In the second of this week’s double parshios, Parshas Masei, the Torah records the event of the death of Aharon ha’Kohen. The pasukim tell us: וַיִּסְעוּ, מִקָּדֵשׁ; וַיַּחֲנוּ בְּהֹר הָהָר, בִּקְצֵה אֶרֶץ אֱדוֹם, and they journeyed from Kadesh, and they camped at Hor Ha’Hor, on...
The beginning of this week’s parsha, Parshas Pinchas, resumes the narrative that began at the end of last week’s sedra, Balak. At the end of Balak we read of the sins of the nation of Israel, who were persuaded to sin with the Midyanite women,...
In this week’s parsha, Parshas Balak, the Torah tells us of Balak, the king of Moav, who feared the approaching nation of Israel. Afraid for his nation and his land, he hired the famous seer, Bilaam, to come and curse the Jews. King Balak was...
After the opening chapter of Parshas Chukas, which delineates the laws regarding death and the ashes, and ritual, of the Parah Adumah (Red Heifer, Chapter 19), the Torah turns its attention to Chapter 20 and year 40 of desert wanderings. We learn of the death...
In this week’s parsha, Parshas Korach, Moshe and Aharon face the first insurgency of its kind: a direct rebellion against their leadership and an attempt to overthrow them. Until now, the complaints of the nation have been directed against G-d, keviyachol (as if such a...
This week’s parsha, Parshas Shelach, tells us of Cheit Ha’Meraglim, the Sin of the Spies. Prior to their planned, and (what they thought was) imminent entry to the Land, Moshe sent twelve spies to scout out the Land - one per tribe. Ultimately, after forty...
In this week’s parsha, Parshas Behaaloscha, the nation leaves Har Sinai - where they have been camped for one year minus ten days (Shemos 19:1 with Rashi and Bamidbar - the nation arrived at Har Sinai on Rosh Chodesh Sivan in the first year, and...
Chag ha’Shavuos 5784. Chag Ha’Shavuos (Devarim 16:10) is also known as Chag ha’Bikkurim (Shemos 34:22, Vayikra 23:17 - the festival of the offering of the first of the wheat harvest in the form of the Shtei Ha’Lechem, Two Loaves of Wheat Bread offered on Shavuos)...
With this week’s parsha, Parsha Bechukosai, we close the book of Vayikra once again. Bechukosai is a short parsha which deals with two main topics: the klalos (curses) that will befall Israel in exile (Vayikra 26), and arachin (valuations), when one dedicates the value of...
This week’s parsha, Parshas Behar, teaches us about the mitzvos ha’te’luyos ba’Aretz (the land dependent mitzvos) of Shemitta and Yovel - the seventh Sabbatical year and the fiftieth Jubilee year. During these years, which are only applicable in the Land of Israel, all land lays...