יום חמישי, כ״א אלול תשפ״וThursday, September 3, 2026
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Twelve of the greatest leaders of the nation, one from each shevet, were dispatched to survey the land. The results of that mission were catastrophic.
Are pessimists just rationalists, and is hope just naiveté?
While Moshe was the most unique prophet, he was also alone.
Of even greater significance, once the miraglim made their mistake and concluded that Hashem wasn’t powerful enough to bring the people into the land, what they then spoke wasn’t lashon hara at all
The pasuk says that since the halacha concerning a Mechallel Shabbos was uncertain, the mekoshesh was placed in custody until the halacha was clarified.
The story of the spies, in this week's Torah portion, is viewed as an episode revealing the Jews' basic lack of faith in God.
Rabbi Fohrman delves deeper into the Priestly Blessing and its relevant lessons
Ultimately the Torah is a book that reflects a system of ethics that comes from God.
To gain power or distract the population from their suffering, a monarch would look for a place to put the blame.
The question still remains on how to reconcile all of the different drashos that are derived from this pasuk.
The multitudes among them experienced a desire for meat and wept.
One who loves can buy a factory-made knick-knack for his partner, but a personal hand-made gift is infinitely more precious.
Life is what you make of it. And if our lives are defined by Torah, then these weeks of Sefira are all about making the most of it.
The Shulchan Aruch notes that a priest who is in mourning for one of the seven close relatives does not bless the people during the Shiva period.
Generally there is an issur de’oraisa to erase Hashem’s name, but here the Torah explicitly permits it.
Why can’t a man just admit it is wrong to steal but he wants to do it anyway?
Is parsha Naso teaching us how we should treat our children?
May we feel the pain of what is happening in Israel not merely as members of the Jewish nation but as members of our own family.
By Rachel Weiss
The girl who had remarkably survived the accident had previously not led a religious lifestyle - which unsurprisingly changed after this event.
Why did we merit exiting the gas chamber alive when so many others did not?
Only mitzvos that are clearly stated in the pasuk may be counted as one of the 613 mitzvos.
One of the quirks of human nature is that the average person assumes he is smarter than the average person.
Without Joseph laying the foundation for them in Egypt, they never would have survived the exile spiritually intact.
Rabbi Fohrman gives us insight into what it truly means to be a teacher.
Evaluating forces us to consider the gift of every moment we have.
The question begs: how in the world can we accept that Bnei Yisrael en masse did not ever keep the mitzvah of shemittah?
When Hashem created man, He took these two diverse segments and mixed them together, creating a new synthesis called man.
Why distinguish between parts of the Torah to say that this part came from pi Hagevurah while the other part came from pi Moshe?
In this week's parsha a stark choice is presented: follow God and live, or abandon Him and die.
We should remember not only the difficult moments of life but also the blessings we too often take for granted.
And yet, the Gemara in Megillah clearly states that the halacha about the tochacha only applies to the tochacha in Vayikra, not to the tochacha in Devarim.
It is one thing to do a chesed for someone one time or when it is convenient. But for a person to go a few hours out of his way every year for a stranger demonstrates incredible selflessness.
Eretz Yisroel's resting during the shmittah year proclaims Hashem as the Creator of the world just as Shabbos does, for the init of time - seven - is solely connected to the creation of the world.
The Torah is teaching us that even a mature adult faced with a difficult trial will be greatly influenced by what others are doing.
The Minchas Chinuch first suggests that the obligation to be mafkir one’s produce may not be a time-sensitive mitzvah.
What does it mean, conceptually, to see Shabbat in different worlds?
Let us resolve to connect ourselves powerfully to Eretz Yisrael and Jerusalem.
Parshas Emor appears to be as diverse as a parsha can be.
The more a person focuses on his purpose in the world, the more he values the Torah.
One difference between these two approaches is when one is aware that the fetus is a male, i.e. through ultra sound.
Offering korbanos is not a substitute to living a proper life.
The Omer period is the ultimate completion of the completion, the holiest of the holiest.
Rabbi Fohrman makes a fascinating argument about how Shabbat works and shows that there are shabbatot in different realms.
To properly fulfill the mitzvah of tochachah, there are two absolute requirements. The first relates to attitude, the second to method.
Is telling someone to transgress a rabbinic prohibition not considered bad advice?
The challenge of death is to keep the person who has died alive in spirit.
Rabbi Fohrman explains how the Torah provides the building blocks of true love.
Someone who focuses only on the bones of the Torah makes his bones dry and passionless.
“Who is wise? One who learns from each person” (Pirkei Avot 4:1)
Rashi is bothered by the expression Hashem used: “the Jews need only travel.”
According to the Rambam, the k’nas applies to any chametz on Pesach with which one could, in theory, transgress the aveirah – even if no transgression actually occurred.
Marror is the reliving of the bitter enslavement and matzah is the under-eighteen-minutes redemption.
One difference between Bnei Yisrael and Bnei Noach is that shiurim only apply to Bnei Yisrael.
Hashem imprinted into the essence of each animal all the instincts necessary for its survival as well as for the continuation of its species.
Chazal recognized the importance of recording events for subsequent generations to identify with, understand and appreciate what moved the author so many years before.
Yom Kippur is called one of the days of awe. What does awe have to do with forgiveness for our sins?
the lots teach us that there are aspects of life that are based purely on mazal.
By Rabbi Dr. Aaron Rakeffet-Rothkoff
Today we have more than six million halachic Jews living in the Holy Land.
They have heard many shmuzin discussing the severity of this issue, and they don’t question it.
