lambs…” – Vayikra 23:20 וְהֵנִיף הַכֹּהֵן אֹתָם עַל לֶחֶם הַבִּכֻּרִים תְּנוּפָה לִפְנֵי ה’ עַל שְׁנֵי כְּבָשִׂים – ויקרא כג, כ The shtei halechem is a wheat flour offering brought in the Beis Hamikdash on the holiday of Shavuos. Two loaves of bread […]

“…I shall be sanctified amidst the children of Israel…” – Vayikra 22:32 וְנִקְדַּשְׁתִּי בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל – ויקרא כב, לב The Torah’s directive to cause G-d to be sanctified teaches us the obligation of mesirus nefesh, meaning, that in certain situations we must sacrifice even our lives in order not to disobey G-d’s commands. For when a Jew exhibits his […]

“…You should love your fellow as yourself…” – Vayikra 19:18 וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ – ויקרא יט, יח The Torah’s command to love your fellow man—and to the same degree that you love yourself—raises a number of difficulties. How can we be “commanded” to experience an emotion, in this case, to love our fellow like ourselves? The average person can choose how […]

“…You shall not stand by the blood of your fellow…” – Vayikra 19:16 לֹא תַעֲמֹד עַל דַּם רֵעֶךָ – ויקרא יט, טז The Baal Shem Tov taught that from everything that a Jew sees or hears he must take a lesson in his service of G-d. This teaching finds its roots in the words of the Talmud, “Of all that […]

“…Speak to the entire congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them, “you shall be holy”…” – Vayikra 19:2 דַּבֵּר אֶל כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם קְדשִׁים תִּהְיוּ – ויקרא יט, ב In Parshas Kedoshim, G-d tells Moshe to address the entire congregation of Bnei Yisrael, and instruct them “to be holy.” The commentaries ask, what is the meaning […]