Timeless Torah

It is certainly no accident that one of the two Biblical portions that we publicly read this week bears the name of Mattos. This section, always read during the Three Weeks wherein we mourn and re-experience the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash and the onset of Galus, carries with it a singular lesson for these trying times.  read more »

I comprehend the value of an oath. It obligates us to fulfill the Biblical directive of, “Kechol hayotzay mipiv ya’aseh - all that comes out from his mouth he must do.” The Torah, however, takes this a step - a huge step - further. A person pronounces something verboten, and the object becomes as forbidden and as spiritually dangerous as a Big Mac!  read more »

He had led them out of Egypt. He had nourished them body and soul for forty years. He had brought them the Torah from heaven. He had squashed the rebellion of Korach, battled the giant of Bashan, and now he had brought them to the edge of the Promised Land. One would think that this consummate Jewish leader could finally rest easy. But Moses was given one final task; to lead the war against Midian.  read more »

The land east of the Jordan was ideally suited for pasture. Since the tribes of Reuven and Gad possessed vast herds, they approached Moses for permission to settle there rather than cross into Israel. Initially furious, Moses asked, “Shall your fellow countrymen go to war while you sit here?”  read more »