The parsha of Behaalotecha speaks about the silver trumpets — clarions — Moshe was commanded to make (Bamidbar 10:1-2): “Make two trumpets of silver; make them of hammered work. … more

Bamidbar begins with a census of the Israelites. That is why this book is known in English as Numbers. But we note what appears to be a contradiction. On the one hand, Rashi says that the acts of … more

This week we read the Tochacha, the terrifying curses that happen to Israel if it betrays its Divine mission. If Israel loses its way spiritually, say the curses, it will lose physically, … more

There are, it is sometimes said, no controlled experiments in history. Every society, every age, and every set of circumstances is unique. Yet this is not quite true. The history of the past … more

Time management is more than management and larger than time. It is about life itself. G-d gives us one thing above all: life itself. And He gives it to us all on equal terms. However rich we … more

Something fundamental happens at the beginning of Kedoshim, and the story is one of the greatest, if rarely acknowledged, contributions of Judaism to the world. Until now, Vayikra has been … more

Pesach is the oldest and most transformative story of hope ever told. It tells of how an otherwise undistinguished group of slaves found their way to freedom from the greatest and longest-lived … more

As we saw in Parshat Tazria, the Sages identify tzara’at — the condition that affects human skin, the fabric of garments, and the walls of a house — not as an illness but as a … more

It should have been a great celebration. The Tabernacle, Israel’s first house of worship, was complete. For seven days, Moshe performed the inauguration. Now, the eighth day, the first of … more

At the start of this parsha is a cluster of laws that challenged and puzzled the commentators. They concern a woman who has just given birth. If she gives birth to a son, she is “unclean … more