PUT YOUR FAITH IN THE GOD OF THE LAND This week’s parashah contains the episode of Mei Merivah (The Waters of Strife), in which Moshe and Aharon are told that they will not enter the Land of Israel. Many interpretations have been given to explain what exactly they did to deserve this punishment. The…
EYES ONLY FOR YOU They [Datan and Aviram] said, “We shall not go up! Is it a small thing that you have brought us up from a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the desert, that you make yourself a prince over us? Furthermore, you did not bring us to…
SLANDERING THE LAND We all know that the saddest day of the Jewish calendar is Tish’a B’Av, but how many of us know how it all started? And even if we know the historical facts, how many of us have truly internalized the lessons? It all started in this week’s parashah. Chazal have a tradition…
NO PAIN NO GAIN עת צרה היא ליעקב וממנה יושע (ירמיה ל,ז) It is a time of trouble for Ya’akov, but he will be saved from it. I don’t think it would be an exaggeration to say that the Jewish nation is currently experiencing its most difficult period in over 25 years. The past…
NOT BY MIGHT NOR BY POWER The first two mitzvot in this week’s parashah have to do with the prohibition of entering the Beit HaMikdash when one is ritually impure. The Torah states: – Command the Children of Israel that they shall send away from the camp everyone with tzara’at, every zav, and everyone contaminated…