Ancient Connection – Modern Pioneers
This week’s parsha describes Moshe as being “the humblest of all people on the face of the earth.” This statement of the Torah is juxtaposed to the unique level of prophecy that Moshe experienced and is clearly intended as the reason for Moshe’s elevated status. How did Moshe, who had such great attributes and achievements, […]
The story of the Jewish people takes them from Egypt to Sinai and ultimately to Yerushalayim. The Maharal describes that these stations reflect a journey into the essentials of Jewish faith. He traces how each stage in this process deepened and broadened the Jewish people’s faith in God. The Exodus from Egypt instilled within the […]
Our parsha contains a surprising focus on flags. Instead of simply describing where each tribe camped in relation to the MIshkan, the Torah highlights the role of the flags as a means of organizing the camp: “each person by his flag.” What is the meaning of this? What is the significance of a flag? The […]
Our parsha discusses the laws of business: “And when you make a sale to your fellow Jew or make a purchase from the hand of your fellow Jew, you shall not wrong one another.” At first glance one might think that all of these laws are a compromise for a less-than-ideal reality. Really, it would […]
Our parsha discusses the yearly cycle of the holidays. The Jewish calendar follows aunique cycle of wave-like spiritual energy. There are weeks or even months without a holiday inwhich the energy is “low.” Then, we begin to think and prepare for the upcoming holiday withour focus and connection intensifying until we peak at the holiday […]
Our parsha contains several commandments regarding proper interpersonal conduct and relationships. Notably, there is a prohibition against hating a fellow Jew, and positive commandments to love a Jew and to judge other Jews favorably. The Pele Yoetz describes the importance of these mitzvot: If we are not purified from the sin of hatred then it […]
The midrash in this week’s parsha notes that the laws of human purity are only described in the Torah after the laws of pure and impure animals. This structural point becomes part of a broader discussion about how human beings are described in Tehillim as being created “at the end and at the beginning.” Here […]
In our parsha Moshe speaks to Aharon twice about the special sacrifices of the day the Mishkan was to be dedicated. First, Moshe tells Aharon about what he needs to do. Then, one verse later we read: And Moshe said to Aharon, “Approach the altar and perform your sin offering and your burnt offering.” Why […]
The name “Pesach” originates with the word used by the Torah to describe God’s saving of the firstborns of the Jewish people: “[God] pasach on the homes of the Jewish people when He smote the Egyptians and saved our homes.” What is the meaning of the word pasach? The simple translation is that it means […]
On Shabbat HaGadol there is a custom to read the chapter of Malachi as the haftorah instead of the standard haftorah for the parsha. The classic explanation for this is that the final verses of the final chapter of Malachi describe the coming of Eliyahu HaNavi to herald the future redemption and therefore it is […]
