At the beginning of each book of the Torah, the Ramban (Nachmanides), in his Commentary on the Torah, suggests a name that represents the essence of the work. In our case, he calls Sefer Vayikra, … more

The Menorah is one of the most ubiquitous symbols of Judaism. Therefore, nearly every synagogue in the world contains some form or representation of this sacred object. It seems that the Menorah of … more

We should not be surprised by the similarities between Judaism and the surrounding cultures, one of my professors, Rabbi Menachem M. Brayer, PhD zatzal, once noted. After all, they were in the same … more

Our parasha Va’etchanan contains one of the most often recited pasukim in the Torah, as it is found at the end of the first paragraph of the Aleinu: “V’yadata hayom … more

Sefer Shemot introduces us to the illustrious triumvirate of Moshe, Aharon, and Miriam — three of our people’s greatest prophets. Moshe and Aharon’s contributions are universally … more

At the beginning of our parasha, Sh’lach, Hashem tells Moshe: “Send out for yourself men (shelach lecha anashim) who will scout the Land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of … more

The mitzvah of the Parah Adumah (Red Heifer) is found at the beginning of this week’s parasha, Chukas. Its purpose is to purify an individual who has become tamei (ritually impure) due to … more

Rav Saadiah Gaon was one of the greatest of the Babylonian gaonim. His approach to Torah study was direct and to the point: Analyze the verse on its own terms based upon the actual language presented therein. In other words, instead of approaching the verse with pre-conceived ideas that will most likely determine its interpretative outcome, examine it in its most pristine form. more

One of the best-known passages in our parsha, and the entire Torah, is that of Birkat Kohanim: “The L-rd spoke to Moses saying: Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying: This is how you shall … more

The final five pasukim of chapter 13 in Parashat Lech Lecha are well known, since they contain two promises of the Almighty to Abram, namely, that his offspring will receive the Land of Israel as a … more