A mishna (Megilla 2:3) cites a machloket on what we take for granted – R. Meir’s opinion that...

Before the finish of our discussion on unity and leadership shared between the descendants of Leah and of...

Our parasha contains an important, difficult-to-translate passage: “ sent Yehuda before him to Yosef to show the way...

The Torah mentions famine ( ra’av , spelled reish ayin vav ) in the context of all three...

[ Last time, we saw about Yaakov’s erecting an altar in Beit El as he left Eretz Yisrael...

When Yaakov Avinu first visited Beit El (in Parashat Vayeitzei), he was an empty-handed, lone fugitive, later self-described...

The Ten Commandments, which we received at Sinai some 3,500 years ago, in an event that turned Jews...

Our parasha tells how Bnei Yisrael took a long route to Eretz Yisrael , as opposed to the...

The material world in which we live operates within very set boundaries. However, our parasha (Bo, the Exodus)...

To a great extent, Vayakhel and Pekudei are a repeat of the preparation of the Mishkan and things...

The last two week we have focused on a pasuk in Mishlei: “There is gold and a multitude...

Last week we focused on a pasuk in Mishlei: “There is gold and a multitude of pearls, but...

“This is the contribution you shall take from them – gold, silver, and copper, blue and red wool...

What is so special about names that the second sefer of the Chumash begins with it? A midrash...

Every coin has two sides, and any attempt to paint the spiritual, or even the physical, world in...

Tzedaka (acts of kindness) and mishpat (justice) together form the spine of Am Yisrael ’s public life. A...

This week we celebrate Shavuot, commemorating the day the Torah was given to Israel at Sinai and passed...

It is 58 years since the freeing and reunification of Yerushalayim. “The built-up Jerusalem, the city that was...

We will share ideas from the haftara that we will be missing this year because of the double...

Our parasha and sefer begin with, “He called ( Vayikra ) out to Moshe, and Hashem spoke to...

“These are the pekudim (countings) of the Mishkan that were counted by means of Moshe” (Shemot 38:21). While...

Last week, we saw the Chatam Sofer’s thesis that working the land of Eretz Yisrael is a mitzva...

Our parasha recounts Bnei Yisrael’s arrival near Eretz Yisrael’s borders and the capture of land that became an...

Parashat Emor deals mainly with the laws that are specific to kohanim­ , who served in the Mishkan...

Our Torah reading begins with the commandment, “ Kedoshim teh’yu (Be holy)” (Vayikra 19:2). Rashi explains that it...

Our prophets taught that the nations of the world will repent and serve Hashem along with Am Yisrael...

At the end of our parasha , Moshe gives instructions how to change the Land of C’na’an into...

The formation of an independent Jewish state is closely related to Parashat Shelach . This required conquering the...

The Mishkan ’s inauguration (at the end of Parashat Naso ), seems to end a process the Torah...

We continue to look at the question of whether Torah study exempts from taking part in wars of...