by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Jul 19, 2018 | Lifeline
The Torah portion of Dvarim, beginning the last of the 5 books of Moses, is universally read on the Sabbath proceeding the Ninth of Av, when we commemorate the destruction of both Temples and other tragedies throughout Jewish history. Each week’s reading is...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Jun 28, 2018 | Lifeline
In this week’s reading, the gentile prophet Bila’am famously tries to curse the Jews, only to bless them each time. The Torah says, “and Bila’am lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes, and the Spirit of G-d...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Jun 21, 2018 | Lifeline
The Talmud, at the end of the first tractate, Brachos, learns a fascinating lesson from the verse: “This is the Torah [the law]: when a person dies in a tent…†[19:14] This verse speaks about impurity that attaches to everything in the same building as...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Jun 7, 2018 | Lifeline
Our Torah reading relates the tragic story of the Spies, sent to travel through the Land of Canaan in advance of its conquest by the People of Israel. “Send men for yourself, and they will spy out the Land of Canaan, which I give to the Children of Israel, one man...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | May 31, 2018 | Lifeline
This week, we witness Moshe throwing up his hands in despair. Moshe, Moshe Rabbeinu, our master teacher, he who transmitted the entire Torah directly from G-d to the Jewish People, has had it with the Jews. He’s done. “And Moshe said to Hashem, ‘why...
