We read in Parashat Ahareh-Mot of the special service that the Kohen Gadol would perform in the Bet Ha’mikdash each year on Yom Kippur. This service included two goats which were sacrificed to atone for the nation’s sins....
Parashiyot Tazria and Mesora describe several different kinds of manifestations of Sara’at – discolorations on a person’s skin, garment or home, which, under certain conditions, brings a state of impurity. Our Sages have explained that Sara’at would strike a...
In the Haggadah, we emphasize the point that the plague of the firstborn was wrought by G-d Himself, and not by an angel or other agent. We cite the verse in Sefer Shemot (12:12), “Ve’abarti Be’retz Misrayim...
The Torah in Parashat Vayikra speaks about the procedure for offering sacrifices. Describing a person who brings a sacrifice to the Temple, the Torah uses the term “Yakrib Oto” (“He shall offer it” – 1:3), which Rashi...
The opening verses of Parashat Pekudeh present an accounting of the precious metals that Beneh Yisrael donated for the construction of the Mishkan. The Torah introduces this section by saying, “Eleh Fekudeh Mishkan, Mishkan Ha’edut” – “These are the calculations...
The Torah in Parashat Vayakhel relates how Beneh Yisrael responded Rabbi Eli Mansour enthusiastically to Moshe’s call for donations to the Mishkan. The people generously donated all the materials that were needed for the Mishkan’s construction, which included precious...
Tradition teaches that Mordechai was a descendant of King Shaul, who lived centuries earlier and was the first king of Beneh Yisrael. As we read in Sefer Shemuel I (15), King Shaul had the kingship taken from...
Many commentators noted that Parashat Tesaveh is unusual, in that Moshe Rabbenu’s name does not appear anywhere in this Parasha. It is one of the only Parashiyot since the account of Moshe’s birth (in Parashat Shemot) that omits...
On Shabbat Zach- or, we read the final three verses in Para- shat Ki-Teseh which command us to remember the unprovoked attack launched against our ancestors when they left Egypt by the nation of Amalek. This attack oc- curred...
Anyone who has attended a fundraiser and browsed through the dinner journal knows that the largest donations are always featured first. The journal begins with the special full-page ads, and ends with the small quarter-page ads and smaller ads...