The conclusion of Parashat Bereishit paints a dire picture of mankind’s imminent annihilation: “And the L-rd saw that the evil of man was great in the earth, and every imagination of his …
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By Rabbi David Etengoff
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10/13/18
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The mitzvah of dwelling in the sukkah initially appears to be quite straightforward. By way of illustration, the Rambam formulates the obligation in this manner:
“What is the mitzvah of …
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By Rabbi David Etengoff
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9/21/18
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Our parasha, Re’eh, contains the obligation to physically destroy all objects used for idol worship: “You shall tear down their altars, smash their monuments, burn their idolatrous …
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By Rabbi David Etengoff
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8/8/18
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Our parasha, Shoftim, contains the celebrated verse, “Justice, justice shall you pursue, [in order] that you may live and possess the land the L-rd, your G-d, is giving you.” (Devarim …
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By Rabbi David Etengoff
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8/17/18
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Our parasha, Ki Tetze, begins with the following pasuk: “If you go out to war against your enemies, and the L-rd, your G-d, will deliver him into your hands, and you take his captives” …
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By Rabbi David Etengoff
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8/22/18
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Shabbat Nachamu’s haftarah is in many ways the most longed-awaited haftarah of the entire year.
Until now, the Three Weeks and Tisha B’Av have forced us to focus upon the seemingly endless …
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By Rabbi David Etengoff
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7/25/18
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In the first mishnah of Pirkei Avot, our Sages teach that the Torah was given to us by Hashem along with the Oral Law: “Moshe received the Torah at Sinai, transmitted it to Yehoshua, who did in …
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By Rabbi David Etengoff
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7/18/18
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We are now approaching the end of the Three Weeks, the saddest period of the Jewish year. It concludes with Tisha b’Av, commemorating the destruction of two Holy Temples.
In an oft-quoted …
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By Rabbi David Etengoff
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7/11/18
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We are a fortunate people. If one were to ask “Who is the greatest spiritual hero in Jewish history?” many names would come to mind. Some would suggest one of the Avot or Imahot. Others …
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By Rabbi David Etengoff
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7/4/18
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Our parasha, Balak, contains one of the most famous pesukim in the Torah: “How goodly are your tents, O Yaakov, your dwelling places, O Yisrael!” (Bamidbar 24:5). Basing himself on Bava …
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By Rabbi David Etengoff
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6/27/18
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