Parshat Ki Tetze (Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19) Rabbi David Stav In Parshat Ki Teitze, we encounter a commandment that speaks of a reality with which we are completely unfamiliar, the “eshet yefat to’ar” (taking a beautiful woman as a war bride).  Here, the Torah describes a scenario in which a Jewish soldier wishes to marry a woman captured from …

Parshat Ki Tetze (Deuteronomy 21:10–25:19) Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel – “When you go forth to battle against your enemies, and God your Lord delivers them into your hands, and you…see among the captives a woman of beauty, and you desire her, you may take her to be your wife. When you bring her home, she must shave her head, and let her …

Shoftim 5778 (In Spanish with English subtitles)  Rabbi Eliahu Birnbaum – Director of OTS’s Beren-Amiel and Straus-Amiel Emissary Training Programs

“Deciding Jewish Law is not Black and White”  Rabbi Shlomo Riskin’s Insights into Parshat Shoftim

Parshat Shoftim (Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9) Rabbi David Stav Paragraph Parshat Shoftim delves into the need to establish a judicial system in every town and village, for every tribe. The Torah adamantly requires us to maintain an incorruptible judicial system, forbids taking bribes, and so on. Our sages emphasize the severity of taking bribes, and describe …

Parshat Shoftim (Deuteronomy 16:18–21:9) Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel –  Judges and Executors of Justice shall you establish for yourselves in all of your gates…. Justice, justice shall you pursue in order that you may live and inherit the land which the Lord your God is giving to you. (Deuteronomy 16:18–20) In this opening passage …

Parshat Reeh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17) Rabbi David Stav Paragraph The Book of Deuteronomy (Devarim) is comprised of three important sermons delivered by Moses, and our parsha centers on the most important of the three, concerning the commandments. One of the most important commandments that Moses tends to emphasize concerns the rampant idol worship …

Re’eh 5778 (In Spanish with English subtitles)  Rabbi Eliahu Birnbaum – Director of OTS’s Beren-Amiel and Straus-Amiel Emissary Training Programs

“What is the Reward for Keeping the Mitzvot?”  Rabbi Shlomo Riskin’s Insights into Parshat Re’eh

Parshat Re’eh (Deuteronomy 11:26–16:17) Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Efrat, Israel – “You shall smite, yes smite, all of the inhabitants of that city by the sword…and you shall burn entirely with fire the city and all of it spoils to the Lord your God, and it shall be an everlasting desolation (tel); it shall not be rebuilt again” (Deut 13: …