Parshat Hashavua

Office of the UK Chief Rabbi:

Don’t be like an Ammonite or a Moabite:

What was wrong with the Moabites and the Ammonites?

Dvar Haftorah - Parashat Ki Teitze

The answer to destruction

Isaiah’s message was one of consolation, but also of responsibility.

Parashat Ki Teitze:

The yetse hara conundrum

The manner in which we confront the wiles of the yetser ha’ra in its efforts to subvert our avodat Hashem, is the true measure of our service of our Creator.

Parashat Ki Teitze:

When peace breeds complacency

The Torah's lesson is one Israel learned tragically on October 7: Do not mistake quiet for a permanent change in the intentions of those who wish us harm.

Parashat Ki Teitze:

All in the Family

Because of the closeness to his family, a person ometimes allows himself to speak ill of his wife, husband, children, uncles, and other relatives. This is an unfortunate error.

Parashat Ki Teitze:

The favors of bad people

It is painful to note that, today, the degree of assimilation in the USA is such that, in the not distant future, the once robust American Jewish community will be a shell of its former self.

Parashat Ki Teitze:

Protecting the home

Note: The parapet around the roof of a house protects the house. “You shall not place blood in your house": inside the house - inside the national home - must be a safe place.

Same ma'akeh, different paths:

The forthcoming elections and the unity of Am Yisrael

A house can contain people who are different from one another, each with his own character and his own way, and yet they are all living under the same roof. That is the picture we should have of Am Yisrael.

Dvar Haftorah for Shoftim:

The Haftorah we sing every Friday night

We are expected to rise, to rebuild and to act.

A prophet as great as Moshe--possible, or heresy?

What does the Torah mean when Moshe communicates that the prophet must be 'Like me'?

Parashat Shoftim:

Wholeheartedness is the key

Hashem adjures us to ‘cleave to Him’ - and as Hashem is upright and righteous, one who wants to cleave to Him, has to also be ‘upright and righteous’.

Parashat Shoftim:

Shoplifting erodes the fabric of society

The Torah teaches that stealing from the community is not less serious than stealing from an individual. In some ways, it is even more dangerous.

Parashat Shoftim:

The land-for-peace travesty

Giving enemies, who are sworn to our destruction, parts of Israel is equally emphatically not the Jewish way of relating to them.

Parashat Shoftim:

The Torah’s command not to fear

Our generation has been given something Jews prayed for over the course of centuries: the ability to defend ourselves in our own land.

Parashat Re'eh:

Standing before the Arizal

"Re'eh" means "see." We must see beneath the surface. See that within us lies the history of the world, - and adjust accordingly.

Torah Mitzion on the Parasha:

The essence of the Regalim

Sefer Devarim does not replace the Torah given in the first four books; it illuminates it. The Regalim are an example.

Dvar Haftorah - Parashat Re’eh:

The assault that changes its form

For generations, some tried to frighten Jews away from their faith. Others tried to argue them out of it. The Malbim finds the strength to prevail prophesied in this week's Haftorah.

Parashat Re'eh:

Today and every day

We need to make the choice between blessing and curse, and by our ethical conduct, we decide for ourselves which way our faces incline.

Office of the UK Chief Rabbi:

Parashat Re'eh: Food parcels save lives

One of the great elements of the practice of sending food parcels is that it’s not just those who receive who benefit, but those who send the food, they rejoice.

Parashat Re’eh:

Preparing for Rosh Hashanah

As bewildering as the world can be, the parasha and haftorah assure us of our wonderful future. Our enemies, whether on the battlefields or in the international courtrooms, are destined to fail.

Parashat Re'eh:

Its own reward

Judaism affirms the tenet of reward and punishment. But we are not privy to the guidelines the Creator utilizes in implementing this principle.

Haftarat Parashat Re’eh:

The unity of the gemstones

The combination of physical and spiritual advancement in the modern Jewish state propels us towards the redemption represented in our haftarah by כַּדְכֹד.

Parashat Re'eh:

When miracles prove nothing

The test comes when falsehood is persuasive, when it is wrapped in emotion, reinforced by success and presented by someone who appears impossible to dismiss.

Israel's 1st Chief Rabbi:

Parashat Eikev: Two Loves for Eretz Yisrael

One who is closer to the Land of Israel, and demonstrates a greater connection to it, comes first for blessing.

Dvar Haftorah for Parashat Ekev:

The prophecy that awaits every Jew

The renewal of the Land mirrors the renewal of the nation.

Parashat Eikev:

Why we are chosen

We were chosen, but non-Jews should not believe that they are completely relieved of the responsibility of observing Mitzvot.

The gift of the land is only in the merit of the Avot

Why is it important to stress that we were given the land because of our forefathers' merits? Famous commentators give their explanations below.

Eikev: The Benefit of Holy Encounters

This week's Torah portion presents the only two blessings that are Biblical commandments.

Haftarah of Redemption

It is worthwhile to study this Haftarah because it describes what is destined to take place amongst the People of Israel, and indeed we are witnessing it with our own eyes.

Alcatraz Syndrome

The gates are open. With a little courage and faith, you too can be here, a free Jew in the Jewish Homeland.

Parashat Eikev:

The danger of success

Parshat Eikev reminds us that humility is not the enemy of achievement but its proper companion.

