Our parasha, Eikev, contains a phrase, familiar to many, that is found in the first blessing of the Shemoneh Esrei: “He is the great (hagadol), mighty (hagibor) and awesome …
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By Rabbi David Etengoff
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7/29/21
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This week’s haftarah is the single most longed-for haftarah of the entire year. Until now, the Three Weeks and Tisha b’Av have forced us to focus upon the trials and tribulations of …
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By Rabbi David Etengoff
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7/23/21
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Both parashat Korach and this week’s parsha, Pinchas, contain an unusual name of the Almighty: “They [Moshe and Aharon] fell on their faces and said, ‘O G-d, the G-d of the …
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By Rabbi David Etengoff
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7/1/21
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Balak, king of Moab, is the namesake of our parasha. He believed that his country was existentially threatened by the fledgling Jewish nation and consequently sought to annihilate us before we …
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By Rabbi David Etengoff
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6/25/21
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One of the many topics in our parasha, Chukat, is the passing of Miriam: “The entire congregation of the children of Israel arrived at the desert of Zin in the first month, and the people …
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By Rabbi David Etengoff
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6/18/21
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The namesake of our parasha is Korach. It is not surprising, therefore, that most meforshim focus the majority of their exegetical efforts on this rabble rouser and his sycophants, Datan, Aviram …
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By Rabbi David Etengoff
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6/10/21
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The haftorah for this week’s parashat, Beha’alotecha, begins with Zechariah’s famous words, “rani v’simchi bat Zion (Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion),” …
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By Rabbi David Etengoff
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5/28/21
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Our parasha, Shelach, begins with Moshe sending the tribal leaders to Eretz Yisrael to discover the beauty and bounty of the land. But what took place nearly brought Hashem’s plans for our …
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By Rabbi David Etengoff
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6/3/21
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The first mishnah in Pirkei Avot cites a statement from the Anshei Kenesset HaGadolah, a group of sixth century BCE jurists that constitute one of the crucial links in shalshelet hakabbalah (the …
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By Rabbi David Etengoff
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5/20/21
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The second verse of Parashat Behar contains the well-known words, “When you come to the Land that I am giving you,” that serve as a prologue to the mitzvah of shemitah (the Sabbatical …
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By Rabbi David Etengoff
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5/5/21
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