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 … more

This Motzai Shabbat we begin the recitation of Selichot in order to prepare ourselves to meet the Master of the Universe on Rosh Hashana. As such, it is no mere metaphor that the initial pasukim of … more

Parashat Bechukotai presents shalom as one of the greatest rewards that we will receive when we live lives dedicated to Hashem’s holy Torah: “And I will grant peace in the Land, and … more

The Tanach contains a number of instances when Hashem calls to individuals and repeats their name within the same verse. For example, just before G-d commands Avraham not to offer Yitzchak upon the … more

Our parasha, Shelach, begins with Moshe sending the tribal leaders to Eretz Yisrael to discover the beauty and bounty of the land. But what took place nearly brought Hashem’s plans for our … more

Sefer Vayikra begins with a call from G-d to Moshe: “G-d called to Moses, speaking to him from the Communion Tent.” In a celebrated gloss, Rashi, basing himself upon Midrash Rabbah, … more

Chazal’s name for the fourth book of the Torah is Sefer HaPekudim, the Book of the Counting. Little wonder, then, that it has been given the English title, “Numbers.” The … more

Our holy Torah is composed of both halachic (legal) and narrative portions. While there is usually nearly universal consensus that a particular law exists, halachic passages are often the focus of diverse interpretations regarding their pragmatic application. Thus, an entire genre of Jewish literature has arisen whose sole purpose is to determine the practical ramifications of both Torah and Rabbinic laws. In many ways, the creation of this unique and dynamic body of literature has continued unabated since, at the moment of the Sinaitic Revelation, our forebears declared “Naaseh v’nishmah” (“We will do and we will accept,” Sefer Shemot 24:7). more

Like the Shoah, Tisha B’Av brings us face to face with the problem of evil: “If G-d is truly good, why does He allow evil to exist?” In his essay Sacred and Profane, Kodesh … more

The second of our two parshiot, Parashat Masei, is the final parasha of Sefer Bamidbar. It concludes in this manner: “These are hamitzvot v’hamishpatim that Hashem commanded the … more