The Power of Groupthink
This week's reading begins with the rebellion led by Korach against Moshe's leadership. The first half of the reading discusses the rebellion and what transpired afterwards, so clearly there is much to learn from this story. Korach sought honor and greatness. He was...
Doing the Impossible
In this week's reading, we find the well-known account of the spies who went into the Land of Israel. The Jews knew that they were supposed to inherit the land; the job of the spies was to find the best way to enter. Are the people strong or weak? Are their cities...
Genuine Humility
The Torah describes Moshe in a startling way. It says that he was "more humble than any man" [Numbers 12:3]. First of all, we know that Moshe had a unique relationship with G-d. That should make a person proud of his accomplishments, proud to be selected for such a...
A Unique Encounter
The Torah teaches that at Sinai, G-d did not reveal Himself to a single individual. Rather, He spoke to the entire Jewish nation. Rabbi Moshe Maimonides, the famed Jewish scholar of over 800 years ago, calls this event the foundation, the "pillar upon which our belief...
It’s Not About Our Enemies
“And even with that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, and I will not be disgusted with them to eliminate them, to nullify my Covenant with them.”
The Simple Truth
There is a deceptively simple Commandment in this week's reading: "a man shall not deceive his brother" [Lev. 25:14]. This is distinct from being a false witness [Ex. 20:16], denying having another's property [Lev. 19:11] and false judgment, "distance yourself from a...
The Hidden Holiday
Why doesn’t the Torah tell us that it was given to us on Shavuos, the holiday it calls merely the feast of “weeks” and a “gathering?” And what does this tell us about the Torah itself?
Learning from Tragedy
When four Rabbis of the Mishnah reached the Temple Mount, they saw a fox come out of the area of the Holy of Holies. The other three rabbis cried, but Rebbe Akiva laughed. Why did he laugh? And how did his explanation console the other three?
Teaching It to our Children
Last week, we spoke about the recurring themes of Passover in every generation: freedom from slavery under G-d, those who would hate us, and Divine Protection. There is another aspect to the concept of "In Every Generation," also found in abundance in the Haggadah:...
In Every Generation
The development of the new Torah.org enables us to provide a range of new content, especially introductory material. The Sabbath prior to Pesach is called Shabbos HaGadol, the Great Sabbath, because the Jews were shown that their redemption had begun -- they were...
A Time of New Beginnings
Our Torah reading begins this week with laws regarding purity after giving birth, after a woman brings a new life into the world. We will also celebrate Rosh Chodesh, the beginning of a new Jewish month. The word for month itself, Chodesh, shares the root of Chadash,...
Follow the Leader
Our Sages tell us that a person must “make” a Rav for himself [Chapters of the Fathers 1:6], to find a Rabbi and teacher who can provide advice. This is the Jewish path, a tradition given from teacher to student throughout the generations.
