Ask the Rabbi with Rabbi Chaim Mintz Why is the Jewish nation divided into twelve shevatim (tribes), something that in time led to division and even war? Wouldn’t it have […]
Weekly Torah Portion
Insight and themes on the weekly Torah portion (parshah) read aloud in synagogue.
Life in the Wilderness: Surrounded by Miracles Life in the desert was a unique type of existence. It was an effortless life, where all of Klal Yisrael (the Jewish nation)’s […]
The Jews Complained Despite Their Blessings In this week’s Torah reading, as the Jews traveled through the desert on their way to the Land of Israel, they started to complain […]
Ask the Rabbi with Rabbi Chaim Mintz What is wrong with ending one’s own life? If someone is suffering profoundly and feels that life is no longer worth living, why […]
Ask the Rabbi with Rabbi Chaim Mintz The Torah tells us that one who speaks lashon hara (evil speech) is smitten with tzara’at (leprosy) on his body and expelled from […]
Who Will Bless the Kohanim? In this week’s Torah reading (Bamidbar 6:22-27) we have the Birchat Kohanim – the blessings which the Kohanim (descendants of Aaron the High Priest, who […]
We know that the Torah is quite sparing with words, and many times we can derive laws from just one extra letter. Therefore, it is puzzling that our parashah dedicates […]
The Leaders of the Tribes Each shevet (tribe) in the desert had their own Nasi, the leader of their tribe. Our parashah opens by telling us who the Nesi’im (leaders) […]
The Importance of Order In this week’s Torah reading, the Torah discusses the order in which the Tribes of Israel settled, as they camped in the desert on their way […]
The Torah’s Command to Support Others Early The verse in this week’s Torah reading says (Vayikra 25:35), “And should your brother become poor and his hand will falter in your […]
