Category: Parashah

In Parshat Ki Tavo, we are told how a farmer would bring his bikkurim, his first fruits, to the temple. There he would make a declaration (Devarim 26:10): “V’atah hinei heveiti,” he would say, “And now, behold, I have brought these first fruits. The Midrash points out that these three …

Ki Teitsei: We must always remember the Ammonites and the Moabites. Why? Who were they? What’s this all about?  In Parshat Ki Teitsei, the Torah tells us how when the Israelites were moving towards the promised land, they came to the territories of the Ammonites and the Moabites. However, the Torah …

Shoftim: The Jewish people and the Torah are one. We learn this from a verse in the parsha of Shoftim. The Torah says (Devarim 18:13),  “Tamim tihyeh im Hashem Elokeicha.” – “You must be complete with the Lord your God.” Reb Yitzchak Elchonon of Kovno taught as follows: In the Book of …

Re’eh: The Torah has been given to us today. That is how we should approach the Torah and its mitzvot on every day of our lives. The inspiration for this comes from the beginning of Parshat Re’eh. There the Torah says (Devarim 11:26), “Re’eh anochi notein lifneichem hayom,” – “See,” …

Eikev: God demands that we should all fear Him. But is it possible then, for us to have a healthy relationship with Him? In Parshat Eikev, Moshe brings the word of Hashem to the people (Devarim 10:12): “Mah Hashem Elokeicha shoel meimach?” – “What is it that the Lord your God …

Va’etchanan: Moshe seems to have done something which was totally unnecessary. In Parshat Va’etchanan we are told (Devarim 4:41), “Az yavdil moshe shalosh arim.” Just before he was to pass away, Moshe, who was on the eastern side of the river Jordan because he couldn’t enter into the Holy Land, …

Devarim: Can one ever graduate from Jewish education? In Parshat Devarim, Moshe brings the words of Hashem to the Israelite nation, then at Chorev, which is Mount Sinai. Hashem said to them (Devarim 1:6), “Rav lachem shevet behar hazeh,” – “You have been dwelling alongside this mountain for a long time. …

Matot-Massei: When travelling, the most important thing to take with us doesn’t weight anything at all. Now that at long last many of us can think about travelling once again, we can derive a lot of inspiration from Parshat Massei. There the Torah tells us about the journeys of the …

It’s one of the best invitations you’ll ever get. Parshat Pinchas includes within it details of our major festivals, and the Torah calls them by the term ‘mikra kodesh’ (e.g. Bamidbar 28:18). Indeed we include this term in the kiddush that we make on our festivals. But what does ‘mikra …