Over the past week, we have seen anti-Israel college takeovers with protestors openly declaring their desire to kill Jews and to render Israel—from the river to the sea—Juden Rein. The brazen tactics and bullying have left many Jewish students and faculty members afraid to venture onto campus. As we approach …
Read the full story » Shemitah and Sinai
Our Parsha outlines the laws of shemitah, agricultural sabbatical. “Six years you shall sow your crop and on the seventh the field shall lie fallow.” During the seventh year all produce that grows spontaneously must be equally shared among all people. There may be no private ownership of …
An Obvious Question
This week’s Parsha begins with an assurance from G-d that if we observe his commandments he will grant us many rewards including prosperity, safety, peace and national sovereignty. Many commentators have wondered why all the enumerated rewards are of a physical nature, are we not destined for spiritual …
Shabbos – The Crown of the Week
“When you come into your land… the earth shall rest a Shabbos for Hashem. For six years you shall sow your land but the seventh year shall be…a Shabbos for Hashem.” (Our Parsha, Leviticus 25, 2-4) This verse begins with a discussion of Shabbos, …
A Promise
We are commanded in this week’s Parsha to take a Sabbatical, every seven years, from farming and gardening. The Torah explains that there are weekly Sabbaticals and annual Sabbaticals and that in observing this Sabbatical we honor G-d as creator of the world.
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The Grizzled Lamb
“A bull, sheep or goat, that is born to you, shall remain under its mother for seven days. From the eighth day onward it is acceptable as an offering to G-d.” Why does the Torah refer to the newborn animals by their mature names instead of the usual …
Soft Tones
In this week’s Parsha we are told of the many restrictions that were placed upon the Kohanim. (Priestly family) They may not attend funerals unless the deceased was a direct relation. Their choice of spouse is also restricted. But in instructing Moshe Rabeinu to convey the news of these …
On the Morrow of Shabbat
In this week’s Parsha we learn of the Mitzvah to count the Omer. The Torah tells us that the count begins on the morrow of Shabbat and continues for seven weeks. Tradition teaches that the word Shabbat here is to be understood as the holiday of …
Innocent Chatter
On a bus in Tel Aviv, an elderly woman could not help but overhear as two young ladies gossiped about a friend, who was engaged to be married. Giggling, they predicted that if her fiancé would only discover her faults, he would surely call off their engagement. The woman …