The end of Parshat Re’eh is one of the few times in the Torah that the holidays are presented. Noticeable is the instruction to be joyous on the holiday, a point noted once for Shavuot (16:11), … more

It started out as just another inspection. It was Friday afternoon, and after a week of intense maneuvers with little sleep, followed by the weekly servicing of our tanks all night long. We were … more

After describing the difficulty he had in judging the people by himself, Moshe describes how he suggested to the people that they bring forth their most honorable leaders to serve as captains and … more

It was a glorious Shabbat morning, but truth be told, if I had been left to my own devices, I might have slept all day. But there at the edge of my bed was Benji with his older sister Abigail, … more

T his Shabbat is known as “Shabbat Chazon,” based upon the opening words of our haftarah: “The vision (chazon) of Yeshayahu (Isaiah) the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning … more

Again this year, there is evidence of a polarization in Israeli society. Jewish men purporting to represent what Judaism is meant to be, describing themselves as “religious” or … more

The final pasuk of our parasha is somewhat difficult to understand: “Moses spoke to the children of Israel in accordance with all that the L-rd had commanded Moses.” (Sefer Bamidbar 30:1) … more

Before Parshat Pinchas buries itself in the sacrificial order for each holiday (what becomes the Maftir reading for those days), we hear the story of Tzlafchad’s daughters. Without … more

The first of our two parshiot (Matot and Masei) contains a rather quizzical pasuk: “Eleazar the kohen said to the soldiers returning from battle, ‘This is the statute that the L-rd … more

The listing of the travels of the Israelites in the wilderness finishes, in Parshas Masei, with these verses: “They left Almon Divlathaymah and camped in the Avarim mountains in front of Nebo. … more