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Bamidbar


Bamidbar: Dad’s Army ~ Tzvi Abrahams
Parshas בַּמִדְבָּר Dad’s Army צַב: covered carriage, turtle צְבִי: deer, desire, splendor צָבָה: to swell צָבָא: army ה’ צְבָא-וֹת: Lord...


Nasso: Razor Sharp ~ Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein
When detailing the laws of the Nazirite, the Torah forbids him from cutting his hair by stating, “A razor (taar) shall not pass over his...


Nasso: A Crown is a Crown ~ Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein
A Crown is a Crown Malbim defines these three words by explaining the differences in their physical properties. He explains that an...


Nasso: The Greater the Responsibility, the Greater the Load ~ Tzvi Abrahams
Parshas נָשֹׂא The Greater the Responsibility, the Greater the Load נָשֹׂא: raise, carry נָשִׂיא: prince מַשַׂא: burden, a load...


Behaalotacha: Pesach Sheni, Absent-Minded Passover? ~ Yehoshua Steinberg
This week's Torah portion discusses the highly unusual opportunity to fulfil a biblical precept -the Passover offering- who's...


Behaalotcha: Desiring a Desire ~ Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein
The Torah relates that not long after the Jews left Mount Sinai, the erev rav — who were the “mixed-multitudes” of Egyptians that joined...


Behaalotacha: A Variety of Enemies ~ Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein
The Torah mentions a special prayer which Moshe would say when the Ark of the Covenant would begin to travel (we say this prayer when...


Behaalotacha: Only The Poor Get Answered – Who Is Rich, Who Is Poor? ~ Tzvi Abrahams
Parshas בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ Only the Poor Get Answered — Who Is Rich, Who Is Poor? עַנָוָה: humble עוֹנִי: affliction עֹנֶה: answer, testimony...


Shelach/Yom Kippur: Pardon Me? ~ Yehoshua Steinberg
Shelach: Pardon Me? לע“נשלמהבנימיןבןרפאלתנצב“ה Three words are used to generally describe forgiveness and atonement: סליחה, מחילה, כפרה....

Shelach: Spy versus Spy ~ Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein
Spy versus Spy Conventional linguists trace the origins of the English word “tourist” to the Old French word tourner (“to turn”)....

Shelach: If You Love Someone, Set Him Free ~ Tzvi Abrahams
Parshas שְׁלַח If You Love Someone, Set Him Free שְׁלַח: send שֻׁלְחָן: table שְׁלַח: Send שְׁלַח לְךָ אֲנָשִׁים וְיָתֻרוּ אֶת אֶרֶץ...


Korach: Concomitant Connection and Chasm ~ Yehoshua Steinberg
Following the start of Korach's mutiny, Moses told him to bring an incense offering, קטורת in Hebrew. Why was קטורת chosen as an...

Korach: The Land Down Under ~ Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein
The Land Down Under When relating the story of Korach and his household being miraculously swallowed into the ground, the Torah (Numbers...


Korach: Grave Questions, Grave Implications ~ Tzvi Abrahams
Parshas קֹרַח Grave Questions, Grave Implications שׁוֹאֵל: borrow שָׁאוּל: King Shaul שְׁאֵלָה: question שְׁאוּל: grave וַיֵּרְדוּ הֵם...


Chukat: Settling on a Bite ~ Yehoshua Steinberg
Following the Israelites' murmuring against the manna sent from heaven, God dispatched snakes to bite them. The word "נשיכה" appears only...


Chukat: Afraid of Fright or Ready to Fight? ~ Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein
Afraid of Fright or Ready to Fight The social sciences like psychology and sociology seek to quantify man’s reactions to various types of...


Chukat: The Kiss Of Death ~ Tzvi Abrahams
Parshas חֻקַּת The Kiss of Death שֹׁקֶה: irrigate, saturate, quench תְּשׁוּקָה: desire, longing מַשְׁקֶה: liquid, drink שׁוּק: market...

Balak: Doubt, hitting, abundance/satiation ~ Yehoshua Steinberg
Someone sent me the following question: Anyone knows why do doubt and satisfaction, ספק וסיפוק, share the same Hebrew root? Answer: very...


Balak: A Short but Revelatory Article ~ Yehoshua Steinberg
Numbers 22:32 – And the angel of the Lord said to him, Why did you strike your she-donkey these three times? Behold, I went out to...


Balak: A Hollow Curse ~ Yehoshua Steinberg
The bulk of the Torah portion "Balak" concerns Bilaam cursing Israel. The primary word used for cursing though is the highly unsual term...

Balak: A Collection of Curses ~ Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein
The Torah says, “A judge shall you not curse and a prince/king in your nation shall you not curse” (Ex. 22:27). This passage forbids...


Balak: This Is the End, Beautiful Friend, the End ~ Tzvi Abrahams
Parshas בָּלָק This Is the End, Beautiful Friend, the End קֵץ: end מִקֵץ: the end קָצָה detestable שִׁקְצְה: goya/non-Jewish woman...

Pinchas: An Expansive Lesson on Constriction ~ Yehoshua Steinberg
Article abstract for Parashat Pinchas: Moses is commanded: " צרור (oppress / distress) the Midianites… for they have oppressed you." The...


Pinchas: United We Fast ~ Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein
United We Fast The prophet Zechariah (Zech. 9:19) foretells of a time when the four fast days will be turned into holidays days of joy...


Pinchas: The Ultimate Destination ~ Tzvi Abrahams
Parshas פִּינְחָס The Ultimate Destination שָׁלוֹם: peace שָׁלֵם: complete, whole מְשַׁלֵם: pay שׁלֹמֹה: Solomon יְרוּשָׁלַיִם:...

Mattot: Kol Nidrei… a Few Months Early ~ Yehoshua Steinberg
“And if her father deterred (הניא) her… and G-d will forgive her because her father deterred (הניא) her” (Num. 30:6). “And if, on the day...


Mattot: Tribesmen Stick Together ~ Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein
This week’s installment features two words which are not only synonyms, but also homonyms. The word mateh sometimes means “tribe” (almost...


Matot: Extending Hashem’s Hand in the World ~ Tzvi Abrahams
Parshas מַטּוֹת Extending Hashem’s Hand in the World מַטֶּה: tribe, branch מַטֶּה: stick נוֹטֶה: to lean, to stretch out from, to deviate...


Massei: Round and Round it Goes ~ Yehoshua Steinberg
This shall be for you the northern border: from the Great Sea תְּתָאוּ to Mount Hor. From Mount Hor תְּתָאוּ to the approach to Hamath …...


Massei: The Twin Cities of Zion and Jerusalem ~ Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein
Twin Cities: Zion and Jerusalem Many of us never stopped to think about the names Zion and Jerusalem. We may have always assumed that the...


Massei: Inheriting the Watered Garden ~ Tzvi Abrahams
Parshas מַסְעֵי Inheriting the Watered Garden נַחַלָה: inheritance נְחִיל: swarm of bees נְּחִילוֹת: musical instrument נַחַל: stream...
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