Parshat Chukat: Learning to Recognize Hidden Miracles Shoshana Winter Magid (Midreshet Lindenbaum 1991) is a medical physicist at Beilinson Hospital in Israel. Throughout the books of Shmot and Bamidbar there are numerous stories of Bnei Yisrael complaining about a lack of food or water in the desert. These stories, for the most part, follow a set …
Parshat Chukat (Numbers 19:1 – 22:1) By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel – “God spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, ‘This is the ordinance (chukat) of the Torah which God has commanded, saying, ‘Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring a completely red heifer, which has no blemish, and which has never had a …
Parshat Korach: Selfless Leadership – for the Sake of the People Rabbi Todd Berman is the Associate Director of Yeshivat Eretz HaTzvi. He received his semikha from the Joseph and Gwendolyn Straus Rabbinical Seminary and is also a graduate of Columbia University, Harvard Graduate School, Yeshivat Hamivtar and Yeshivat Har Etzion. Founder of the Jewish …
Parshat Korach (Numbers 16:1 – 18:32) By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel – “…for the entire congregation are all holy, and God is in their midst. So why do you raise yourselves above God’s assembly?” [Num. 16:3]. Where did Korach err in his rebellion against Moses and Aaron? On the surface, his argument appears to be …
Parshat Shelach Lecha: Hafrashat Challah – Rebuke, reassurance or resource? Cheryl Burnat made aliyah from New Jersey 10 years ago and serves as the Director of Programming at Midreshet Lindenbaum. A Midreshet Lindenbaum alumna (’03-’04), Cheryl is a lawyer by training, but has her heart in Jewish education. In her spare time she dabbles in …
Parshat Shelach Lecha (Numbers 13:1 – 15:41) By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel – “Send, for yourselves, men, who will seek out [vayaturu] the Land of Canaan that I am giving to the People of Israel” [Num. 13:2]. Of the sins that the People of Israel commit in the Bible, the most serious of all …
Parshat Beha’alotcha: Realistic Recollections and Moving Forward A graduate of OTS’s Straus-Amiel Emissary Program, Rabbi Daniel Epstein is one half of the senior Rabbinic team at the Western Marble Arch Synagogue in London’s West End, together with his wife, Rebbetzin Ilana Epstein Transitions are challenging. If the Book of Numbers had a theme, this …
This week’s parsha commentary has been sponsoredby the Charif family of Sydney, Australiain memory of Bryna (Bertha) bat Nottel Noteh Charifwhose yartzheit is on 21 Sivan Shabbat Shalom: Behalotcha (Numbers 8:1 – 12:16) By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel –– The Jewish people seemed poised for entry into the Promised …
Parshat Naso: Why Do We Go To Extremes? Rabbanit Sally Mayer is the Rosh Midrasha of Midreshet Lindenbaum‘s Maria and Joel Finkle Overseas Program Parshat Naso describes the option to become a nazir, prohibiting oneself from drinking wine (and even eating grapes!), cutting one’s hair and participating in the funeral even of the closest relatives. …
Parshat Naso (Numbers 4:21 – 7:89) By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel – What is the real meaning of love? And why is it that the Priest-Kohanim, the ministers of the Holy Temple and Torah teachers of the nation, must administer their priestly benediction “with love”? What has “love” to do with their specific leadership …
Parshat Naso: Wine or Wine not? Lessons from the Negligent Nazir Tamar Green Eisenstat (Midreshet Lindenbaum 1991) is a New York-based attorney and student at Yeshivat Maharat. This week’s parsha, Parshat Naso, includes an in depth look at the ascetic life of the Nazir, including instructing us on how a person becomes a Nazir, what …
Parshat Bamidbar – The Book of Ruth: True Love A graduate of OTS’s Claudia Cohen Women Educators Institute, Sharona Hassan serves as Rubissa (Rabbanit) at Sephardic Bikur Holim Congregation in Seattle, Washington, where she also serves as youth director. In her role as educator and community builder, Rubissa Sharona impacts upon people of all ages …