Israel's 1st Chief Rabbi:

Va'etchanan: Loving God with all your might

What does it mean to love God וּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ - "with all your might"?

Parashat Devarim:

Can man create Torah?

The Torah does not necessarily have to remain the exclusive province of the Creator. A miraculous transformation can occur, and it can become the Torah of man.

Moses explained the Torah in 70 languages

Why the need to explain it in seventy languages, as Rashi writes, specifically at this time, as they were about to enter the Land? - what is the meaning of: ’he explained it in seventy languages’?

The Book of Devarim:

Moses reviews the Torah

HaRav Tzvi Yehuda would ask his gathered students in the large Beit Midrash of the yeshiva: “What is the very first thing Moshe teaches the Nation, who are all waiting to hear the explanation of the Torah from Moshe himself?

Increasing love and faith

Why is the infamous weeping of the generation of the wilderness called a "baseless weeping"? Because in truth they had no reason to weep.

Matos-Masei: Our own worst enemy

Reflecting on the war against Midian, this week's Torah portion highlights the extraordinary miracle that not a single Jewish soldier was lost in battle, drawing a timeless lesson about the power of Jewish unity and the heavy cost of internal division.

As summer vacation begins:

“Build for your children first": The foundation of the future

If the next generation is not anchored in Torah and yirat Shamayim, everything else we build is standing on unstable ground. This week's parshiyot teach that to us.

Israel's 1st Chief Rabbi:

Pinchas: Atonement for the New Moon

There is a very peculiar Talmudic tradition about the purpose of the new moon sin-offering. For whom does this offering atone?

Parashat Pinchas:

Are you comfortable with vulnerability?

Within every person is a beautiful soul with light to contribute, but many are rendered mute by the traumas of the past.

Parashat Pinchas: Zelophehad's daughters

An unquenchable thirst for the Land of Israel

Zelophehad's daughters stand as veritable beacons during these dark days, showing us where love for the Land of Israel can lead us.

Parashat Pinchas:

A prophet of their own

When someone expresses a new theory on a significant matter for consideration, the reflexive response is often, “Where is it written?" or “Who said that?"

Parashat Pinchas:

What happened to the sons of Korach?

When thoughts of repentance arose in the hearts of the sons of Korach, they were moved to atone for their dishonor, by an offering of praise found in the Book of Psalms.

Torah and Haftora for Parashat Pinchas:

Longing for the land; A prophet for difficult times

The daughters of Tzelophchad and the mission of Jeremiah.

Haftarot: Chukat and Balak

Chukat: The Argument that persists; Balak: I Sent Miriam

The Israeli and Diaspora reading cycles conclude their brief divergence this week.

Chukat and Balak:

Chukat: Death by the kiss; Balak: We are different!

Chukat is the saddest parasha in the entire Torah. And Parashat Balak contains a fascinating and unusual story that illustrates how Jew-hatred is deeply rooted in human existence.

A broken reed vs. Netzach Yisrael

When outside forces try to tie our hands or misread our enemies, our only true defense is our internal clarity, our own independent strength, and our deep faith in Netzach Yisrael.

Chukat-Balak: Divine weapons of war

Israel's true strength lies not in military might or international support, but in faith in Hashem and spiritual resolve.

Parashat Balak (Israel):

How did Balaam merit prophecy?

‘To what can the matter be likened? To that of the king’s cook, who knows the amount of the outlays of the king, for his table.’

Parashat Balak:

The Secret of Israel’s Victory is still the same

The enemies of Israel who seek to dispossess us of our Land and destroy us, understand what Balak and Bilaam understood - that as long as Israel is united they cannot overcome us. Therefore, they make great efforts to drive a wedge and create division within Israel.

Israel's 1st Chief Rabbi: Chukat (Israel)

Total Dedication to Torah

The breadth and depth of knowledge required for true Torah scholarship must come at the expense of pleasures and leisure activities that are acceptable for the general population.

Parashat Chukat (Israel):

"Because you did not believe in me..."

Moses is told in this parasha that he wiil not bring the Israelites into the Land. How do commentators explain that?

Parashat Chukat (Israel):

Parah Aduma, the Golden Calf, and Egla Arufa

Is there a connection between the three, all involving heifers?

Torah Mitzion: Korach (Diaspora)

Korach's strategy

One of the central questions arising from the Parasha is how a single individual managed to sweep away such a large and significant group and get them to rebel against Moshe.

Dvar Haftora Chukat (Israel):

The original “Stolen Land" accusation

The modern State of Israel did not create the Jewish connection to the land. It restored Jewish sovereignty in the birthplace of Jewish civilization. A similar argument is made to the Ammonites in the Haftorah.

Parashat Korach (Diaspora):

The worst argument in the Torah

Where in the Torah do we find an example of the worst possible argument?

Parashat Chukat (Israel):

When complaining becomes a Way of Life

After years of experiencing miracles, they had stopped noticing them.

Parashat Hashavua for Noahides:

'For he is stronger than us'

The generation of the spies measured the Land and saw a threat; this generation, passing through fire, has begun to measure itself and to ask what it is here for.

Parashat Shlach: (Diaspora)

Should the blind thank Hashem for the gift of sight?

In my experience, some non-sighted people actually have a far greater depth of perception than those who are sighted.

Parashat Korach (Israel):

Born holy or chosen holy?

Korach challenged the appointment system, arguing that positions should follow birth order.