W e know the pasuk: “Hashiveinu Hashem alecha v’nashuvah, chadeish yameinu k’kedem (Cause us to return to you Hashem and we will return, renew our days as in days of old).” … more

S efer Vayikra concludes with the pasuk: “These are the mitzvot that Hashem commanded Moshe to [tell] b’nai Yisrael on Har Sinai.” In contrast, the final verse of Sefer Bamidbar … more

Moshe Rabbeinu’s accomplishments are legendary, his leadership was extraordinary, and his intellect was nearly unparalleled. Moreover, the level of nevuah he achieved was different in kind and … more

Our parasha, Balak, contains one of the most famous pasukim in the Torah: “How goodly are your tents, O Ya’akov, your dwelling places, O Yisrael!” In his Commentary on the … more

Our parasha, Sh’lach, contains a pasuk with a puzzling phrase: “These are the names of the men Moshe sent to scout the Land, and Moshe called ( vayikra Moshe ) Hoshea the son of Nun, … more

The beginning of our parasha, Beha’alotcha, discusses the kohane’s daily mitzvah to light the Menorah. The Torah then describes the construction of the Menorah: “This was the form … more

The beginning of our parasha, Emor, focuses upon a variety of laws that pertain solely to the kohanim. From a halachic perspective, they have little to do with the majority of the Jewish people, as … more

One of the most celebrated mitzvot of our parasha, Kedoshim, is “v’ahavta l’reicha kamocha (and you shall love your fellow Jew like yourself).” Rashi, citing the Midrash … more

Our natural inclination at this time of the year is to focus upon the phrase, zacher l’yetziat Mitzraim (a remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt. This is the case, since one of the major mitzvot … more

T he primary focus of our parasha, Tazria, is the illness known as tzaraat . In his commentary on the Torah, the Rashbam presents the unique nature of this disease: All of the sections dealing … more