Parashat Maseh discusses the subject of Arei Miklat – the “cities of refuge” which were to be designated for the purpose of protecting people who killed somebody by accident. Angry relatives of the victim might want to murder...
And Moshe said to the people of Gad and Reuven, “Your brothers will go to war and you will remain here?” (Bamidbar 32:6) The first Gerrer Rebbe was the Chiddushei HaRim. The second Gerrer Rebbe, the Sfas Emes, was...
Beginning Rosh Chodesh Av until after Tisha B’Av (the Nine Days) the custom of Ashkenazim is not to eat meat or drink wine, in remembrance of the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash. What about a food that was cooked...
In Parashat Matot we read of the request made by the tribes Reuven and Gad, who approached Moshe to ask if they could permanently reside in the territory east of the Jordan River. Beneh Yisrael had captured...
Why Aaron? The Torah never mentions the yartzeit—the day of the passing—of any of its protagonists. We do not know the day when Adam, Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Yosef, Sarah, or Rachel passed away. Even Moshe’s day of passing is omitted...
The Torah in Parashat Pinhas tells about the census taken of Beneh Yisrael shortly before they crossed into the Land of Israel. We find in the Torah’s account of this census a list of the families of...
After the horrific terrorist attacks of October 7, there was a sudden burst of interest in tzitzis. So many people, particularly soldiers, wanted to start wearing tzitzis that there was a severe shortage. Based on the sudden demand, the...
Parashat Pinhas continues the story that began at the end of the previous parasha, Parashat Balak. After Balak tried to have Bilam place a curse on Beneh Yisrael – an effort that failed – Bilam advised Balak...
After Pinchas acted with zealotry by killing Zimri and Kozbi, he was rewarded by G-d with the “Covenant of Peace”. The Netziv (1817-1893) explains why – contrary to our intuitive expectation — the “Covenant of Peace” is in...
In the beginning of Shacharis, the morning prayer, we say Adon Olam. The Meforshim say that this is very appropriate since the Gemora tells us that Avrahom Avinu was the first to refer to Hashem as Adon, Our Master,...