הקיץ בישראל הוא תקופה של הפגנות במוצאי שבת. רוב הזמן מקורן של ההפגנות האלה באוסף של אנשים שמחפשים סיבה להפגין, ולא בסיבה שמעוררת אנשים להפגין. זה רק עיסוק למוצאי השבתות החמים בתל אביב. שנים רבות עסקו ההפגנות בעיקר... READ MORE →
The Torah records for us in this week’s parsha the appearance of an old enemy in a new guise. According to Midrash, which reflects traditional rabbinic thinking on the subject matter being discussed, Bilaam had advised Pharaoh decades earlier to exterminate the Jewish people. Pharaoh, for various reasons and circumstances beyond his control, was unable to finish the job though vast numbers... READ MORE →
התורה מספרת לנו בפרשת השבוע על הופעתו של אויב ישן בתחפושת חדשה. לפי המדרש, שמשקף חשיבה רבנית מסורתית בנושא זה, בלעם היה זה שיעץ לפרעה עשרות שנים קודם לכן להשמיד את בני ישראל. פרעה, מסיבות שונות ובגלל נסיבות שאינן... READ MORE →
רצף האסונות שפוקדים את בני ישראל במדבר סיני שעליו מספרות לנו הפרשיות בספר במדבר מגיע לשיאו בפרשת השבוע כאשר הקב"ה מכריז שמשה, אהרון ומרים, כל צוות ההנהגה של בני ישראל, לא יורשה להיכנס לארץ המובטחת. ההחלטה הזאת ביחס למשה... READ MORE →
The series of disasters that befell the Jewish people in the desert of Sinai, as recorded for us in the previous parshiot of the book of Bamidbar, reaches its climax in this week’s parsha. Heaven decrees that neither Moshe nor Aharon or Miriam – the entire leadership team of the Jewish people – will be allowed to enter the Land of Israel. The treatment of Moshe individually seems... READ MORE →
The litany of disappointments and failures, of the generation of Jews that left Egyptian bondage, continues in this week’s parsha. Except, this parsha relates to us not so much in describing a direct confrontation with God and His express wishes, so to speak, but rather tells of a challenge to Moshe and his authority to lead the Jewish people. Korach essentially engages in a coup, a... READ MORE →
The attitude of Jews towards the Land of Israel has always been a litmus type of test of Jewish commitment and even faith throughout the ages. As we see in this week’s parsha, from the beginning of our national existence there have always been Jews – leading Jews, well-intentioned Jews, even outwardly pious Jews – who have preferred living somewhere else in the world to living in the... READ MORE →
The Torah instructs Aharon and through him all of his successors, the High Priests of Israel that when lighting the great menorah one should make certain that the six outside lamps should all face into the center lamp. There are various opinions amongst the commentators as to how this was to be accomplished. The wicks were bent inwards or perhaps the lamps themselves were tilted towards the... READ MORE →
The longest parsha of the Torah is the parsha of Nasso, which we read publicly this Shabat. A great part of its length is due to the repetition of the offerings and gifts of the leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel at the dedication of the Mishkan. Since each one of the twelve leaders brought the identical offering to the occasion and, furthermore, since the Torah itself at the conclusion of... READ MORE →
Among the customs that accompany the holiday of Shavuot, the public reading of the book of Ruth is personally one of my favorites. The beauty and simplicity of language, the conciseness and majesty of its narrative and the great moral lessons that are embedded in its four short chapters have always fascinated me. There is much that we and our current society can learn and apply from the ideas... READ MORE →
