Torah Talk

This is Torah Talk for the week of August 8th, 2021 Deut. 18:9   When you enter the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to imitate the abhorrent practices of those nations. 10 Let no one be found among you who consigns his son or daughter to the fire, or who […]

This is Torah Talk for the week of August 1st, 2021 Deut. 12:4   Do not worship the Lord your God in like manner, 5 but look only to the site that the Lord your God will choose [מָּק֞וֹם אֲשֶׁר־יִבְחַ֨רהַ] amidst all your tribes as His habitation, to establish His name there. Where the site that the Lord […]

This is Torah Talk for the week of July 25th, 2021 Deut. 10:12   And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God demand of you? Only this: to revere the Lord your God, to walk only in His paths, to love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and […]

This is Torah Talk for the week of July 18th, 2021 Deut. 5:23/26    For what mortal ever heard the voice of the living God [אֱלֹהִ֨ים חַיִּ֜ים] speak out of the fire, as we did, and lived? What does the living God mean?  Why is living plural?  And exactly which verse are we talking about anyway?  All that and more […]

This is Torah Talk for the week of July 11th, 2021 Deut. 1:41   You all girded yourselves with war gear and recklessly started [‏וַתָּהִ֖ינוּ לַעֲלֹ֥ת] for the hill country. What on God’s green earth does va-tahinu mean?  And why does Numbers describe what the Israelites did with an almost as unusual a verb, va-ta’apilu? This week’s handout: 44 Devarim 5781 […]

This is Torah Talk for the week of July 4th, 2021 Num. 34:1    The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 Instruct the Israelite people and say to them: When you enter the land of Canaan, this is the land that shall fall to you [אֲשֶׁ֨ר תִּפֹּ֤ל לָכֶם֙] as your portion, the land of Canaan […]

This is Torah Talk for the week of June 27th, 2021 Num. 16:32 tells us that the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up all Korah’s people.  But this week, in Num. 26:11, we learn:  “The sons of Korah, however, did not die.” You may not have a dog in this fight, but according to Itamar […]

This is Torah Talk for the week of June 20th, 2021 Num. 22:39 Balaam went with Balak and they came to Kiriath-huzoth. 40 Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep [בָּקָ֣ר וָצֹ֑אן], and had them served to Balaam and the dignitaries with him. Why does Balak sacrifice “oxen and sheep” rather than “sheep and oxen”?  Not as pointless […]

This is Torah Talk for the week of June 13th, 2021 Num. 20:13 Those are the Waters of Meribah—meaning that the Israelites quarrelled with the Lord—through which He affirmed His sanctity [וַיִּקָּדֵ֖שׁ בָּֽם]. This week’s handout: 39 Hukkat 5781 Learn Biblical Hebrew! Donate via Paypal! Click here for more links or to contact me • Scan this to […]

This is Torah Talk for the week of June 6th, 2021 Num. 16:13   Is it not enough that you brought us from a land flowing with milk and honey to have us die in the wilderness, that you would also lord it over us? What do you mean, from a land flowing with milk and honey? […]