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Struggling to Feel Growing up, I always had a hard time connecting to the Three Weeks, the Nine Days, and especially Tisha B’Av. The mourning. The restrictions. The heaviness. I tried to feel something — but couldn’t. Part of it was that I didn’t fully understand what we were mourning. I mean, I grew up…
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What would you do if you knew that fulfilling a mitzvah meant you were one step closer to the end of your life? Most people might stall. Look for a way to delay. Try to hold on just a little longer. But not Moshe Rabbeinu. At the beginning of Parshat Matot, Hashem commands Moshe: “Nekom…
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Parshat Matot opens with a curious halacha: vows. If a Jew says something like “I won’t eat bread today,” it becomes halachically binding. Words alone create new spiritual realities. No action, no ritual—just speech. That’s the power Hashem gave us. It mirrors the opening of the Torah itself: “Vayomer Elokim—Yehi or.” Hashem spoke—and light came…
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Chazal in a Midrash debate about what the most fundamental pasuk in the Torah. The answer is surprising: “אֶת־הַכֶּבֶשׂ אֶחָד תַּעֲשֶׂה בַבֹּקֶר וְאֵת הַכֶּבֶשׂ הַשֵּׁנִי תַּעֲשֶׂה בֵּין הָעַרְבָּיִם”“One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and one in the afternoon.” The command to bring the daily Korban Tamid, morning and afternoon. Found in this week’s…
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This week, the Torah doesn’t just tell us that Pinchas killed Zimri and Kozbi — it highlights who they were: Zimri, a prince of Shevet Shimon. Kozbi, the daughter of a Midianite leader. These weren’t random sinners. They were powerful, connected, and dangerous to confront. Yet Pinchas didn’t flinch. He acted alone, with pure zeal…
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A while ago, I saw this video of a couple humorously bragging about how smart their kids are. The joke? No matter what wisdom they tried to share, the kids would immediately respond, “I know.” The father consults multi-million dollar companies. The mother is an expert in her field. But to their kids? They’re clueless.…
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In Parshat Balak (23:10), Bilam says something surprising: “תָּמֹת נַפְשִׁי מוֹת יְשָׁרִים, וִיהִי אַחֲרִיתִי כָּמוֹהוּ”“Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my end be like theirs.” It sounds noble. Who wouldn’t want the peaceful, eternal reward of the righteous? But Chazal expose the contradiction behind his words. Midrash Rabbah says: Bilam said:…
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Parshat Balak gives us a rare glimpse into the enemy’s war room. Balak, king of Moav, is terrified. Not because Bnei Yisrael attacked. They didn’t. But because he saw their strength. He felt their moral clarity. And that frightened him more than any army. So he hires Bilam, a world-class prophet with a twisted heart,…
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In Parshat Chukat, we encounter one of the most painful moments in the Torah. Moshe is told to speak to the rock. Just speak. But under the weight of complaints and pressure, he hits it instead. The water flows. But so does the decree. Hashem says:“Because you did not believe in Me to sanctify Me…
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Hashem told Moshe to speak to the rock. Just speak. But after so many complaints, Moshe reaches a breaking point. He cries out, “Listen, you rebels!” and hits the rock. And then… everything changes. Hashem tells Moshe and Aharon, “Because you did not believe in Me to sanctify Me before the eyes of Bnei Yisrael,…
