In Sefer Bamidbar, all communication between God and Moshe seems to occur in the Mishkan (see Rashbam, Ibn Ezra and Chizkuni on Bamidbar 1:1). However,
Parshat Naso This week’s haftarah relates the miraculous birth of Shimshon—Samson—who, even before his birth, was marked for exceptional accomplishments and for leadership in Israel.
דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם אִישׁ אוֹ אִשָּׁה כִּי יַפְלִא לִנְדֹּר נֶדֶר נָזִיר לְהַזִּיר לַידֹוָד (במדבר ו:ב) The halachos of Nazir are written in
אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי… וְהַלֻּחֹת מַעֲשֵׂה אֱלֹקים הֵמָּה וְהַמִּכְתָּב מִכְתַּב אֱלֹקים הוּא חָרוּת עַל הַלֻּחֹת (שמות לב), אַל תִּקְרָא חָרוּת אֶלָּא חֵרוּת, שֶׁאֵין לְךָ
Parshat Naso describes the option to become a nazir, prohibiting oneself from drinking wine (and even eating grapes!), cutting one’s hair and participating in the
There is nothing like buying flowers for Shabbos. And there is nothing like buying those flowers from one of our own brethren. In this particular
A primary role of the Levi’im—the one that we most readily associate with them—is that of musicians, meshorerim, who enhanced the Temple offerings with their
Our parsha contains the Birkat Kohanim. Rav Binyamin Luban notes that the first stanza which states, “May Hashem bless you and safeguard you,” refers to
Rabbi Avraham Y. Kook was the first Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi in the decade just prior to the establishment of the modern state of Israel. During
Rabbi Epstein was born in Belorussia, and studied in a traditional cheder. His intent was to follow in his father’s footsteps: work as a merchant
Last week, we learned about Rav Hirsch’s exhortation about the machatzis hashekel: “Only he who gives and contributes is counted!” That idea is brought to
