The phrase, “aleh hamitzvot” (“these are the commandments”), appears twice in the Torah — in the concluding pasukim of Sefer Vayikra, and in our parasha, Matot-Masei, in … more

There is a tale of Rosh Hashana in the book of Nechemiah. It was in the initial years of the Return from the exile of 70 years following the destruction of the first Temple. The crowd that … more

Bear with me as I make a case here. Shmot 4:14-16: After giving a number of excuses for why he should not be the Deliverer, including that he is uncomfortable with his own speech-abilities, G-d … more

May 1948. Tough times for the Jewish people, particularly for Jews struggling to claw out a place for themselves in a land they hoped to claim as their own. A few months after the United Nations … more

A black and white image of a Jew being beaten in the streets of Vienna. Jews being forced onto trains and deported. A column of Jews with despairing faces, forced out of town, herded down a … more

Shichaha, the commandment to leave behind a forgotten sheaf of grain for the needs of the poor, is a key agriculturally-based mitzvah that appears in our parasha, Ki Tetze: When you reap your … more

It was a unique, unrepeatable moment of leadership at its highest height. For 40 days Moses had been communing with G-d, receiving from Him the Law written on tablets of stone. … more

Parshat Eikev by Rabbi Avi Billet Issue of July 30, 2010/ 19 Av 5770 Other than former current events, nothing dates a Jewish book more than when discussing or quoting a deceased great … more

One of the conclusions of an IDF review of the Tzuk Eitan (Defensive Shield) war fought in Gaza in the summer of 2014 was that it was a bad idea to have encouraged soldiers to write letters to their … more

More than what he was saying, it was his face that caught my attention. Flicking on the television absent-mindedly as I was getting dressed for a wedding, I came across the middle of a program with a … more