Weekly Torah Reading
“When you enter the Land that God is giving you…you shall take from the first of all the fruit of the ground” (Dt 26:1-2). From these words we learn that everything that is for God’s sake should be of the best and most beautiful (cf. Rambam), as the Torah says: “Kol Khelev leHaShem” – Read More
“If you come across a bird’s nest in the way… Do not take the mother bird together with the children” (Deut 22:6) A RATIONAL APPROACH Like most commands in the Bible, God doesn’t tell us his reasons for this command. It is up to us to obey first and then understand, as stated Read More
“Is perhaps the tree of the field a man, to go into the siege before you?” (Dt 20:19). “Ki haAdam Etz haShade labo miPaneikha beMatzor” Rashi says this is a question; he interprets the word “Ki” as meaning: ‘perhaps’. However, this Hebrew particle indicates casual relations of all kinds. It can also be translated Read More
“It will come to pass, because (eikev) you will listen to these judgments… God will safeguard unto you the covenant and the kindness he swore to your fathers” (Dt7:12). One expects this to be conditional: “If you’d listen to these judgments” (Im tiShmeun et hamishpatim haEleh), but it says: “Because you will listen to these Read More
Everything that applies to the Temple or the Tabernacle also applies to us. For we are a Temple, as explained many times in previous lessons, for it says (Ex 25:8): “Let them make me a Sanctuary so that I may dwell among them; i.e. within them”. The Nefesh haKhayim says that If man sanctifies himself Read More
If in my statutes you will walk (im bekhukotai telechu)” (Lv 26:3). PART I – The Irrational Commands Generally speaking, the commands are divided in two main categories (Lv 25:18): “Khukot (statutes) and Mishpatim (laws or judgments)”. While Mishpatim (judgments) are logical (ethical and comprehensive) laws, the Khukot are the kind of commands that are Read More
PART I – The religion of counting To what can I compare the Jewish people? They are like a beggar who was given a great amount of money, and he counted the money, and counted it, and when finished, he counted it again… and although he didn’t use it yet, his Joy was so Read More
“Say to Aaron… None of your descendants who has a defect may come near… No man who has any defect may… come near the curtain or approach the altar and so desecrate my sanctuary” (Lv 21:16-21). The congregation of Israel is called whole (heb. shalem); as it’s written: “Malki-Tzedek king of wholeness (Shalem)” (Gn 14:18). Read More
PART I – There’s No Empty Word Of the 613 commands of the Torah, more than half have to do with the priests and the Sanctuary. If the Torah had only a “literal approach” – as Karaites say: “it’s clearly written in black and white” – we would have to agree that most of the Read More
NO TRANQUILITY FOR THE RIGHTEOUS In the opening verse of this week’s Parasha (Gn 37-40), after his so many struggles, Yakov intends to“settle down in tranquillity” (37:1). But right after this, “there pounced on him the troubles of Yosef”, his beloved son. “The Righteous wish to settle in tranquillity, but the Blessed Holy One says: Read More