Weekly Parsha Thoughts

In Parshas Matos the passuk says: Hashem commanded Moshe that Bnei Yisroel should take revenge against the Midyanim.  The passuk ends “and afterwards you shall be gathered into your people.”  This refers to the death of Moshe.  The next passuk says, “and... Read More

The Avudraham brings from a Pesikta: until the 17th of Tammuz the haftaros leined on Shabbos have similarities to the parshiyos. After the 17th of Tammuz the haftaros are according to the time and what happened then. There are three haftaros of... Read More

The Torah says that Bilam tried to curse Bnei Yisroel. The pesukim and Rabeinu Bechai list a number of nissim and nifla’os that Hashem performed in order to stop Bilam from accomplishing his mission. First, when Bilam took his donkey to travel... Read More

The parsha starts off with “זאת חקת התורה,” “this is the chok of the Torah”, referring to the para aduma.  What is the meaning of a chok?  And what are mishpatim?  A chok is a mitzvah which we don’t understand the reason;... Read More

This week’s parsha tells us that Korach got swallowed up in the ground. Why did he deserve this punishment and how was it similar to his sin? The passuk says tov by all the days of the briyah besides for the second.... Read More

This parsha speaks about the meraglim, the spies who were sent to search out Eretz Yisroel. Rashi asks: why is the parsha of meraglim near the parsha of Miriam?  He explains: because Miriam got tzara’as for speaking lashon hara and these reshaim,... Read More