Shabbat Shalom: Pinchas (Numbers 25:10-30:1) By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel – “Moses said to the Lord, ‘May the Lord, the God who gives breath to all living things, appoint someone over this community to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the …
Parshat Pinchas: Leading a Desert Generation Rabbi Yehuda Shtauber is Ohr Torah Stone’s Senior Vice President of Education Historically, two main approaches to defining suitable leaders have appeared in the study of leadership in the Western world. One approach suggests that a leader is a celebrated individual with personality traits that set him or her …
Shabbat Shalom: Chukat-Balak (Numbers 19:1-25:9) By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel – “The entire House of Israel wept over Aaron” (Numbers 20:29) Why was Moses, the greatest prophet who ever lived and who sacrificed a princedom in Egypt to take the Hebrews out of Egypt, denied entry into the land of Israel? Was it because he …
Parashat Chukat: The Red Heifer Rabbanit Naama Frankel, Rosh Beit Midrash of Midreshet Lindenbaum-Lod We’re in the Book of Numbers, and the Jewish people are closer than ever to the entrance to the Land of Israel. With immense excitement, they stand in formation, according to their flags and tribes – for “… at Hashem’s command …
Parashat Korach: Disputes, Wars and Everything in Between The Torah and the Jewish mentality demand for there to be disagreement as the ideal state of things, precisely because Judaism isn’t a religion of dogma and conflict. Rabbi Eliahu Birnbaum, Director of the Beren-Amiel and Straus-Amiel Emissary Training and Placement Programs Constant disputes have been a …
Shabbat Shalom: Korach (Numbers 16:1-18:32) By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel – “Moses said to Korach: ‘Hear me, sons of Levi: Is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has set you apart … Must you also seek the priesthood?’” (Numbers 16:8-10) Last week’s portion of Shelah, in which the desert Israelites …
This week’s “Shabbat Shalom” has been sponsored by Dr. Larry Bryskin in memory of Judy (Yehudit bas Levi) Steinbergwhose yahrzeit is on 28 Sivan Shabbat Shalom: Shelach Lecha (Numbers 13:1-15:41) By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel – “We should go up at once and possess it for we are well able to overcome it” (Numbers 13:30) The …
Parashat Shelach Lecha: Optical Illusion Rabbi Baron Dasberg, Rabbi of Ulpanat Oriya This is one of the central pedagogical questions we grapple with – how do we forge our children (and ourselves) into people of faith? We once thought that we could achieve anything through reason. If we would only use logical reasoning to explain …
This week’s parsha commentary has been sponsoredby the Charif family of Sydney, Australia in memory of Bryna (Bertha) bat Nottel Noteh Charif whose yartzheit is on 21 Sivan Shabbat Shalom: Behaalotcha (Numbers 8:1-12:16) By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel – “The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to Aaron and say to him, ‘When you set up the …
Parashat Behaalotcha: At God’s Command They Shall Travel God tests the desert generation in a way that underscores the importance of commitment and the power of divine truth – travelling and camping at His command. Rabbi Nechemia Krakover, Principal of Neveh Channah High School, Named in Memory of Anna Ehrman Can any of us say …
Parashat Naso: Stealing from a Convert A convert recognizes the God of Israel as the creator of the world, and wishes to be part of the Jewish people. Therefore, those who steal from a convert not only renounce their commitment to the victim – they renounce Heaven itself. Rabbi Shaul Vider, Ra”m in the Claudia …
Shabbat Shalom: Naso (Numbers 4:21-7:89) By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel – This week’s reading of Naso describes the “Sota,” the woman who acts immodestly. At the very least, she sequesters herself alone with a man despite the fact that her husband warned her against seeing that person. She therefore undergoes the test of the …
