The final section of Parashat Behaalotecha tells the story of the inappropriate remarks made by Miriam and Aharon about their brother, Moshe Rabbenu. They criticized Moshe’s decision to separate from his wife, claiming that this was unnecessary, as they, too,...
Parshas Beha’aloscha, 1991. The Shabbos of my son’s bar mitzva. Family and friends joined together for a memorable simcha. We had the z’chus of having my father, HaRav Meshulem ben HaRav Asher Anshel HaLevi zt”l,...
Miriam’s Skin Disease At the end of this week’s parsha (Behaaloscha), we catch a rare and fascinating glimpse into the interpersonal relationship of Moshe, his brother Aaron, and their sister Miriam. Miriam, speaking to her brother Aaron, was critiquing Moshe’s marriage....
Several years ago, on a trip to the Museum of Natural History in Manhattan, my children and I joined a small tour. The guide who took us around patiently gave the background and offered fascinating insights into all that...
The complex nature of halachah leads to multiple opinions on various issues — expert judgment often varies. We expect that two scholars who legitimately disagree still respect each other’s right to an opinion. If I eat a certain food...
(I once sat with a couple that was struggling in their marriage and came to me for help. The core of the problem was that the wife did not get along with her mother-in-law (not an...
The Nazir: Achieving Sanctity Through One’s Own Efforts Parshas Naso contains the laws of the “Nazir.” Any Jew has the ability to accept upon himself the Kedusha of Nezirus, exceeding the sanctity of a regular Kohen, a priest. The...
Every month, we pray when we bentch Rosh Chodesh that Hashem should grant us “Yiras Shamayim v’yiras cheit – Fear of Heaven and fear of sin.” Practically speaking, fear of sin includes fear of punishment which results from...
In our Maariv prayers, we thank Hashem for being, “Machalif es hazmanim – Changing the seasons.” Since it adds spice and variety to life, we acknowledge our appreciation for this on a daily basis. And although every season...
The Torah says about a nazir (6:8) that throughout the time that as he is a nazir, he is kodesh to Hashem. The Lev Simchah of Gur zt’l (Naso, 5743) asks, what did the nazir do already that he...