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HAAZINU – RECEPTIVITY TO TORAHTranslating Torah Into Action The Torah portion Ha’azinu is a song in which Moses first rebukes the people and then showers them...
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NITZAVIM VAYEILECH – MOSES’ PARADIGM SHIFTWhere Did Moses Go? The second of the two sections of the Torah that we will read this Shabbos begins...
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KI SAVO – THE MISSING LETTER VOVBlessings and Curses: A Discrepancy Parshas Ki Savo is known for the blessings and curses that were promised to the...
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KI SEITZEI – CORRUPTING THE POWER OF SPEECHDvar: A Superfluous Word? Ki Seitzei is the richest parsha in terms of its number of commandments. One of those commandments...
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R’EI – INFINITE BLESSINGS AND FINITE CURSESA Puzzling Midrash This week’s parsha opens with the words: “See, I present before you today a blessing and...
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EKEV – THE CURE FOR INFERTILITYJuxtaposition As a reward for our commitment to the commandments G-d promises us many things, among them we read the...
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Vo’Eschanan – DOUBLE CONSOLATION“Comfort, Comfort My People…” The haftarah for this week is taken from Isaiah, who declares: “Nachamu, nachamu Ami-Comfort, comfort My...
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DEVARIM – SNOW WHITEThe Names of Mount Hermon In his final soliloquy, Moses recounts the events since the exodus from Egypt. He describes...
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PINCHAS – THE ROAD TO REDEMPTIONThree Questions The end of last week’s parsha describes how Pinchas zealous killing of the consorting Jewish prince, Zimri with...
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MATOS-MASEI – FIGHTING THE WARS OF MIDIAN AND AMALEKAnashim-Righteous Men After the Midianite leadership corrupted many of the Jewish men, causing a major plague that killed 24,000 Jews,...
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CHUKAS BALAK – MEZUZAH POWERSichon and Og The Jewish nation stood on the cusp of their conquest of Canaan, situated in close proximity to...
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KORACH – TALIS VERSUS TZITZISKorach’s Challenge Korach, Moses’ cousin, started a rebellion, directed against Moses and Aaron. Korach argued that Moses had arrogated to...
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NIRTZA – 15 Steps of the Seder (Part 16)WORDS Unlike the previous 14 steps, this last and final step does not manifest itself in any prayer or action....
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HALLEL – 15 Steps of the Seder (Part 15)THE SECOND HALF OF PRAISE Although we have already recited half of the Hallel (the special Psalms of praise to...
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BEIRACH – 15 Steps of the Seder (Part 14)NO MORE FOOD! When we are ready to recite the Birkat Hamazon, as we do whenever we eat bread, the...
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SHULCHAN OREICH – 15 Steps of the Seder (Part 12)THE CHAGIGAH OFFERING A “set table” is a reference to the festival meal that we are obliged to eat every...