And to the entire Jewish People, a dog shall not wag his tongue, at human or beast, so that it be known that Hashem distinguishes between Egypt and Yisrael. Shemos 11:7 Introduction There is a general prohibition of amirah l’Akum, that...
Even in their 80s, siblings don’t always get along. At the end of the parshah, Miriam and Aharon speak lashon hara about their brother, Moshe, and are swiftly struck with tzara’as. Although the verses only explicitly mention Miriam’s...
The final pesukim of Parashat Behaalotecha tell the famous story of Miriam speaking inappropriately about her brother, Moshe Rabbenu. Miriam was punished with tzara’at for speaking lashon ha’ra about her brother. One of the most significant aspects of this story...
This week’s parsha contains the positive Biblical command [Rambam Hilchos Ta’anis Chapter 1] of “crying out and blowing trumpet blasts regarding every calamity that befalls the community”. According to some opinions, this law is applicable even nowadays (in the Land...
Here, on the eastern coast, early summer finally seems to be here. As the plants start to bloom and the temperatures rise, Klal Yisroel continues to collectively learn Pirkei Avos and continue our spiritual blooming as well. During the...
It states (12:15) “Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days [when she had tzaraas]. The nation did not travel until Miriam had been readmitted to the camp.” Rashi writes, “Hashem showed her this honor because of the short moment that...
Can one have coffee at a non kosher restaurant? It is not possible to make one universal statement about the kashrus of coffee prepared in a non-certified restaurant because each establishment is unique. Investigation has shown that theoretically,...
The Torah in Parashat Naso tells of the special gifts and sacrifices brought by the Nesi’im – the leaders of the tribes – in honor of the inauguration of the Mishkan. To celebrate this event, the Nesi’im...
The Levi Family Tree Levi, one of the 12 sons of Yaakov (the third of our forefathers, a grandson of the first Jew Avraham), had three sons - Gershon, Kehas and Merari - as well as a daughter, Yocheved....
