Parasha Insight

“Zeman Simhatenu” – The Special Joy of Sukkot

Why is Sukkot celebrated for seven days? Pesach is a seven-day holiday because the miracle of the Exodus culminated a week after our ancestors left Egypt, with the splitt

Shabbat Shuva- Self-Motivated Repentance

The Haftarah read on Shabbat Shuba – the Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur – is among the most famous Haftarot read throughout the year. Taken from the Book of

Rosh Hashana- How Do We Make Hashem King?

It is clear that "Malchut" – G-d's Kingship over the world – is the dominant theme of Rosh Hashanah. If we quickly review the text of the Rosh Hashanah prayers, this beco

Parashat Nitzavim-Vayelech: The Enlarged “Lamed”

The Torah in Parashat Nisavim foresees the time when Beneh Yisrael would be banished into exile on account of their breach of their covenant with G-d, describing, "Va'yas

Parashat Ki Tabo- The Symbolism of Tefillin

The Torah promises in Parashat Ki-Tabo (28:10), "All the nations of the earth will see that the Name of G-d is called upon you, and they will be afraid of you." Targum Yo

Parashat Ki Teseh- The Rewards for Unintentional Charity – Material and Spiritual

The Torah in Parashat Ki-Teseh (24:19) introduces the Misva known as "Shicheha," which applies when a farmer forgets some of his produce behind during the harvest. This f

Parashat Shoftim- Judging Ourselves

Parashat Shofetim begins with the command, "Shofetim Ve'shoterim Titen Lecha Be'chol She'arecha" – "You shall place for yourselves judges and enforcers in all your gates.

Parashat Re'eh- The Journey

The Journey Parashat Re'eh concludes with the Misva known as Aliya Le'regel – appearing before G-d in the Bet Ha'mikdash three times each year, on the holidays of Pesach,

Parashat Ekeb- We Don’t Hide Our Jewishness

In the second paragraph of Shema, which appears in Parashat Ekeb, the Torah warns of the harsh punishments that would befall Beneh Yisrael if they abandon G-d's laws. Spe

Parashat VaEtchanan- A Fence With a Hole Is Not a Fence

The Torah in Parashat Va'et'hanan (4:2) introduces the prohibitions known as "Bal Tosif" and "Bal Tigra" – adding to, or diminishing from, the Torah. Rashi explains that

Parashat Devarim- Turning Tisha B’Ab Into Simhat Torah

A number of books draw an intriguing – though puzzling – parallel between two periods on the Jewish calendar: the period of Ben He'mesarim (the Three Weeks from Shiba Asa

Parashat Matot- Rabbi Akiba’s Tears

Rabbi Akiba's Tears Parashat Matot begins with a number of laws regarding vows, including the authority given to a husband to annul certain vows taken by his wife. The To

Parashat Pinhas- Teshuba Thoughts

We read in Parashat Pinhas of the census taken of Beneh Yisrael at the end of their forty-year sojourn in the wilderness. The Torah lists the families of the various trib

Don't Be Too Smart!

We are all familiar with the story of Moshe hitting the rock, an act for which he was punished. Less familiar, however, are the circumstances that led to Moshe's decision

Parashat Korah- Recognizing the Good

Two of the important figures in Korah's brazen uprising against Moshe were two brothers named Datan and Abiram. Interestingly, we are not told what it is that they were f

Parashat Shelah- The Arrogance of the Spies, the Humility of Yehoshua

Parashat Shelah is famous for the story of Het Ha'meragelim – the sin of the spies. Moshe sent twelve men – one representative from each tribe – to survey the Land of Isr

Parashat Be'HaAlotecha- Don’t Miss the Point

The Torah commands in Parashat Beha'alotecha (10:9) that when Beneh Yisrael are compelled to fight a war against an enemy, "Va'hare'otem Ba'hasoserot" – they must sound t

Parashat Naso- Defeating the Enemies of the Jewish People

Parashat Naso is famous for being the longest Parasha in the entire Torah, as it consists of 176 verses. Not coincidentally, this is also the number of verses in the long

Commemorating the Shabuot Offering

Numerous reasons have been given for the time-honored, cherished custom to eat dairy foods on Shabuot. One of the lesser-known explanations is that offered by the Rama (R

Parashat BaMidbar- The Book of Transition

The Midrash teaches that the five Humashim – the books that comprise the Torah – are alluded to in the opening verses of the Torah, which tell of the creation of light on