This week’s haftarah for parashat Devarim is taken from the first chapter of Sefer Yeshayahu. As befitting the Shabbat immediately before Tisha b’Av, much of its message is very dark and … more

The untimely and supernatural death of Aharon’s sons, Nadav and Avihu, is one of the focal points of Shemini, this week’s parasha. Following this narrative passage, we are met with two … more

The beginning of our parasha, Vayetze, describes the first steps that Ya’akov took on his journey to Haran in order to escape the wrath of his brother, Eisav, and find a fitting wife from his … more

Our parasha, Bo, tells the story of the Jewish people’s departure from Egypt: “It came to pass at the end of 430 years, and it came to pass in that very day, that all the legions of the … more

The namesake of our parasha is Balak, King of Moab. He correctly believed that his country was existentially threatened by the fledgling Jewish nation. As such, he sought to annihilate us before … more

The name name “Be’er Sheva” appears a total of nine times in Sefer Bereishit, and serves as the opening verse of our parasha, Vayatze: “And Jacob left Be’er Sheva and … more

The second verse of our parasha presents the commandment to offer a korban olah, a completely burnt offering, in the Mishkan and later the Beit Hamikdash: “Command (tzav) Aaron and his … more

One of the well-known halachot found in our parasha, Emor, is the law of retributive justice (lex talionis), known popularly as “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth (ayin tachat … more

Our parasha contains a rich array of stimulating narratives that challenge our understanding and cry out to us, “Darsheni” (“Interpret me!”). One of these is known as the … more

The Haggadah is a multi-layered historical document that is the product of numerous Jewish cultures, in both Israel and the Diaspora. As a result, it may legitimately be viewed as one of the … more