Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Devarim BECAUSE OF THIS OUR HEARTS ARE SICK, BECAUSE OF THESE OUR EYES ARE DIMMED: BECAUSE OF MOUNT ZION, WHICH LIES DESOLATE; FOXES PROWL OVER IT. (Eikhah 5:17-18) Another time, they were going up to Jerusalem. When they reached Mt. Scopus, they tore their clothing. When they arrived at the Temple Mount, they saw a fox running out of the area where the Holy of Holies had been. They began to cry, while Rabbi...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Matot-Mas'ey SO MOSES, AT THE LORD'S BIDDING, INSTRUCTED THE ISRAELITES, SAYING: "THE PLEA OF THE JOSEPHITE TRIBE IS JUST. THIS IS WHAT THE LORD HAS COMMANDED CONCERNING THE DAUGHTERS OF ZELAFHAD: THEY MAY MARRY ANYONE THEY WISH, PROVIDED THAT THEY MARRY INTO A CLAN OF THEIR FATHER'S TRIBE." (Bamidbar 36:5-6) Anyone they wish – This means to say: they shall chose those who seem good and upright to them from among [the men...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Balak THE DAUGHTERS OF ZELOFHAD SON OF HEFER SON OF GILEAD SON OF MACHIR SON OF MENASHEH SON OF JOSEPH, OF MENASHEH THE SON OF JOSEPH'S FAMILY CAME FORWARD. THE NAMES OF THE DAUGHTERS WERE MAHLAH, NOAH, HOGLAH, MILCAH, AND TIRZAH. THEY STOOD BEFORE MOSES, ELAZAR THE PRIEST, THE CHIEFTAINS, AND THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY, AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE TENT OF MEETING, AND THEY SAID: "OUR FATHER DIED IN THE WILDERNESS… AND HE HAS LEFT...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Balak IN THE MORNING BALAK TOOK BALAAM UP TO BAMOT-BAAL. FROM THERE HE COULD SEE A PORTION OF THE PEOPLE. (Bamidbar 22:41) What You See from Here, You Cannot See from There …and Scripture tells us that he did not see the entire camp, since they were encamped by four flags at the four directions of the winds. On the second attempt Balak told him you will see only a portion of them,...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Chukkat THEN MOSES LIFTED HIS HAND AND HIT THE ROCK WITH HIS STAFF TWICE, AND MUCH WATER CAME OUT AND THE COMMUNITY AND THEIR LIVESTOCK WERE GIVEN DRINK. (Bamidbar 20:11) "When our Rabbi Moses became angry, he also erred" And Elazar the priest told the men who had taken part in the fighting: This is the law of the Torah – Because Moses became angry, he also erred. R. Elazar ben Azariah says: Moses...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Korach THEY GATHERED TOGETHER AGAINST MOSES AND AARON AND SAID TO THEM, "YOU HAVE GONE TOO FAR! FOR ALL THE COMMUNITY ARE HOLY, ALL OF THEM, AND THE LORD IS IN THEIR MIDST. WHY DO YOU RAISE YOURSELVES ABOVE THE LORD'S CONGREGATION?" (Bamidbar 16:3) And Korah took: Korah was envious of Moses, and now he took advantage of the opportunity when Israel was grieving over the edict of ...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Shelach THEY WENT UP AND SCOUTED THE LAND, FROM THE WILDERNESS OF ZIN TO REHOV, AT LEVO-HAMAT… AT THE END OF FORTY DAYS THEY RETURNED FROM SCOUTING THE LAND. (Bamidbar 13: 21, 25) They went up and scouted the land – How did they do this? When they entered a town, its dignitaries would be struck down by plague, and the townspeople would be busy with their burial, so they could enter...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Behaalotcha THEN MIRIAM AND AARON SPOKE OF MOSES IN CONNECTION WITH THE KUSHITE WOMEN WHOM HE HAD TAKEN, FOR HE HAD TAKEN A KUSHITE WOMAN. (Bamidbar 12:1) The Kushite woman: Tziporah – who was unusual in her deeds and beauty, or an actual Kushite? It is written: A Shigayon of David, which he sang to the Lord, concerning Kush, a Benjaminite (Psalms 7). Was his name Kush? No, his name was Saul! Rather: just...
Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Nasso – Chag Shavuot SPEAK TO THE ISRAELITES AND SAY TO THEM: "IF ANYONE, MAN OR WOMAN, EXPLICITLY UTTERS A NAZARITE'S VOW TO SET HIMSELF APART FOR THE LORD… THROUGHOUT THE TERM OF HIS VOW AS A NAZARITE, NO RAZOR SHALL TOUCH HIS HEAD; IT SHALL REMAIN CONSECRATED UNTIL THE COMPLETION OF HIS TERM AS A NAZARITE OF THE LORD, THE HAIR OF HIS HEAD BEING LEFT TO GROW UNTRIMMED… THROUGHOUT HIS TERM AS A...