By Ari Goldwag
Insights into the weekly Torah portion
What is the theme that runs through both the stories in parshas Behaaloscha and Shlach? What was at the root of the complaint of the people about their not having meat? What was at the root of the people's belief...
What is the connection between the offerings of the Nesiim (princes) and the command to Aharon to light the Menorah in the Mishkan (Tabernacle)? What is the deeper connection between the lighting of the Menorah and the blessing of the...
What is the parallel between receiving the Torah at Har Sinai and the Mishkan (Tabernacle) which had the Tablets at its center in the Ark of the Covenant? How do we know that all the physical blemishes of the people...
What is the concept of the counting of the Jewish people? Why does it seem to denote judgment on one hand, and love on the other? Why does Hashem speak (through the prophet Hoshea) of the inability to count the...
Why was Avraham rewarded for his kindness with the angels if they did not need the food and drink he offered them? Why was this reward 'paid' to his great great grandchildren, and not directly to him immediately? Why was...
Why do the righteous need to 'step out' or 'go out' of their place in Paradise in order to see the wicked suffering in Gehenom? Why do the righteous rejoice in the fact that they experienced suffering in this world?...
What is the connection between the 1st of Nissan and Yom Kippur? When was the command given initially to contribute to the construction of the Mishkan (Tabernacle)? Why was Aharon specifically commanded about all of the service of Yom Kippur...
What is the concept of the spiritual leprosy called 'Tzara'as?' Why does the Torah use the word 'Adam' which seems to refer not just to the Jewish people, but also to the nations of the world? Why is the Queen...
Why did the sons of Aharon - Nadav and Avihu - lose their lives on the day of the dedication of the Mishkan (Tabernacle)? What is the intense negative power of addiction to wine? What is the lesson of the...
What is the parallel between the Exodus from Egypt and the future Redemption in the Messianic age? How do we use the Seder and the Haggadah, not just as a reminder of what happened in the distant past, but also...
What are the differences between the Olah sacrifice and the Shelamim sacrifice? Were both in existence before the Torah was given? What is the hint to the fact that the Shelamim sacrifice was a new idea that the Torah brought...
What is the lesson of the reference of geirim (converts) as 'those who return to the Divine shadow?' In what ways are the geirim compared to the people of Israel themselves, who are like grains and vines? Why does Hashem...
What is the concept of 'with the bringing' of contributions, there is also a 'contribution of Hashem?' What is the concept of the word 'v'zos' - and this? How does one draw down blessings upon oneself? How does one merit...
What was it that Hashem 'saw' before He created the world? What is the difference between seeing and hearing? How does this relate to Chochma/Wisdom and Binah/Intuitive Understanding? What are the stages of the Torah's unfolding, first at Sinai, then...
Why is the concept of the Bris-Covenant (Circumcision) the very merit that Aharon the High Priest is accompanied by when he enters the Holy of Holies to get atonement for the Jewish people? How does this parallel the fact that...
Why is the gematria of Torah only 611 if the number of commandments is 613? What is the concept of the Torah being a 'yerusha' - an inheritance? How is it that our relationship to the Torah is at first...
What is the idea behind the fact that Hashem's strength is revealed through justice? Who falsely claims power, and who honestly acknowledges that all power belongs to Hashem? How are we to use the pursuit of justice in our pursuit...
What is the concept of the 'Lion's Roar' as it pertains to the powerful statement of Hashem, the first of the Ten Commandments - 'Anochi Hashem' - I am Hashem your God? How does this same Lion's Roar express itself...
In what way are the Jewish people compared to a newly released bird that escapes from its ambushed nest? Why does the bird first wander from rooftop to rooftop until it finds a new and more beautiful nest? Why is...
What is the message of the mitzvah of making the month of Nissan special for the Jewish people? What is the uniqueness of the Jewish people that makes them suited to make this their special month? What are the two...
Why did Hashem create flies and mosquitos that seem to have no purpose other than to be annoying? Why did Hashem create snakes and scorpions that cause damage to humans? What is the message of the frogs that is, in...
What was the reward that Pharaoh offered the midwives in exchange for their act of infanticide? How did they go above in beyond in defying Pharaoh's decree? How did the decree actually cause there to be no birth defects or...
Why did Yaakov not want to be buried in Egypt? Why couldn't the burial in Israel wait, as it did for Yosef, whose bones were eventually brought for final burial in Israel? What is the great importance of being buried...
What is the concept of the wolf and the lamb pasturing together in the time of Moshiach? How does this parallel the cure of the deaf, mute and lame in the future time? What is the root of all imperfections...
