Divine Text Support
SMS Text Support וישלך בית אל, שראצר ורגם מלך ואנשיו, לחלות את פני ה’. לאמר אל הכהנים אשר לבית ה’ צבא-ות ואל הנביאים לאמר, האבכה בחדש החמשי הנזר כאשר עשיתי זה כמה שנים. And they sent to Bet El; Shar’etzer, Regem Meleĉ, and his men – to seek out and pray before G-d. To wit: to the Kohanim … Read more
The 515 Prayers and the Establishment of the Recital of צדקתך The Mystery of the 515 Prayers A famous Midrash[i] asserts that after being denied entry into the Land of Israel, Moshe Rabeinu prayed exactly[ii] five hundred fifteen (515) times to have the decree reversed—a number mathematically equivalent to the gematria of the word he … Read more
MAY G-D REMEMBER THE SPIRIT FOR ALL FLESH Background The Jewish people stand on the border of the Promised Land, the desert is behind them, and an entirely new vista opens ahead. In the camp, a landmark legal case has just concluded: the daughters of Tzelafĉad have successfully petitioned for their father’s physical inheritance in … Read more
The Tragedy of Zimri Tragic Zimri: Misguided Sacrifice, Legal Loopholes, and the Sin of Baal Peor The narrative of Baal Peor, culminating in the catastrophic actions of the prince Zimri, is often read as a simple, tragic story of a respected leader succumbing to base lust. Occurring near the end of the Jewish people’s forty-year … Read more
The Wellspring of Miriam The Mouth of the Well: Law, Grace, and the Synthesis of Sustenance in the Wilderness The narrative of the Jewish people’s forty-year sojourn in the wilderness is framed by two distinct crises of water. The first[i] occurs at חורב, shortly after the Exodus from Egypt. The second[ii] occurs four decades later … Read more
Establishing Halaĉa on the Word of G-d
If it is created, create it Proxy’s Paradox and Ministering Miracles We find this week an interesting conundrum faced by Moshe. Koraĉ demands[i] כי כל העדה כלם קדשים ובתוכם ה’ – the entire gathering is holy and [dwelling] within them is G-d. Therefore, ומדוע תתנשאו על קהל ה’ – why should you be elevated above … Read more
And Sara laughed on the inside When G-d visits Avrohom while he is recovering from the Covenant of Circumcision. G-d sends three (3) ‘men’ [Angels] to visit Avrohom, giving Avrohom the opportunity to practice kindness to his guests. After eating and drinking under the tree, the Torah records[i] a strange conversation: ויאמרו אליו איה שרה … Read more
Anatomy of a Rebellion The discussion on the names of the spies provides us with a unique challenge. On the one hand, the Torah[i] identifies them as כלם אנשים ראשי בני ישראל המה – they were all Men, they were the heads (Leaders) of the Jewish people. And yet, there was something inherently corrupt about … Read more
a discussion on the prohibition of male masturbation and the story of Tamar