Torah MiZion

The big picture

In order to believe in G-d, one must be willing to accept that we don’t know the whole story.

Dip your apple in the honey!

For a sweet year."Le- Shana Tova uMetuka" But is there more to this symbol than its sweet taste?

Growing joy

Joy appears from giving. The first fruits narrative shows it.

The laws of “Kilei Hakerem” (Crops Grown in a vineyard)

Why is the prohibition of Kilei hakerem so severe? What precisely is prohibited?

Eikev: Avoiding the mistakes of one's predecessors

The service in the Beit Hamikdash is the prototype of all the mitzvot.

Chosen! The riddle of Jewish Destiny

What is the promise of Jewish history? Is it the salvation that we have repeatedly experienced, or is the suffering part of the promise?

Devarim: Empowered by the Nation

Moshe received the Torah at Sinai forty years prior to his speech.Why does he share his words only now?

Chukat-Balak (Diaspora):Why not hit the rock?

What is the real sin of Moses and Aaron that keeps them from entering the land?

Naso (Diaspora): The Golden Mean and the Nazirite

Is ascetisim what is requested from us?

My Jerusalem

For Jerusalem Day. The paratroopers weeping at the Western Wall have become a symbol.(Note: An insight on the parsha is included at the end)

Living through tt

How do we live "through" the mitzvot?

Supporting a Jew in need

The Cohen went out towards the person in need of help, even if that person was hesitant. That is still our responsiblity to society.

Coming back to Gan Eden

How the eighth day of the Mishkan is like the day after Creation.

Vayikra: Being on call

It is not by accident, obviously, that 'calling' is introduced in relation to the sacrifices.

More Mishkan Parshiot?

Why all those meticulously written details when the Torah does not write anything superfluous?

Partners with Hashem

If we do not observe the festivals, it is as if we worship idols? What is the connection?

On Purim – How drunk should a person get?

Why would our Sages instruct us to get drunk, when the Torah and Prophets clearly object to the associated lack of control?

The Cohen Gadol represents all of Am Israel

We, too, should always remember who and what we are representing as we try to bring G-d's Presence closer to us.

Who has the right to give?

There is a contrast between the type of charitable giving in Parashat Terumah and Parashat Ki Tisa.

The Revelation of divinity (Isaiah 6)

A spiritual revelation, a spiritual Torah, in the materialistic world. Man, even Isaiah, cannot comprehend. Moses asks to understand.

Two enemies, two strategies

There is a difference between how we behave as individual Jews and when we are a nation that is fighting for its’ land.

Freeing the mind

It is not so simple to go from bondage to freedom.

The lessons of exile

Why were the Jews exiled specifically to Egypt?

The Wars of Gad

There are five different ward of Gad. Which one did Yaakov refer to?.

The dangerous power of lies

The brothers lied to Jacob about Joseph's death, and later, even when they spoke the truth to him, he did not believe them.

I have a dream?

Joseph interprets dreams in this week's parasha, but he also had his own dreams, and so did the Maccabees. How do we deal with our own?

Vayishlach: Brothers in arms

Were Shimon and Levi really outraged idealists? Or were they just hotheaded vigilantes?

Toldot: Redigging the wells

Though Abraham’s wells lasted the duration of his lifetime, the Philistines filled them with sand when he died. Isaac redug them. A lesson.

Which is more important: Bein Adam L’Chavero or Bein Adam L’Makom?

Commandements between God and man or between man and his fellow man? Which get priority when they clash?

Be like Terach

Terach, certainly in Yiddish, is used in a negative sense. But there is one major decision he made that we should all emulate.

Creation: The goal comes first

The story of Creation brings us closer to Hashem

The King extends His hand to you – Won't you take it?

Why does the Rambam change the language of the Gemara when it comes to changing one's status during the Ten Days of Repentance?

Why would anyone use a contract to solve the Agunah Problem?

Halakha has dynamic contract doctrines with deep systemic ambiguities or loopholes– even in areas that impact ritual or family law.

What are we waking up from?

Wake up from your work week, hard as it may be. It takes just one step, that step from everyday life into shul.

Coming to the place chosen by Hashem

When you rejoice before Hashem, you must rejoice with those who are needy and dependent.

Kriyat Shema – An invitation to new understanding

Everything about Kriyat Shema seems wildly inconsistent and unrelated, so what is the theme that strings it all together?

Mattot-Masei: On keeping your promises

Kurt Rothschild was a man of his word. As were the tribes who wished to expand Israel to include land on the eastern bank of the Jordan,

Chukat/Balak: The well and the tent

The symbolism of the well in Chukat and the tent of Bilaam's prophecy complement one another in Jewish life.

Shlach: Blue and White

Science, philosophy, nationbuilding, and commandment orientation are all packed into Shlach Lecha’s mitzva of tzitzit, copied for our flag.

Naso: The holiness of the Mishkan

We need to remember that the most consistent dwelling that Hashem has on earth is the camp of Bnei Yisrael, and we must keep it holy.