Parasha

Where in the Torah do we find an example of the worst possible argument? In Pirkei Avot, the Ethics of the Fathers, we’re given the example of an argument in which Korach contended with the leaders of our people, Moshe and Aharon. But instead of debating the issue at hand, […]

  This is a lesson we have tragically learned throughout our long Jewish history, and it is reflected in the parsha of Beha’alotecha. The Torah tells us: “וְהָאסַפְסֻף אֲשֶׁר בְּקִרְבּוֹ” “The mixed multitude within them.” Whilst we were in the desert, the “mixed multitude” in our midst rebelled. They were […]

At the commencement of the parsha of Naso, we are given a commandment: “נָשֹׂא אֶת־רֹאשׁ בְּנֵי גֵרְשׁוֹן גַּם הֵם” “You must also count the heads.” Meaning, take a census figure of the children of Gershon. What is the context of “גַּם הֵם”? “Also”? At the end of last week’s parsha, […]

The Importance of the Journey We are all familiar with the concept of a countdown, but in Jewish tradition, we’ve got a count up. That’s exactly what we have been doing since Pesach, all the way until Shavuot. When it comes to a countdown, the journey doesn’t matter. When you […]

Why will this coming Shabbat be extra special? The previous Gerrer Rebbe was once asked: Is there a title for the Shabbat before Shavuot? After all, the Shabbat before Pesach is called Shabbat HaGadol, and the Shabbat before Yom Kippur is called Shabbat Shuva. He responded that it should be called “שַׁבָּת דֶּרֶךְ […]

The Most Remarkable Letter in the Hebrew Alphabet The most remarkable Hebrew letter would be the letter ו . ו is actually a word, spelled וָו. וָו means a hook. And indeed, a ו looks like a hook. ו also means “and” because it’s a conjunction. In the same way […]

This week on the streets of Golders Green, we witnessed a great Kiddush Hashem. What do I mean by this? In Parshat Emor, the Torah gives us the mitzvah of Kiddush Hashem. It’s a precept to sanctify the name of God. “וְנִקְדַּשְׁתִּי בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל” “I will be sanctified in […]

Learning From A Transformative Moment If you had the honour of an audience with a monarch, would it make sense that after your meeting, just before you leave the palace, you get changed into extra special clothes in order to emerge, back to your regular life? But isn’t that exactly […]

This Shabbat, on the eve of Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut, we will be reading the parshiyot of Tazria and Metzora. These two parshiyot have a very strong common theme. In the parsha of Metzora, we are introduced to the fascinating subject of צָרַעַת הַבַּיִת – leprosy of houses. The […]

After the events of last week, a special Pesach message from the Chief Rabbi: “A kippah and a Kiddush cup.” This was Keith Siegel’s request when he emerged from 484 days of unimaginable torture at the hands of Hamas in Gaza. His daughter, Shir, had gently asked him what he […]