Naso | Shimson the Nazirite... Indeed? by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom

The annunciation of Shimshon's birth (Shoftim 13) carries several anomalies; indeed, his own life reflects an unusual form of Nezirut, one which is not bound by the most severe violation of Nezirut (contact with the dead) - while his parents are the ones bound to avoid drinking wine. An investigation into the various types of נזירים in Tanakh - both before and after Matan Torah - opens up an intriguing possibility which allows us to decipher this last of the Shoftim and his unusual religious strictures.

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Why is there a Mitzva to Learn Torah? by Rav Mordechai Friedman

This shiur tackles a fundamental philosophical question: if the Torah already obligates us to perform its 613 commandments, why is there a separate mitzva to learn Torah? You already need to know the laws to fulfill them — so why add a dedicated mitzva of Talmud Torah?

Given before the Etzion Foundation dinner in New York, May 18th, 2026.

Ruth in Stereo: Mikra and Midrash, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom

After a brief introduction to the literature of Midrash and specifically Midrash Aggada, we analyze four passages in Megilat Ruth, first reading them in their literary context, then perusing several Midrashic comments on them. We analyze the comments with an eye towards the agenda of the Darshan - i.e. what lesson he is building from the text; that he is not trying to "rewrite the text", rather to build from the text with a vital message for his primary audience.

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Geulat haShem: Redemption of a Name in Megilat Ruth, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom

Who is being "redeemed" in Megilat Rut? The notion of "Geula" is prominent throughout Megilat Ruth, reaching a crescendo in the final chapter. The redemption is not just about land, but about a person's memory - as exemplified by the curious structural relationship between the 7 uses of "שם" before chapter 4 and the corresponding 7 mentions in chapter 4.

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Bamidbar | "Say to your brothers Ammi?", by Rav Eli Weber

Hoshea 2: 1-22

The Haftara for Bamidbar, from Hosea chapter 2, is simultaneously a prophecy of devastation and of hope. Through the striking metaphor of a faithless wife who ultimately returns, and culminating in the well-known verse of eirusin (betrothal), Hosea delivers an urgent message: God's covenant with Israel — and our hold on the Land — is conditional. An engagement is not yet a marriage.

Yom Yerushalayim | Psalm 122 - "I rejoiced when they said to me" by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom

What is the message of Psalm 122, strongly associated with the upcoming celebration of יום ירושלים?

59 years ago, on the momentous and miraculous occasion of the raising of the Israeli flag over Har haBayit, the first thing that the announcer on Kol Yisrael did was to read this beautiful paean to our city, our heart. We analyze the chapter, identify its likely provenance and its powerful message about the dialectic nature of the city, between the eternal and the ever-changing, between the static and the dynamic.

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Behar-Bechukotai | "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord", by Rav Eli Weber

Yirmiyahu 16:19 - 17:14.

What does it mean to believe?

Lag ba'Omer | What's Behind the Celebration? by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom

The celebration of Lag ba'Omer is as much of a mystery as the prevailing practices in the period that leads up to it. We examine the two popular explanations - the cessation of the death of R. Akiva's students and the "Yahrzeit" of R. Shim'on bar Yochai - and demonstrate that neither explanation is reasonable, period-documented or satisfactory. Looking into the earliest source where the date of 18 Iyar appears, we discover a surprising (possible) explanation which puts Lag ba'Omer into a new light.

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Emor | "They shall enter into my sanctuary", by Rav Eli Weber

Yechezkel 44: 15-31

The kedusha is in the details.

Emor | "ממחרת השבת" and the Calendar Controversy, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom

Who were the "Beitusin" who challenged rabbinic authority about the date of Shavuot?

This shiur, given at the annual Yemei Iyyun beTanakh hosted by SAR High School, analyzes the controversy over the date (and day of the week) of the "Omer" offering which, in kind, affects the date and day of the week of Shavuot.

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