Parashat Nitsavim Vayelekh: “Be Strong and Take Courage” Though not counted among the 613 mitzvot, the command to “be strong and of good courage” is repeated three times in Parashat Vayelekh. It echoes throughout the opening of Joshua as well, so we are bound to take this with the utmost seriousness. We meet this same
Rosh Hashana 2026: The Jewish New Year Day One of Rosh Hashanah (Genesis 21:1-34; Numbers 29:1-6): General Overview: On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, the Torah reading focuses on our Patriarch Isaac’s birth. The reading begins with the words, “And G‑d remembered Sarah.” According to the Talmud, G‑d “remembered” Sarah, and chose to bless
Parashat Ki Tavoh: The Blessing of a Curse Unlike Parashat Ki Tetzeh, which has an abundance of laws, Parashat Ki Tavo contains few halakhot. Instead, Parashat Ki Tavo is replete with curses. The Talmud teaches that at Gerizim and Ebal, both curses and mirrored blessings were pronounced (Sota 32a), yet the Torah records only the
Parashat Nitzavim-Vayelech General Overview: In this week’s reading, Nitzavim-Vayelech, Moses gathers the Israelites on the day of his passing to enter them into a covenant with G‑d. He warns of the exile and desolation of the Land that will result when Israel abandons G‑d’s laws, but assures them that they will eventually repent, and G‑d
Parashat Ki Tetzeh: Mercy, Lashes, and the Limits of Human Logic There is a particular discomfort built into Ki Tetzeh, and it is worth dwelling on it rather than resolving it too quickly. The Parasha places the prohibition against overworking a threshing ox (Deut. 25:4) beside the command to wipe out Amalek without a trace
Parashat Ki Tavo General Overview: The Israelites are commanded to bring the first of their fruit to the Temple, and to deliver all tithes to their proper recipients. Moses explains how the blessings and curses are to be proclaimed on Mts. Grizzim and Ebal when the Jewish nation enters into Israel. He then details the
Parashat Shoftim: Finding the Lost Art of Tmimut The Torah commands: “Be wholehearted (tamim) with God your Lord” (Deut. 18:13). The word tamim comes from the Hebrew root ת-מ-מ, meaning complete, whole, and unblemished. It is the same word used to describe an animal offering that is without blemish, perfect in its entirety, with nothing
Parashat Ki Teitzei General Overview: This week’s reading, Ki Teitzei, contains 74 commandments, more mitzvot than any other Torah portion. Some of the commandments discussed: the law of the rebellious son, the obligation to bury the dead without undue delay, the requirement to return a found object, the prohibition against causing pain to any living
Parashat Re’eh: Connecting Heaven and Earth Parashat Re’eh presents a puzzle that has occupied our sages for generations: the mitzvot of Deuteronomy appear without clear structure or logical sequence. Yet this very disorder carries a profound lesson. In Deuteronomy, the juxtaposition of seemingly unrelated subjects is itself intentional, and from it we derive halakhic conclusions
Parashat Shoftim General Overview: This week’s reading, Shoftim, addresses fundamental issues pertaining to the leadership of the Jewish people. It begins with a discussion regarding judges, and later gives rules pertaining to kings, prophets and kohanim (priests). Many commandments are introduced in this week’s reading, including: appointing judges, the obligation to follow rabbinic law and
Parashat Ekev: From Providence to Personal Responsibility Unlike the previous parasha, with its exalted themes of revelation and Sinai, Parashat Ekev turns to the breaking of the Tablets, to sin, and to accountability, captured in the section “It shall come to pass, if you obey”(Deut. 11:13), which speaks not only of intimacy with G-d but
Parashat Re’eh General Overview: In this week’s reading, Re’eh, Moses continues addressing the Israelites just before he passes away; just before the Israelites cross the Jordan River and enter the land of Israel. Moses commands the Israelites to proclaim certain blessings and curses on Mount Grizzim and Mount Ebal after they enter the land of
Parashat Va’ethanan: The Cult of the Single Idea Idol worship is not simply the worship of false gods. At its root, it is the elevation of a single aspect of life or of God into the whole of one’s devotion. It is the instinct to take one thread from a vast, tangled weave and declare:
