How could anyone have thought this fellow was suited to be a gunner? His name was Shachar, which means the dawn, and the joke was that with him around it was always dawn, because he blotted out the … more

According to the first passage on our parasha, Hashem gave all the nations of the world the same opportunities and potential for leadership. This is based upon the notion that G-d’s actions … more

A larger view of the Torah provides the context through which we can see how the Biblical Israelites were meant to relate to their neighbors in the lands within and surrounding the Promised Land. … more

One of the conclusions of an IDF review of the Tzuk Eitan (Defensive Shield) war fought in Gaza in the summer of 2014 was that it was a bad idea to have encouraged soldiers to write letters to their … more

I remember one of the guys I was in yeshiva with, trying to convince me not to sign up for Officer’s course. I would be forced to spend an additional year and a half in the army, without … more

To the best of my counting (and I’m happy to hear a correction), the Torah mentions the concept of Shabbos once in Bereishis, six times in Shemos, four times in Vayikra, twice in Bamidbar … more

That we should love the stranger, the ger, is the fourth mitzvah in Maimonides’ Hilchot Deot (laws of ethical relationships). And as one is not meant to remind a person that he or she is a … more

The end of our parasha contains a very difficult narrative in which Miriam and Aaron speak against their beloved brother, Moses: Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses regarding the Cushite woman he … more

One of the disturbing episodes in the parsha concerns the people who are complaining about the manna, bemoaning a lack of meat as they remember the fish, fruits and vegetables (cucumbers, melons, … more

One of the laws discussed in Parshat Naso concerns the Nazir – a person, man or woman, who chooses to remove himself or herself from society to a limited degree, through not consuming wine and … more