Articles in Concepts
Chukat: He Didn’t Hit it
Eschew Violence
In this week’s Parsha we read the astounding story of Moses and the rock. We all know the story; G-d instructed Moses to speak to the rock, but instead of speaking to the rock he hit it.Why didn’t Moses hit the rock?
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Balak: Manipulating G-d
A Strategy of The Spirit
The Moabite king Balak was afraid of the Jews. Its newly formed military recorded incredible successes against overwhelming odds and Balak feared for his country.
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B’Ha’alotcha: Personal Freedom
A Meaningless Holiday?
In this week’s Parsha we read that several people, unable to participate in the offering of the Pascal lamb, approached Moses a asked for a second chance. Mosesconsulted with G-d thus the 14’th of “Iyar” was consecrated as “Pesach Sheini,” a second Passover.
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B’Ha’alotcha: Manna and Shabbat
A Connection
Our Parsha describes the manner in which the Manna from heaven was delivered to our ancestors in the desert. It has been said that if one forgets which Parsha to read on any given Shabbat he should read the Parsha of the manna. This indicates a connection between the …
B’har: The Nature of Shabbos
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, …
B’har:Take Him at His Word
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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K’doshim: Gossip can be Deadly
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 …
Shmini: on Grieving and Joy
An Ecstatic but Trying Moment
This Parsha describes a moment of glory for the children of Israel. They had been forgiven for their sin (the golden calf) and as a consolation prize G-d commanded them to build a tabernacle, a dwelling place for the Divine.
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