This week’s Torah portion is titled Re’eh or in English, “See”. Parasha Re’eh begins with an appeal from Moses, beginning in verse 26. He said, “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse – the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you […]

“If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the Lord your God will keep His covenant of love with you, as He promised to your ancestors.” This is how our Parasha, entitled Eikev begins and, like last week’s portion, affirms that obedience and faith in God equal the fulfillment […]

Our parasha this Shabbat is entitled, D’varim. It covers Deuteronomy 1:1–3:22. D’varim means “words” or “matters”. D’varim is also the Hebrew name of this 5th and final book of the Torah, since the opening verse begins: These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel across the Jordan in the wilderness… Did you know […]

This week we have a double Torah portion with Mattot meaning “tribes,” Numbers 30:2-32:42, and Masei meaning “journeys of,” Numbers 33:1-36:13. Chapter 30 contains Adonai’s instructions regarding the making of vows to the Lord or the making of a binding obligation; in other words, a promise that cannot be broken.  Both men and women were […]

Today’s Parasha is titled Pinchas or Phinehas and encompasses Numbers 25:10-30:1. It begins in the aftermath of Israel indulging in the worship of Ba’al at Peor as well as sexual immorality with Moabite women. Our people had been lingering in the land of Sheeteem across the river Jordan from Jericho. The last parasha ended with […]

This week our parasha is “Balak,” named after the wicked King of Moab and covers Numbers 22:2 – 25:9.  In this parasha we learn that no one can stop the will of God and that the Lord can sometimes use the most unlikely and unwilling of people to accomplish His will. Numbers 22 begins with Balak […]

This week’s parasha is entitled, Chukat, which means “decree of” and covers Numbers 19:1-22:1.  This portion has one of the most interesting and intriguing passages in the Torah, the sacrifice of the red heifer in Numbers, Chapter 19.  In past parashas, our speakers have focused on the deaths of Miriam and Aaron in Chapter 20 […]

This week’s parasha is entitled Korach, which covers Numbers 16 -18 it is named after the man who led a rebellion against Moses and Aaron. The name Korach means “to be made smooth or bald”. At some point during Israel’s desert wanderings, Korah, a Levite, together with Dathan and Abiram, of the tribe of Reuben, […]

This week’s parasha is Shelach L’cha, which means, “send for yourself” or “send for our own sake,” and which covers Numbers 13:1-15:41. In chapter 13 the Lord speaks to Moses, instructing him to send twelve men, one chief from each tribe, to spy out the land of Canaan which He was giving to the people […]

The parasha for this week is entitled B’ha-alotecha, meaning “when you raise up”, and covers Numbers 8-12. Within this Torah portion is God’s command to set apart and consecrate B’nai Levi, the Levites, for the service of the Tabernacle. From the time of the Exodus onward, every first-born male, whether of man or animal, was […]