Shabbat Shalom: Parshat Ekev (Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25) By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel – “And it shall come to pass, because you hearken to these laws, safeguarding and keeping them, that the Lord your God shall keep the covenant with you and the mercy that He swore unto your ancestors, and He will love you, and …
Shabbat Shalom: Parshat Va’etchanan (Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11) By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel – “And we dwelt in the valley, opposite the Temple of Peor” (Deuteronomy 3:29) The contents of the final book of the Pentateuch, Deuteronomy, are almost sandwiched between two curious references to a detestable idol: Ba’al Peor. At the conclusion of the first …
Shabbat Shalom: Parshat Devarim (Deuteronomy 1:1 – 3:22) By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel – “How (eichah) am I able to bear your contentiousness, your burdens and your quarrels?!” (Deuteronomy 1:12) Just prior to the conclusion of the 1978 Camp David Accords, U.S. President Jimmy Carter submitted a letter for Prime Minister Menachem Begin that …
Shabbat Shalom: Parshat Matot-Masei (Numbers 30:2- 36:13) By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel – “This is the matter that the LORD has commanded concerning the daughters of Tzelofhad, saying: Let them be married to whom they think best… Just as the LORD commanded Moses, so did the daughters of Zelophehad” (Numbers 36:6,10). What can we …
Shabbat Shalom: Parshat Pinchas (Numbers 25:10-30:1) By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel – “Do battle against the Midianites and smite them. They are your enemies because of the plot which they plotted against you concerning the incident involving Pe’or and the incident involving Kozbi the daughter of the Prince of Midian, their sister, who was …
Shabbat Shalom: Parshat Balak (Numbers 22:2- 25:9) By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel – “God said to Balaam, ‘You shall not go with them; you shall not curse this nation because it is blessed’” (Numbers 22:12) The Balaam/Balak episode in this week’s portion naturally leads us to a discussion of the relationship between God’s will and …
Shabbat Shalom: Parshat Chukat (Numbers 19:1-22:1) By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel — “And Moses and Aaron assembled the assemblage [kehal] before the rock; and said to them, “Listen now, rebels, from this rock shall we extract water for you?” And Moses lifted his hand, struck the rock twice with his staff, and abundant water emerged …
Shabbat Shalom: Parshat Korach (Numbers 16:1-18:32) By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel –”And they rose up in the face of Moses” (Numbers 16:2) When is dissension and argument positive, healthy debate and an outgrowth of “these and those are the word of the Living God” (B.T. Eruvin 13), and when is dispute negative, a venomous …
Shabbat Shalom: Parshat Shelach (Numbers 13:1-15:41) By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel –”And God spoke to Moses saying ‘Send men to scout the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelite people…” (Numbers 13:1-2) In the process of becoming a nation, the Jewish people committed any number of sins, but one in particular, …
Shabbat Shalom: Parshat Beha’alotcha (Numbers 8:1-12:16) By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel –”Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him: when you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the menorah.” (Numbers 8:2) Is it permissible to study science and philosophy in the beit midrash (religious study hall)? Should a yeshiva …
Shabbat Shalom: Parshat Naso (Numbers 4:21-7:89) By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel –”And the Lord spoke to Moses saying, ‘Speak to Aaron and to his sons saying so shall you bless the children of Israel; say to them, may the Lord bless you and keep you…’” (Numbers 6:22-27) There are very few passages of the …
Shabbat Shalom: Parshat Bamidbar (Numbers 1:1-4:20) By Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel –”And God spoke to Moses in the Sinai Desert, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they left the Land of Egypt.” (Numbers 1:1) How can we transform a no-man’s land into …