What is Yosef's goal in sending the brothers through these difficult trials and tribulaltions? How does Yehuda's request of Yosef express, on behalf of his mother, the appreciation for Rachel allowing Leah into the home of Yaakov? Why was this...
Why did Yaakov show favor to Yosef? What is meant by the fact that Yosef was of a similar 'look' to Yaakov? What is the idea behind his 'greater wisdom?' Why did Yaakov give him a 'coat of stripes?' What...
What is the backstory that predicated the struggle of Yaakov with the angel of Esav? Why did the angel appear as a fellow shepherd? How is the entire struggle of the Jewish people - throughout our thousands of years of...
How does Yakov Avinu (Jacob) represent the Jewish people's descent to exile and return to redemption? Why did the sun set early, and when did the sun 'get back' the two hours with an early sunrise? Why was Yakov referred...
What is the reason for the repetition of the word 'kol' - voice - in the statement of Yitzchak that the voice sounds like Yakov and not Esav? What is the reason for the doubling of the language of Esav's...
What is the lesson that the Torah imparts with teaching us that Avraham married Keturah in his later years and had six children with her? Why should one 'spread one's investment' over a number of lucrative possibilities? Why did R'...
What is the meaning of the word 'after' that follows the word 'ram' in the verse which refers to the ram that Avraham found and offered as a sacrifice in place of his son Yitzchok? How did Avraham use this...
What is the deeper meaning behind the name change of Sarai to Sarah? What is the concept of the 'Woman of Valor' who is the 'crown of her husband?' In what way was Sarah greater than Avraham? What is meant...
What is the lesson of the black color of the raven who was initially sent on a mission by Noach to discover if they could leave the ark? Why did Noach argue that the raven didn't deserve its existence as...
What is the secret of the five double letters referred to by the acronym MaNTsPaCh? What do the sages mean when they say they were given over to Moshe at Sinai, and then forgotten and re-instituted by the prophets? What...
Why does the Torah use the language 'take for yourself' in regards to the mitzvah of the arba minim (four species)? What is the loss one incurs when giving up the 'bread and wine of Torah' for the 'silver of...
Can one break Shabbos to cure one's ear? How does listening to Torah give life to one's entire body? What happens when someone turns away from listening to Torah, Heaven forbid? What is the idea behind the teaching that if...
What is the concept of the word today? How does it relate to the fact that Moshe speaks to 'all of you' - all of the Jewish people as one? What is the unique power of Jewish Unity? How does...
Why does the Torah double the language in it's statement that 'it will be if you will hear,What is the concept of the blessings we say before and after reading the Torah? Why do they mention the choseness of the...
Why does the Torah double the language in it's statement that 'it will be if you will hear, you will hear the voice of Hashem' in regards to the great blessings we receive when we fulfil the will of Hashem?...
What is the theme that runs through the mitzvos of mila, karbanos and sending away the mother bird? Why does the Midrash indicate that Hashem has compassion on the birds if the Gemara says that whoever says such a thing...
Why is it that a close relative can not be a witness nor a judge in one's court case? What can we learn from this about personal bias and the path to keeping it in check? What is the idea...
Why does the Torah first talk about giving to the Levi and then about the expansion of the borders of Eretz Yisrael? How does this connect to the Torah's allowing eating meat in all circumstances, which had been previously permitted...
Why does the verse first speak about the Mon (manna), then the word of Hashem, and then the clothes of the Jewish people that did not wear out for forty years? What is the parallel in the verse in Shir...
What are the regular parameters of our daily prayers? What are the unique ways that our prophets and sages expressed their prayers? What are the ten different names for prayer? What is the highest prayer, as represented by the prayer...
What is the depth of the idea of whether the Torah can be written in other languages? What is the difference between Hebrew and all other languages? How does the 'Tree of Life' - the Torah - serve to cure...
What is the meaning of the 'heart of the wise that is on the right' as opposed to the 'heart of the fool on the left?' What is behind the placement of the cattle before the children in the statement...
What is behind the concept of Nedarim which are at the end of Parshas Pinchas and the beginning of Matos? Why do they immediately follow the commandment for the offerings of Shmini Atzeres? What is the deeper concept behind the...
What is the unique challenge that presents itself at the transition time of Redemption? How does this play out when the Jews are redeemed from Egypt, as opposed to their imminent arrival in the Holy Land? How was this manifest...
What is the significance of the fact that the war with Sichon happened during Elul and that the war with Og happened right after Succos, as the Jews stood at the border of the land of Israel? Why was Moshe...