It may be suggested that a time frame of separation is mandated to heighten the physical encounter.
The Gemara, in Kiddushin 57b, searches for a source to confirm that the bird that is to be set free is permitted to be eaten after the process is concluded.
while each of us is an individual, we are also part of a larger unit
Without a plan of action, a leader will never be able to lead his followers anywhere, no matter how important the destination or lofty the goal.
A friend of mine recently heard a comment that left him stunned. A colleague told him that his mother, a survivor of Auschwitz, who had recently lost her husband of five decades, told her son, “You should know, being alone is worse than Auschwitz!”
This week's parsha deals with the strange set of laws dealing with tzara'at.
What is the sin of the birthing mother?
Many wonder what is the counterpoint for circumcision relative to women.
By Rachel Weiss
"Is my husband's Olam Haba'ah really worth the sume of 1,000 ruble?"
It seems Rashi is saying that had a Jew remained in his house that evening, he would not have been killed, and had he left his house, he might have died – not because he was guilty of any sin, not because he deserved to die, but because once the destroyer is given permission to kill, anyone in his path is in danger.
Man has two possible extremes. If he is worthy, he transcends the rest of creation. However, if he is not worthy he is lower than the mosquito that was created before him.
The Gemara (Niddah 31b) states that Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai was asked why a woman who gives birth must bring a korban.
While our purpose in this world is to use our free will to choose good, to overcome our tests and challenges, part of that choosing should include a deep wish that we wouldn't even have the ability to sin.
The ritual of kashrut may help us become more conscious of our responsibilities to live ethical lives.
By Dov Shurin
Boundless love was something Rav Kook had for the nation of Israel. Just as one cannot question the boundless love of Hashem for Israel, one cannot question the boundless love of a Torah giant for his people.
That second verse in Vayikra (9:23) tells us that Moshe and Aharon entered the Ohel Moed, and upon exiting they jointly blessed the people.
To remind us of this, Hashem gave us a permanent reminder of our uniqueness – the mitzvah of milah.
The Ritvah understands that the kosher signs are not just “signs” indicating that a fish is kosher; rather, they are what actually render the fish kosher. This may also be applied to the kosher signs of an animal, but the Ritvah does not indicate this.
The presence of a sacrifice in these covenantal experiences can be looked upon as a celebration of this glorious moment of meeting between God and his people.
Chazal tell us that Moshe functioned in many different capacities. For example, at various times he was considered a king and the equivalent of the Sanhedrin. He was also a kohen gadol, as evidenced by his role during this seven day period.
Born in 1933, Sheldon Adelson was the son of Ukrainian immigrants. His father drove a taxi and his mother ran a knitting shop. He grew up in one of the poorest sections of Boston. But even as a young boy he showed great ambition, first selling newspapers on the street corner, and then running his first business at the age of twelve. He went on to build over fifty businesses, eventually owning the Venetian Sands Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. He became a very wealthy man.
If a korban chatas cannot be brought as a nedavah, how can one read the parshah of the korban chatas if he is not certain that he is obligated to bring one?
Sometimes, like the tamei individual who must stay away from the Mikdash, we have our limits and disabilities, and we must remember not to attempt those goals which are beyond our reach.
Welcome the book of Leviticus!
Operating the crane is Joe. Joe is overweight and a chain smoker. Another worker approaches Joe and says, “Joe, look at you! 80 pounds overweight, smoking two packs of cigarettes a day. You must do something about your health. Go the gym, work out, and get in shape.”
Esther's name, which means “hidden,” reminds us that at the outset she hides her Jewish identity.
Rav Akiva Eiger questions why semicha is considered a mitzvas assei she’hazman gramma. While it is true that it must be performed during the daytime, this is not because the semicha per se cannot be performed by night.
Besides the lack of appreciation and understanding on the part of knesset Yisrael, Sefer Vayikra has been derided and held in contempt by the nations of the world and other religions.
Even if he has committed sins that warrant his rejection from the community, he is never rejected by G-d.
Like Dempsey and Gates, leaders must always be cognizant of the costs involved in their decisions – even when the costs are less than human life
How do the pieces of this puzzle come together to help us understand how the Torah builds together?
Pekudei is the Hebrew word for reckoning. One way of understanding the meaning of a word in the Torah is to analyze the first time it is found.
The Panim Yafos asks: since invariably one of the seven days of miluim must have been Shabbos, how was Moshe able to erect the Mishkan on Shabbos?
When a couple makes the conscious decision to have a baby, they use a system Hashem put into place to bring forth a child. They don’t claim to be knowledgeable enough in anatomy to synthesize the proteins needed for growth.
The Torah says (Exodus, chapter 28) several times v’nasa Aharon, Aharon was commanded to carry the responsibility of bnei Yisrael, represented by his wearing these garments. This was his masa, the koved, the heavy responsibility of being the intermediary between Hashem and the people. It is a difficult task indeed.
By Rachel Weiss
Readers who have kept up with this series since its inception will have noted a consistent emphasis on the role women have played in our rich heritage.
The Satan waits for opportunities to undo kedusha, particularly on erev Shabbos, when the potential to bring the Shechina into the world is great.
This exciting and daring video and challenges us to be more God-like in our actions.
The Torah's greatest manifestation of human creativity is the building of the Mishkan, which required human mastery over every creation.
The Torah specifies that the washbasin in the Mishkan was made of copper taken from the mirrors that the women brought as donations. Rashi explains that by telling us where the copper came from the Torah is teaching a significant lesson.
September 4, 2026 
