Parshah

The Newtonian Stage: Space as a Container For over two centuries, the foundation of classical mechanics rested on a single, intuitive assumption about the nature of space: it was an absolute, rigid container. In Isaac Newton’s framework, space was the static, empty stage upon which the actors – mass and energy – performed. Under Newtonian … Read more

Why Reuvain is considered the Tribe of Teshuva Historical Background of Jewish Settlement in Jordan As the Jewish people stand on the eastern banks of the Yarden River, gazing at the culmination of a forty-year journey, the impending division of the Land of Israel is at hand. Yet, just before the conquest begins, the tribes … 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

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