OLD ENEMIES, NEW CONFLICTS The Lord spoke to Moshe, saying: Speak to the Children of Israel and say to them: I am the Lord your God. You shall not follow the practices of the land of Egypt in which you lived, and you shall not follow...

GONE UP IN SMOKE The Shabbat that falls during the festival of Pesach has long been associated with King Solomon’s Song of Songs which is read during the morning service. This masterpiece, a cleverly written love poem, is a metaphor for the relationship between the Nation...

THE END OF DAYS Malachi was the last of all the prophets. His short book consists of three chapters, the last of which is the haphtarah for Shabbat HaGadol. It is unclear if Malachi is the actual name of a prophet or a title, meaning “My...

“And the leper in whom the mark is, his garments shall be rent and the hair of his head shall be grown out and he shall cover [his mouth and] his upper lip and he shall cry out: Impure! Impure! All the days that the...

OF FINS AND SCALES “This may you eat from everything that is in the water: All things that have fins and scales in the water, in the seas, or in the rivers, those you may eat. All things that do not have fins and scales in...

I AM SO THANKFUL “If he shall offer it for a thanksgiving offering, he shall offer with the feast thanksgiving offering unleavened loaves mixed with oil, unleavened wafers smeared with oil, and loaves of scalded fine flour mixed with oil.” (Vayikrah 7:12) One of the sacrifices described...

THE DAY GOD WEPT “Remember what Amalek did to you, on the way, when you were leaving Egypt, that he happened upon you on the way, and he struck those of you who were hindmost, all the weaklings at your rear, when you were faint and...

WE DO IT TOGETHER “All the work of the Tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting was completed, and the children of Israel did in accordance with all that the Lord had commanded Moshe; so they did.” (Shmot 39:32) The Torah appears to be telling us that the...

HAMMER IT OUT “He made two cherubs of gold. He made them hammered, at the two ends of the ark cover.” (Shmot 37:7) “He made the menorah of pure gold; hammered he made the menorah, its base and its shaft, its cups, its knobs, and its flowers...

DO NOT PROSECUTE MY PEOPLE! “It is forbidden to point out the faults of the Jewish nation and the Holy One, blessed is He, takes great issue with one who does this. For He desires kindness and He wishes for people to always speak in defence...