Parashat Eikev General Overview: Moses continues his pep talk to the Israelites, cautioning them not to fear the Canaanite armies for G‑d will wage battle for them. He also notifies them that their entry into the Land is not due to their own virtues – Moses reminds them of their many transgressions to emphasize this
Parashat Devarim: The Three “Eikhas” The word eikha (“how”) appears three times during the week of Parashat Devarim: in Moses’ complaint, “How can I myself alone bear your trouble, your burden, and your strife” (Deut. 1:12); in Isaiah’s rebuke, “How has the faithful city become a harlot!” (Is. 1:21); and sometimes, depending on the year,
Parashat Vaetchanan General Overview: In this week’s Torah reading, Va’etchanan, Moses continues his attempt to impress upon the Israelites the importance of following G‑d’s commandments, the rewards which will result from obeying G‑d’s words, and the punishments they will incur if they neglect to do so. Moses recounts the story of the giving of Torah
Parashat Devarim General Overview: This week’s reading begins the Book of Deuteronomy, the fifth and final book of the Five Books of Moses. Moses begins his final monologue, five weeks before his passing. He recounts the story of the Israelite’s travel through the desert, placing emphasis on, and rebuking them for, the story of the
Weekly Torah Study: Pinchas Is it a good thing to dwell on the past? Well, without a past we have no future. For 2,000 years Jews have been dwelling on the destruction of the Holy Temple, not in order to escape the present, but to prepare for the future with the rebuilt Holy Temple.
Parashat Pinhas: When Love has Nowhere Else to Go The portion of Pinhas opens with an act of zealousness, but to understand it, we must first understand what zealousness truly is. The Torah distinguishes between two forms of kin’a. The first is jealousy: wanting to be like someone, to have what they have. The second
Parashat Matot-Masei General Overview: This week’s Torah reading, Matot-Massei, begins with the laws of oaths. The Israelites wage battle against Midian, and the spoils are divided and tithed. The tribes of Reuben and Gad request and receive territory outside the mainland of Israel. Moses reviews the forty years of Israelite journeys through the desert. The
Parashat Balak: God First or Me First: The One Question That Changes Everything Pirkei Avot (Avot 5;9) places Abraham and Bilam not merely as two historical figures, but as two opposing schools of thought. Two fundamentally different ways of being human. Abraham’s disciples are marked by a generous eye, a modest spirit, and a humble
Parashat Pinchas General Overview: Phinehas (Pinchas) is rewarded for his bravery. A census of the Israelites is taken. The daughters of Zelophehad successfully argue for a portion in the land of Israel. Joshua is ordained Moses’ successor. G‑d relays to Moses the details of all the holiday sacrifices. First Aliyah: Last week’s reading concluded with
Parashat Korach: The Mask of Holiness: Korach’s Hidden Envy The dialogue between Moses and Korach’s party seems strange. On the surface, Moses’s replies don’t match their claims. They say they want to participate in the Order of Service, and Moses responds by asking whether it isn’t enough that God has already set them apart. They
Weekly Torah Study: Chukat Sometimes giving up is the only option. Sometimes it is absolutely forbidden. Were Moshe and Aharon denied entry into Israel because they gave up on something when they shouldn’t have?
Parashat Chukat-Balak General Overview: This week’s Torah reading, Chukat-Balak, begins with a discussion regarding the laws of the Red Heifer. Miriam and Aaron die. When the Jews are in need of water, Moses strikes a rock and waters stream forth; but Moses is banned from entering Israel. Amalek battles the Israelites and is defeated. Edom
Weekly Torah Study: Korach Once resentment makes itself home in the heart and mind, it lingers, it grows and it may never leave. Korach built his rebellion on resentment, both his own and that of others.
Parashat Shelah: The Real Sin of the Spies We stand at Parashat Shelach, whose central drama is the episode of the spies and the devastating punishment that followed. Yet the Sages tell us (Avot D’Rabbi Natan 45) something that stops us short: the spies did not lie. Every word they said was true. Which forces