Why is it that the Torah tells us absolutely nothing about Avraham’s past? The midrashim are replete with beautiful stories reflecting the special qualities of
“You shall appoint shoftim veshotrim (judges and officers) at all your gates that God is giving you, and they shall govern the people with due
When the Torah wishes to inform us of the “historical” reason for a holiday, it certainly knows how to do so. For example, the two
Despite the severity of the sin of the Golden Calf, it’s important to notice that God only becomes angry on the day after it is
Parashat Vayishlach begins as Yaakov sends messengers ahead, apparently to assess to what extent Eisav is still a danger. However, to Yaakov’s surprise, his messengers
By Rabbi Menachem Leibtag Moshe’s concluding remarks, at the end of his final speech, include a striking parallel to God’s original charge to Bnei Yisrael
At this point in Sefer Bamidbar, Bnei Yisrael were now ready to continue their journey from Har Sinai to inherit the Promised Land. The sefer
Yichus (family lineage) has always been an important consideration when selecting one’s spouse. Nevertheless, Avraham’s insistence that his “chosen” son specifically marry a descendant of
Even though the first 17 chapters of Vayikra deal exclusively with laws that relate to the Mishkan, in Chapter 18 we find the introduction to
In its preface, “Shirat Haazinu” calls upon shamayim va-aretz (“heaven and earth”) to bear witness. Their very mention beautifully ties together the end of Sefer
Yaakov’s reaction to God’s revelation at the beginning of Parshat Vayeitzei is rather surprising. Although God had promised to watch over him and take care
Yaakov’s name change to Yisrael is very different from Avram’s name change to Avraham—for Yisrael constitutes an entirely new name. Furthermore, Yisrael serves not only
