Quick Thoughts on the Parsha

The bush is burning but it is not consumed-- וְהִנֵּ֤ה הַסְּנֶה֙ בֹּעֵ֣ר בָּאֵ֔שׁ וְהַסְּנֶ֖ה אֵינֶ֥נּוּ אֻכָּֽל. This is the miracle that leads Moshe to have his first encounter with God.

We are so familiar with this image, but what does it really mean-- that a bush was on fire and not consumed? Was it just a bizarre thing to see in the desert that would catch...Read more...

In the fourth aliyah of Parshat Ki Teitzei, we read, כי תצא מחנה על איביך ונשמרת מכל דבר רע, “When a camp goes out against your enemies, you shall beware of everything evil” (23:10). What are these evil things we need to beware of? Rashi explains, שהשטן מקטרג בשעת הסכנה, “for Satan accuses in the time of danger”. Our verse here is warning us that davka when we are fighting off our...Read more...

In the second aliyah of Parshat Devarim, Moshe recalls not being able to bear the burden of leading B’nai Yisrael alone. אֵיכָ֥ה אֶשָּׂ֖א לְבַדִּ֑י טָרְחֲכֶ֥ם וּמַשַּֽׂאֲכֶ֖ם וְרִֽיבְכֶֽם, “How can I bear your trouble, your burden, and your strife alone?” (Devarim 1:12). In explaining what made us such a burden to Moshe, Rashi teaches that every morning, we would...Read more...

At the end of Parshat Pinchas, we read about how we observe the chagim. From the outset, God makes it clear that creating kedusha requires that we do not perform mundane work, כָּל־מְלֶ֥אכֶת עֲבֹדָ֖ה לֹ֥א תַֽעֲשֽׂוּ (Bamidbar 28:18). Rashi explains this means, אפילו מלאכה הצריכה לכם, כגון דבר האבד, “even work that is needed, such as the prevention of loss,” is prohibited....Read more...

In the fifth aliyah of Parshat Chukat, Aharon dies and the people weep over him. Rashi explains that at first the people did not believe Aharon really died. Hadn’t Aharon staved off the malach hamavet, the angel of death, during the plague? The malach hamavet could not have conquered him! מיד בקש משה רחמים והראוהו מלאכי השרת להם מוטל במטה, ראו והאמינו, “Immediately Moshe asked for mercy,...Read more...

In the third aliyah of Parshat Shelach, Yehoshua and Calev challenge the meraglim, the spies, by telling the people not only how good the land of Israel is, but also how the people of the land have no defense against them.  וְאַתֶּ֗ם אַל־תִּֽירְאוּ֙ אֶת־עַ֣ם הָאָ֔רֶץ כִּ֥י לַחְמֵ֖נוּ הֵ֑ם סָ֣ר צִלָּ֧ם מֵֽעֲלֵיהֶ֛ם וַֽה׳ אִתָּ֖נוּ...Read more...

At the end of Parshat Naso, we read about how Moshe would communicate with Hashem in the Mishkan. וַיִּשְׁמַ֨ע אֶת־הַקּ֜וֹל מִדַּבֵּ֣ר אֵלָ֗יו, “Moshe would hear the voice [of God] speaking to him” (Bamidbar 7:89). Rashi comments on the form of the verb here, מִדַּבֵּ֣ר. He explains that מִדַּבֵּ֣ר is like מִתְדַּבֵּר, the reflexive hitpael form of the verb...Read more...

In the third aliyah of Parshat Behar Bechukotai, we learn a profound mitzvah ben adam lechaveiro, between people. Hashem tells us, וְכִֽי־יָמ֣וּךְ אָחִ֔יךָ וּמָ֥טָה יָד֖וֹ עִמָּ֑ךְ וְהֶֽחֱזַ֣קְתָּ בּ֔וֹ גֵּ֧ר וְתוֹשָׁ֛ב וָחַ֖י עִמָּֽךְ, “If your brother becomes destitute and his hand falters beside you, you shall support him [whether] a...Read more...

The fourth aliyah of Parshat Acharei Mot Kedoshim begins, וְכִֽי־יָג֧וּר אִתְּךָ֛ גֵּ֖ר בְּאַרְצְכֶ֑ם לֹ֥א תוֹנ֖וּ אֹתֽוֹ, “When a ger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not taunt him” (Vayikra 19:33). Chazal understanding ‘ger’ to mean the convert, instead of the biblical ‘stranger’ or ‘sojourner’. For this reason, Rashi teaches us that this taunting is against...Read more...

The exact midpoint of the Torah is in this week’s parsha, Parshat Shemini, between the words דרש דרש. The context of this is after Nadav and Avihu have died and the kohanim have continued with the korbanot, Moshe investigates thoroughly, דרש דרש, why certain korbanot were burned and others were not eaten. The answer Chazal give on the reason for Moshe’s investigation has to do with the laws regarding korbanot and kohanim who...Read more...

In the fourth aliyah of Parshat Vayikra, we learn about the שלמים offering. Chazal discuss why it is called שלמים and specifically explore its relationship to שלום, peace. Rashi records two answers on Vayikra 3:1. First, מטילים שלום בעולם, ‘because the שלמים instill peace in the world’. We see this because through our sacrifices to God-- today through our tefillot-- we petition God, עושה שלום, to...Read more...

In the third aliyah of Parshat Tetzaveh, we learn about the clothing of the Kohen Gadol. In Masechet Zevachim 88b, Chazal famously ask למה נסמכה פרשת קרבנות לפרשת בגדי כהונה, “Why is the section on the sacrifices juxtaposed to the section on the priestly garments?” They answer, לומר לך מה קרבנות מכפרין אף בגדי כהונה מכפרין, “In order to teach you that just as the...Read more...

In the third aliyah of Parshat Mishpatim, Hashem gives us many different practical and ethical mitzvot. One of them addresses the situation כי תצא אש, “If a fire goes forth” and consumes grain or a field. The Torah rules that in this case, the מבעיר (the person who lit the original fire) must pay for the damage caused by the unruly fire. Rashi explains that even if the מבעיר did not intend for the fire to spread and...Read more...

In the third aliyah of Parshat Beshalach, Hashem responds to Moshe in a surprising way. After Moshe tells B’nai Yisrael that Hashem will fight for them and that they just need to be silent, ואתם תחרשון, God challenges Moshe, מה־תצעק אלי, “Why do you cry out to Me?” (Shemot 14:14-15). We know that redemption came to be because God heard the cries of B’nai Yisrael, so why is God now chastising Moshe for doing just...Read more...

In the fourth aliyah of Parshat Shemot, Moshe stands at the burning bush, and HaShem commands him to remove his shoes, שַׁל־נְעָלֶ֨יךָ֙ מֵעַ֣ל רַגְלֶ֔יךָ, ‘Take your shoes off of your feet’. We are familiar with the act of removing our shoes for Yom Kippur and shiva. But what exactly does this act communicate-- what does it mean? The Malbim explains that Moshe’s removal of his shoes teaches us...Read more...