SHABBAT SHALOM (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Reeh For the pauper will not cease from the midst of the land. Threfore i charge you, saying, 'You shall surely open your hand to your brother, To your poor and to your pauper, in your land. (Devarim 15:11)   R. Yehoshua taught: The pauper does more for the master of the house than the master does for the pauper, for Ruth told Naomi (Ruth 2) 'The name of the man with whom I worked ...

Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Reeh When the lord your god enlarges your territory as he has spoken to you, And you say, 'let me eat meat,' when your appetite craves eating meat, Wherever you appetitite's craving may be, you shall eat meat. Should the place be far away from you… (Devarim 12:20-21)   The Connection Between "Expansion of Boundaries", Distancing of "the Place", and the Appetite for Meat "When the Lord enlarges your territory, as He has promised you, and you...

Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Reeh And you shall rejoice before the Lord, your God you and your sons and your daughters and your menservants and your maidservants, and the Levite who is within your cities, for he has no portion or inheritance with you. (Devarim 12:12)   And the Levite because he has no portion or inheritance with you – Rabbi Yehudah bar Shimon says: The Holy One, blessed be He, said – "If you have four members in your household,...

Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Reeh You may eat every clean bird. But these are those from which you shall not eat: The eagle , the ossifrage, the osprey… And the stork, and the heron and its species, and the hoopoe, and the atalef. (Devarim 14:11, 12, 18)   Some species of bird, such as the crow, are cruel. Some are kind, such as the stork, which treats its fellows kindly. Some are compassionate, such as the bird called...

Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Reeh HOWEVER, THERE WILL BE NO NEEDY AMONG YOU, FOR THE LORD WILL SURELY BLESS YOU IN THE LAND THE LORD, YOUR GOD, IS GIVING YOU FOR AN INHERITANCE TO POSSESS. (Devarim 15:4) FOR THERE WILL NEVER CEASE TO BE NEEDY WITHIN THE LAND. THEREFORE, I COMMAND YOU, SAYING, YOU SHALL SURELY OPEN YOUR HAND TO YOUR BROTHER, TO YOUR POOR ONE, AND TO YOUR NEEDY ONE IN YOUR LAND. (Devarim 15:11)   However, there will be...

Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Reeh THESE YOU MAY EAT OF ALL THAT ARE IN THE WATERS; ALL THAT HAVE FINS AND SCALES, YOU MAY EAT. BUT WHATEVER DOES NOT HAVE FINS AND SCALES, YOU SHALL NOT EAT; IT IS UNCLEAN FOR YOU. (Devarim 14:9-10) ANY THAT DOES NOT HAVE FINS AND SCALES IN THE WATER IS AN ABOMINATION FOR YOU. (Vayikra 11:12)     Is an abomination for you. A hated and disgusting thing, not that they are...

Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Reeh AT THE END OF EVEN YEARS YOU SHALL MAKE A SHEMITAH . THIS SHALL BE THE NATURE OF THE SHEMITAH: EVERY CREDITOR SHALL REMIT THE DUE THAT HE CLAIMS FROM HIS FELLOW; HE SHALL NOT DUN HIS FELLOW OR KINSMAN, FOR THE REMISSION PROCLAIMED IS FOR THE LORD. (Devarim 15:1-2)   To abandon debts in the Shemitah year, about which it is said but you must remit whatever is due you from your kinsman...

Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parshat Reeh BE CAREFUL TO OBSERVE ALL THAT I ENJOIN UPON YOU; NEITHER ADD TO IT NOR TAKE AWAY FROM IT. (Devarim 13:1)   Neither add to it – five sections in tefillin, five types of plant in a lulav, four priestly blessings. (Rashi Devarim 13:1)   All – This connects with that which was written above it – not to...

Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parashat Reeh THERE SHALL BE NO NEEDY AMONG YOU – SINCE THE LORD YOUR GOD WILL BLESS THE LAND THAT THE LORD YOUR GOD IS GIVING YOU AS A HEREDITARY PORTION. (Devarim 15:4)   FOR THERE WILL NEVER CEASE TO BE NEEDY ONES IN YOUR LAND, WHICH IS WHY I COMMAND YOU: OPEN YOUR HAND TO THE POOR AND NEEDY KINSMAN IN YOUR LAND. (Devarim 15:11)     As Sons, as Servants – Human Obligation to...

Shabbat Shalom The weekly parsha commentary – parshat (link to original page) Click here to receive the weekly parsha by email each week. Parashat Reeh HOWEVER, THERE WILL NOT BE AMONG YOU ANY NEEDY PERSON, FOR GOD WILL BLESS, YES, BLESS YOU IN THE LAND THAT THE LORD YOUR GOD IS GIVING YOU  AS AN INHERITANCE, TO POSSESS. WHEN THERE WILL BE AMONG YOU A NEEDY PERSON FROM ANY ONE OF YOUR BROTHERS, WITHIN ONE OF YOUR GATES IN THE LAND THE LORD YOUR GOD IS GIVING YOU, YOU ARE NOT TO TOUGHEN YOUR HEART, YOU ARE NOT TO...