Parshat Hashavua

Mattot: Beauteous and Evil

Israel's first Chief Rabbi: Beware of beauty that covers up morally repulsive behavior.

Pinchas: The buck stops here

Weekly Torah Study: Pinchas.

Mattot: Will you stay or will you go?

You will see them with their knitted kipot, M16s over their shoulders, returning from a shiur by the rosh yeshiva, an IDF officer. And you?

Sefas Tamim: The Emes parasha sheet

The parasha in halakha, mussar, and with words of chizuk .

Mattot: Words are binding

Everything that is uttered from our mouths obligates us to the commitment attached to it.

Pinchas: Why harass the Midianites and not the Moabites?

A selection of rabbinic commentaries on the question.

Mattot (Israel):Do you know what you’re fighting for?

Today in Israel religious soldiers prove to be dedicated fighters. Like the fighters in the parasha, they know what they are fighting for. .

Constancy and consistency

The greatest framework of spiritual life without which that life begins to wither and die is consistent, constant faithfulness to mitzvot.

Balak: A shlemiel

Jewish tradition does not often create aphorisms in vain. Here is the story of the first shlemiel.

The great message of the Pinchas Episode

The essence of the kohanic personality is to be responsible for the nation, overriding his personal interests.

Pinchas: Dividing Eretz Yisrael by lottery

Young Israeli Torah scholars: The connection between the land alloted each tribe and the tribe is substantive and above human comprehension.

Balak: Eliminating Idolatry

Israel's first Chief Rabbi: Why is idolatry so intrinsically vile? Because instead of elevating us, it lowers us to coarse physical levels.

The Parsha and Current Events: Take My hand

Diminutive in size, giant in spirit, Medinat Yisrael has made the world stand still more than once since its re-establishment 74 years ago.

Our Covid-19 journey – how should we respond to its uncertainty?

The Chief Rabbi’s weekly insight for Parshat Vayechi.

Understanding Joseph's actions

What could have been a swift though painful meeting becomes a drawn out process. What was Joseph’s purpose behind these actions?

Vayigash: When being right is wrong

Yosef seemed to have allowed his emotions to overpower his judgement. Was this a failure of character?

Vayishlach: Be thyself

The story of Jacob wrestling with an unnamed adversary and his new name Israel is essential to understanding what it means to be a Jew.

Vayishlach: The hidden challenge facing the Jewish people

What are the three greatest challenges facing the Jewish people?

Inner beauty, inner strength

In his very essence Yaacov was diametrically opposed to his illustrious father and grandfather.

If you want to leave footprints on the sands of time, be sure you're wearing workshoes

Literally meaning a “heel”, the Hebrew word “eikev” evolved to denote a mark left by the heel, a foot-print - and more. All in Jacob's name.

To leave footprints on the sands of time, wear workshoes

Beginning the Journey (Chayei Sarah 5781)

Rabbi Sacks z’’l prepared a full year of Covenant & Conversation for 5781, based on his book Lessons in Leadership.

We are all part of the tikkun

Could others, even those seemingly much less worthy than Abraham, be part of the Divine plan of tikkun?

Jump at the Israel Opportunity (Ha'azinu 2020)

In this 3-min. video, Baruch Gordon answers the question, "If Moshe didn't merit to enter the Land of Israel, why should we?"

The Daily Portion / What should we do?

Perhaps Elul should signal a new direction for us to take, especially for this coming year.