There is an old adage in English usage that “seeing is believing.” The Talmud phrased this message as follows: “There is no comparison between hearing about something to actually having seen it.” In this week’s parsha Moshe tells the Jewish people that the choices in life are not necessarily always those of faith and belief as much as they are of reality and... READ MORE →
הפתרון שלנו לבעיה היהודית הנאום הארוך של משה רבנו לבני ישראל נמשך. הוא מתאר בפניהם את הברכות ואת הסכנות שממתינות להם בארץ ישראל. הוא יודע שהם יצטרכו להתמודד עם פיתויים כשיתבססו במולדתם העתיקה-חדשה.... READ MORE →
Moshe’s long oration to the people of Israel continues. He portrays for them the blessings and the lurking dangers that await them in the Land of Israel. He is aware of the temptations that they will face in establishing themselves in there new and ancient homeland. Moshe views his people as a type of recovering alcoholic – always prone to fall off the wagon when... READ MORE →
הערכת הזכות ליכנס לארץ-ישראל היכולת של האדם להטביע את האכזבות האישיות שלו ואפילו את האסונות בתמונה הכללית של החיים היהודיים החיוביים ושל המשימה היהודית, מקבלת ביטוי עז בתגובה של משה לסירוב של הקב"ה... READ MORE →
The ability to somehow subsume one’s own personal disappointments and even tragedies into the general picture of positive Jewish life and mission is vividly illustrated in Moshe’s response to God’s refusal to allow him to enter into the Land of Israel. Moshe does not accept the decree in a stoic, ‘what is the use’ manner but he instead uses it to impress upon the... READ MORE →
חזון ישראל ישנם חזיונות וישנם סיוטים. בפרשת השבוע ובהפטרה שלה אנחנו מקבלים קצת משניהם. כשמשה מתחיל את הנאום האחרון הגדול שהוא נושא בפני עמו האהוב, הוא מזהיר את העם מפני סכנות עתידיות ומזכיר לו את השגיאות... READ MORE →
There are visions and there are nightmares. This week’s parsha and haftorah provides us with a little of both. As Moshe begins his final great oration to his beloved people he warns of the dangerous future and reminds the people of the tragic and costly errors of the past. Moshe is the person of vision. He is shown the entire story of the Jewish people throughout all... READ MORE →
The reading of the book of Bamidbar concludes this week with the parshiyot of Matot and Masei. Jews are inveterate travelers. The long exile that we have suffered has of necessity forced us to travel a great deal. There is almost no place in the world that we have not visited, settled and eventually moved from to a different location. Thus the recording of all of the travels and... READ MORE →
The Jewish people go to war against Midian in this week’s parsha. This war can be described as a preventive war – striking before the enemy strikes again against you – and even as a war of revenge and punishment over the culpability of Midian in the death of twenty four thousand Jews due to their willful planned seduction by the women of Midian. In this war the... READ MORE →
There is an old adage in both the Jewish and non-Jewish world which states something like this: “I can deal with my enemies but Lord please help me with my friends.” The problem figure in this week’s parsha is not so much Balak, who is easily identified as the enemy of the Jewish people, as it is Bilaam whose mouth utters soaring blessings and compliments to the Jews. ... READ MORE →
