Every year Parshat Devarim is read during the somber Nine Days that lead up to Tisha B’Av—could that timing be hinting at a deeper, timeless message of hope in exile? […]
Weekly Torah Portion
Insight and themes on the weekly Torah portion (parshah) read aloud in synagogue.
Sheep Before Children? Moshe’s Subtle Reproof In this week’s Torah reading (Bamidbar 32), as the Jews neared the land of Israel, two tribes approached Moshe (Moses) and asked if instead […]
Q. I am reciting a Jewish prayer on behalf of the sick. Should I mention the patient’s name? Knowing Whom You’re Praying For Although God is very well aware of […]
A Gift of Peace At the end of last week’s Torah reading, Pinchas stood up courageously for the name of God, and attacked one of the prominent figures of the […]
Pinchas’s Self-Sacrifice: “Those Who Honor Me, I Will Honor.” In this week’s Torah Portion, Parshat Pinchas, Pinchas acted with astounding self-sacrifice to defend Hashem’s honor. A well-respected Jewish leader was […]
Coincidences or Divine Design? Have you ever looked back on a near‑miss—missing a flight, taking a different road—and realized later it might have saved you? The Torah shows us that […]
The Enigmatic Ritual of the Red Heifer The beginning of this week’s Torah reading discusses the laws of the Red Heifer. One who became impure from a deceased person must […]
A Miracle Beyond Imagination The mahn (manna) was a miracle beyond our imagination! It poured down straight from heaven without any effort and could taste like whatever the Jews wanted […]
Ask the Rabbi with Rabbi Chaim Mintz The idea of animal sacrifice seems so cruel and outdated. Yet, I hear that this practice will resume after the Temple (Beit HaMikdash) […]
Q. Where is the first source for the mitzvah of Bikur Cholim? God Visits Avraham The first encounter with Bikur Cholim in Jewish tradition is actually with God Himself! The […]
