In the beginning of this week’s parsha, Parshas Pinchas, the drama from last week’s parsha (Balak) continues to unfold. Parshas Balak ended tragically, as the prince of the tribe of Shimon, Zimri, publicly lays with the princess of Midyan, Kozbi. In an act of zealotry to...
It's been a while since I sent out a recipe… Yes, I am still cooking and baking for my family, but I have not had much time to come up with anything new and creative! I baked these delicious cookies on the afternoon of 17 Tammuz,...
In this week’s parsha, Parshas Balak, Balak the king of Moav, fearing the strength of the Jewish nation encamped on his borders, hires Bilaam to curse the Jewish people. Balak is afraid that he will not be able to militarily defeat Am Yisrael, but if...
In this week’s parsha, Chukas, our three great leaders - Miriam, Moshe and Aharon - meet their end on ever la’Yarden (the eastern side of the Jordan River). Miriam dies in Kadesh; Moshe and Aharon are banned forever from the Holy Land, due to their...
At the end of a dramatic parsha, filled with triumph and hope on the one hand (וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה לְחֹבָב בֶּן-רְעוּאֵל הַמִּדְיָנִי חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה, נֹסְעִים אֲנַחְנוּ אֶל-הַמָּקוֹם - And Moshe said to his father-in-law: we are traveling to the place that Hashem said, “to you I...
This week’s parsha, Parshas Naso, is the longest parsha in the Torah. This is, in a large part, due to perek zayin (Ch.7), which is 89 pasukim (verses) long! The perek begins with: וַיְהִי בְּיוֹם כַּלּוֹת מֹשֶׁה לְהָקִים אֶת-הַמִּשְׁכָּן, וַיִּמְשַׁח אֹתוֹ וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אֹתוֹ וְאֶת-כָּל-כֵּלָיו, וְאֶת-הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, וְאֶת-כָּל-כֵּלָיו;...
Shavuos: The Yom Tov of Torah. וַיִּקַּח סֵפֶר הַבְּרִית, וַיִּקְרָא בְּאָזְנֵי הָעָם וַיֹּאמְרוּ, כֹּל אֲשֶׁר-דִּבֶּר ה’ נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע, and he (Moshe) took the Book of the Covenant, and he read it in the ears of the nation, and they said: All that Hashem has spoken,...
In this week’s parsha, Parshas Bechukosai, we read of the klalos, curses, that will befall our people; a prophecy that has come to fruition one too many time in our long and bitter history of exile. Due to the severity of the curses, these parshios...
This is a wonderful and fresh muffin, bursting with the summer bounty of fresh blueberries, and the natural sweetness of ripe bananas. One bowl and a spatula bring the batter together in minutes. Not only are these muffins delicious and moist, as well as naturally...
This week’s parsha is Parshas Behar. The Torah teaches us about the mitzvos ha’te’luyos ba’aretz (mitzvos that are only kept in the land of Israel) of Shemittah (translated as the seventh Sabbatical year) and Yovel (translated as the 50th Jubilee year). The final pasuk of the...