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 … more

Na’aseh v’nishmah — we will do, and we will hear and understand — are two of the most celebrated words that appear in Parashat Mishpatim (24:7). In some ways, this … more

Our parasha this week, Re’eh, contains two seemingly contradictory pasukim. Initially we are taught, “However, there will be no needy (evyon) among you, for the L-rd will surely bless you … more

CHAPTER 23 of our parasha is popularly known as parashat hamoadim. In its introductory verses we find: And Hashem spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: … more

On the surface, the mitzvah of dwelling in the succah appears to be quite straightforward. The Rambam formulates the mitzvah in the following fashion: What is the mitzvah of dwelling in the succah? One should eat and drink and dwell in the succah for the entire seven-day period both at night and during the day in exactly the same manner that he dwells in his house during the other days of the year. Throughout the entire seven-day period a person should treat his house as a temporary dwelling and his succah as his permanent dwelling. more

Some pasukim of the Torah are “luckier” than others and their frequent repetition has enabled them to become active components in our tefilah experience. The beginning of our parasha, … more

When we examine the first verse of our parasha, “Va’yomer Hashem el Avram (And Hashem said to Avram), ‘Lech lecha (Go forth from your land and from your birthplace and from your … more

Dedicated to the sacred memories of my sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra, my sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, and Shifra bat Chaim Alter, and the refuah shlaimah of Yosef Shmuel ben Miriam and Yehonatan Binyamin Halevy ben Golda Frieda more

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 … more

The narrative of the Four Sons is one of the highlights of the Maggid (Telling) section of the Haggadah. Contemporary versions of this work formulate the first two questions in this … more