Ancient Connection – Modern Pioneers
Our parsha opens with the laws of the Jewish judicial system. There are to be judges in every Jewish community who are to implement justice. In addition, the High Court, located in Yerushalayim, will take the most difficult cases from all over the Land of Israel. The Sefat Emmet notes that this section about judges […]
Our parsha tells the unfortunate story of the Ir HaNidachat. When an entire city repudiates God and the Torah and worships Avodah Zarah, the inhabitants must be killed and the city destroyed. A simple read of the relevant verses would indicate that any city in the Land of Israel could potentially deteriorate into this state. […]
Our parsha opens with a charge for us to remember the significance of even the smallest details of our lives. Moshe tells them that the Jewish people will receive divine love and blessing if: And if you do obey (eikev tishm’un). these rules and observe them carefully, Hashem your God will maintain faithfully for you […]
In the beginning of the parsha, Moshe delivers a motivational speech to the Jewish people about the beauty, sophistication and rightness of the Torah’s mitzvot. He passionately declares: Observe [the Mitzvot] faithfully, for that will be proof of your wisdom and discernment to other peoples, who on hearing of all these laws will say, “Surely, […]
Psychologists, management experts and professionals in a range of other fields highlight the importance of setting goals. Without clear and defined goals, a person can work very hard at a given task but not feel like they are achieving anything since they do not even know precisely what they are trying to accomplish. These goals […]
Our parsha describes the boundaries of the Land of Israel. In the introductory verse to this section, the Torah refers to the portion that each family was to have in the Land as their “nachalah” or portion/inheritance: Instruct the Jewish people and say to them: When you enter the land of Canaan, this is the […]
After the Torah teaches us the laws of dividing of the Land of Israel amongst the tribes and families, it reminds us that Moshe himself will not merit to enter the Land. God tells Moshe: Ascend these heights of Abarim and view the land that I have given to the Jewish people. When you have […]
Chazal point to Bilaam as a paradigm of negative and destructive character traits. In particular, they contrast him with Avraham: Whoever possesses these three things, he is of the disciples of Abraham, our father; and [whoever possesses] three other things, he is of the disciples of Balaam, the wicked. A good eye, a humble spirit […]
Immediately before the dramatic story of Moshe hitting the rock, the Torah tells us that Miriam passed away. Chazal understand that these events are connected. The Jewish people received water in the desert due to the merit of Miriam and therefore when she was no longer living the well stopped providing water. This led the […]
The events of this week’s parsha are held up forever more as a classic example of a divisive and self-serving form of argument. When the Mishna looks for an example of an “argument not for the sake of heaven” it points to the argument of “Korach and his followers.” By contrast, the debate between Hillel […]
