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בס”ד וַיֵּצֵ֥א יַעֲקֹ֖ב מִבְּאֵ֣ר שָׁ֑בַע וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ חָרָֽנָה. וַיִּפְגַּ֨ע בַּמָּק֜וֹם וַיָּ֤לֶן שָׁם֙ כִּי־בָ֣א הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ וַיִּקַּח֙ מֵאַבְנֵ֣י הַמָּק֔וֹם וַיָּ֖שֶׂם מְרַֽאֲשֹׁתָ֑יו וַיִּשְׁכַּ֖ב בַּמָּק֥וֹם הַהֽוּא “And Yaakov left Beer-sheva and went toward Haran. He encountered the makom and spent the night there because the sun had set” (Bereishit 28:10-11).   After having left his parents and his hometown, which important life lessons gave Yaakov the strength and courage to embark on a personal exile, eventually becoming a patriarch of

רְאֵ֗ה אָנֹכִ֛י נֹתֵ֥ן לִפְנֵיכֶ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם בְּרָכָ֖ה וּקְלָלָֽה “See, I present before all of you today a blessing and a curse” (Devarim 11:26). Many commentators (1) ask the obvious question: why does this verse begin in the singular tense addressing the individual (“re’eh—see”) and conclude in the plural (“lifneichem—before all of you”)? Is Hashem speaking to the lone individual or the entire nation?  If Hashem instills a reality of blessing and curse in the world, what

…וְהָיָ֣ה ׀ עֵ֣קֶב תִּשְׁמְע֗וּן אֵ֤ת הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים֙ הָאֵ֔לֶּה וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֥ם וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָ֑ם…וַאֲהֵ֣בְךָ֔ וּבֵרַכְךָ֖ וְהִרְבֶּ֑ךָ וּבֵרַ֣ךְ פְּרִֽי־בִטְנְךָ֣ “This shall be the reward (1) when you hearken to these ordinances, and you observe and perform them; Hashem, your God…will love you, bless you and multiply you” (Devarim 7:12-13). The foremost and #1 reward in return for mitzvah observance is the love of Hashem. (2) Love is the absolute greatest good of all and encompasses all good. (3) Nothing compares

A short passage from this week’s Parasha is customarily read on the morning of Tisha B’Av, which starts off prophesizing Israel’s eventual corruption and lapse into exile and ends on a high, stressing Hashem’s endless mercy and kindness, never forgetting His beloved people. (1) וּבִקַּשְׁתֶּ֥ם מִשָׂ֛ם אֶת־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ וּמָצָ֑אתָ כִּ֣י תִדְרְשֶׁ֔נּוּ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ֖ וּבְכָל־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ…כִּ֣י אֵ֤ל רַחוּם֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ לֹ֥א יַרְפְּךָ֖ וְלֹ֣א יַשְׁחִיתֶ֑ךָ וְלֹ֤א יִשְׁכַּח֙ אֶת־בְּרִ֣ית אֲבֹתֶ֔יךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִשְׁבַּ֖ע לָהֶֽם From there you will seek Hashem, your

In contrast to the first 4 books of the Torah which were heard directly from Hashem, the entire book of Devarim was spoken by Moshe Rabbeinu himself as a final will and testament to his beloved people within the last five weeks of his life. Rabbi Samson Raphel Hirsch zt”l explains that the book of Devarim was Israel’s introduction to the new life they would have to forge in Eretz Yisrael. Unable to accompany them

Parashat Massei documents the entire route Klal Yisrael traveled, tracing back to the exodus from Egypt extending all the way until they reached the Jordan River, which borders the Promised Land.    אֵ֜לֶּה מַסְעֵ֣י בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָצְא֛וּ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם לְצִבְאֹתָ֑ם בְּיַד־מֹשֶׁ֖ה וְאַהֲרֹֽן. וַיִּכְתֹּ֨ב מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶת־מוֹצָאֵיהֶ֛ם לְמַסְעֵיהֶ֖ם עַל־פִּ֣י יְהוָ֑ה… “These are the journeys of the Children of Israel, who went forth from the land of Egypt, troop by troop, under the charge of Moses and Aaron.

After failing to curse Israel, Bilam arranged an immoral scheme to entice the people to adultery and fall for the daughters of Moab, who then pulled the men further towards idolatry and the prostration to their gods. This disaster influenced a large portion of the population and even degraded a high-ranking official named Zimri from the tribe of Shimon.  This week’s Torah portion is named after Pinchas, the son of Elazar son of Aharon the

Because this series is sequential, make sure to check out [In love 24/7] #2 – “…and you must love” (Part I) We’re all familiar with so many heroic fictional characters featured in comic book stories, movies, and video games who were attributed with supernatural abilities, granting them the perfect means to complete their mission and save the world! Some examples of such superpowers are ultra-strength, laser vision, invisibility, and telepathy.  If you were to choose

This week’s Torah portion, Chukat, features an example of Chukim, distinct Divine decrees that are beyond human comprehension.  “זֹ֚את חֻקַּ֣ת הַתּוֹרָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר דַּבֵּ֣ר ׀ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְיִקְח֣וּ אֵלֶיךָ֩ פָרָ֨ה אֲדֻמָּ֜ה תְּמִימָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֵֽין־בָּהּ֙ מ֔וּם אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹא־עָלָ֥ה עָלֶ֖יהָ עֹֽל” “This is the decree of the Torah that Hashem has commanded: Instruct Bnei Yisrael to bring you a perfectly red cow, in which there is no defect and on which no load has been carried

In this week’s Parasha, both the Kohanim and the Levi’im are rewarded for their dedication to the service of God. Every Jew is commanded to give “ma’aser,” donating 1/10th of their produce to the Levi’im, who in turn, also donate a tenth of their received portion to the Kohanim. The Sefer Hachinuch (1) explains that this continuous cycle of giving and support amongst Bnei Yisrael promotes the acknowledgment of God. Just like the Levite tribe