Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Shmini THIS IS THE RITUAL LAW THAT THE LORD HAS COMMANDED: INSTRUCT THE ISRAELITE PEOPLE TO BRING YOU A RED COW WITHOUT BLEMISH, IN WHICH THERE IS NO DEFECT AND ON WHICH NO YOLK HAS BEEN LAID. (Bamidbar 19:2) Respect for the Dead, the Impurity of the Dead, and the Cult of the Dead and their Graves Or a human bone or a grave – The Torah is stricter regarding the impurity associated with a...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Tzav – Purim WHEN THE FIFTEENTH FALLS ON SHABBAT, THE MEGGILAH IS NOT READ ON SHABBAT, RATHER, IT IS READ EARLY ON THE DAY BEFORE SHABBAT, AND MONEY FOR THE POOR IS COLLECTED AND DISTRIBUTED THAT SAME DAY. TWO TORAH SCROLLS ARE TAKEN OUT ON THAT SHABBAT. THEN CAME AMALEK IS READ FROM THE SECOND; AL HANISSIM IS RECITED. THE PURIM FEAST IS NOT HELD UNTIL SUNDAY. Like clouds, wind – but no rain...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Pekuday WHEN YOU TAKE A CENSUS OF THE ISRAELITE PEOPLE ACCORDING TO THEIR ENROLLMENT, EACH SHALL PAY THE LORD A RANSOM FOR HIMSELF ON BEING ENROLLED, THAT NO PLAGUE MAY COME UPON THEM THROUGH THEIR BEING ENROLLED. THIS IS WHAT EVERYONE WHO IS ENROLLED IN THE RECORDS SHALL PAY: A HALF-SHEKEL BY THE SANCTUARY WEIGHT… THE RICH SHALL NOT PAY MORE AND THE POOR SHALL NOT PAY LESS THAN HALF A SHEKEL WHEN GIVING THE...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Vayechi AND WHEN THE TIME APPROACHED FOR JACOB TO DIE, HE SUMMONED HIS SON JOSEPH AND SAID TO HIM, "PLEASE, IF I HAVE FOUND FAVOR IN YOUR EYES, PLACE YOUR HAND UNDER MY THIGH AND TREAT ME WITH KINDNESS AND LOYALTY: PLEASE DO NOT BURY ME IN EGYPT. WHEN I LIE DOWN WITH MY FATHERS, TAKE ME UP FROM EGYPT AND BURY ME IN THEIR BURIAL-PLACE." HE REPLIED, "I WILL DO AS YOU HAVE SPOKEN."...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Ki Tissa AND ALL THE PEOPLE TOOK OFF THE GOLD RINGS THAT WERE IN THEIR EARS AND BROUGHT THEM TO AARON. THIS HE TOOK FROM THEM AND CAST IN A MOLD AND MADE IT INTO A MOLTEN CALF. AND THEY EXCLAIMED, "THIS IS YOUR GOD, O ISRAEL, WHO BROUGHT YOU OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT." (Shemot 32:3-4) This is your god, O Israel, who brought you out – Were they fools not to...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Truma YOU SHOULD MAKE A MENORAH OF PURE GOLD; THE MENORAH SHALL BE MADE OF HAMMERED WORK; ITS BASE AND IS SHAFT, ITS CUPS, CALAYXES, AND PETALS SHALL BE OF ONE PIECE. SIX BRANCHES SHALL ISSUE FROM ITS SIDES; THREE BRANCHES FROM ONE OF ITS SIDES AND THREE BRANCHES FROM ITS OTHER SIDE. (Shemot 25:31-2) The Golden Menorah – was there Significance to its Details? Thereupon a menorah was placed in front of...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Mishpatim WHEN YOU SEE THE ASS OF YOUR ENEMY LYING UNDER ITS BURDEN AND WOULD REFRAIN FROM RAISING IT, YOU MUST NEVERTHELESS RAISE IT WITH HIM. (Shemot 23:5) When you meet, when you see – Outside the law-court you must save and help the possessions of even your enemy and hater… Even if the owner has done you real harm, you should still save him from the loss. But an ass lying under...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Yitro NEXT DAY, MOSES SAT AS MAGISTRATE AMONG THE PEOPLE, WHILE THE PEOPLE STOOD ABOUT MOSES FROM MORNING UNTIL EVENING. BUT WHEN MOSES' FATHER-IN-LAW SAW HOW MUCH HE HAD TO DO FOR THE PEOPLE, HE SAID, "WHAT IS THIS THING THAT YOU ARE DOING TO THE PEOPLE? WHY DO YOU SIT ALONE, WHILE ALL THE PEOPLE STAND ABOUT YOU FROM MORNING UNTIL EVENING? (Shemot 18:13-14) From morning until evening – Is it really...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Bo SO MOSES AND AARON WERE BROUGHT BACK TO PHARAOH AND HE SAID TO THEM, "GO AND WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD! WHO ARE THE ONES TO GO?" MOSES REPLIED, "WE WILL ALL GO, YOUNG AND OLD: WE WILL GO WITH OUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS, OUR FLOCKS AND HERDS; FOR WE MUST OBSERVE THE LORD'S FESTIVAL." BUT HE SAID TO THEM, "THE LORD BE WITH YOU THE SAME AS I MEAN TO LET YOUR CHILDREN...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Beshalach THEY CAME TO MARAH, BUT THEY COULD NOT DRINK THE WATER OF MARAH BECAUSE IT WAS BITTER; THAT IS WHY IT WAS NAMED MARAH. AND THE PEOPLE GRUMBLED AGAINST MOSES, SAYING, "WHAT SHALL WE DRINK?" SO HE CRIED OUT TO THE LORD, AND THE LORD SHOWED HIM A PIECE OF WOOD; HE THREW IT INTO THE WATER AND THE WATER BECAME SWEET. THERE HE MADE FOR THEM A FIXED RULE, AND THERE HE PUT...