What is the role of the Jewish people? To give some insight to this most complex question we must first analyze why G-d created man in the first…
Va'etchanan: from Egypt to Israel
“Moses summoned all the Israelites and said to them: Hear, O Israel, the laws and rules that I proclaim to you this day! Study them and observe them…
Vaetchanan: Seeking Comfort
Our Sages ordained that we should read parshat VaEtchanan on the Shabbat after Tisha B’Av. As they phrased it, “tzumu v’tzlu, fast and pray”. On…
VaEtchanan: An Extra And
"Shamor v’Zachor b’dibur echad". This phrase, sung every Friday night, notes the most famous difference between the recording of the aseret hadibrot …
VaEtchanan: Beyond the Law
The most obvious connection between Tisha b’Av and parshat Vaetchanan—which is always read on the Shabbat following this…
VaEtchanan: Learning to Read
Our Torah encompasses all aspects of life: it regulates our existence from the day we are born until the day we die, and from the moment we awake…
VaEtchanan: The People and Moshe
“At that time I pleaded with G-d, saying, ‘O G-d, Lord…please let me cross the Jordan. Let me see the good land across the Jordan…
VaEtchanan: World Leaders
Attempts to understand the rationale behind the mitzvoth of the Torah have generated much debate and discussion through the millennia. Many have…
VaEtchanan: Loving G-d
Jews of faith, when faced with imminent death, have departed this world with the words of the shma on their lips. Perhaps the most famous example of…
VaEtchanan: Time for Comfort
Life is so unfair. While we believe that ultimately (and ultimately can take an eternity!) justice must and will prevail—to believe otherwise…
VaEtchanan: Easy Money
One of the fundamental beliefs of Judaism is that of reward and punishment. Keep the mitzvoth and get rewarded. Violate the laws of the Torah and be…
VaEtchanan: It's Your Fault
"And G-d was angry at me for your sakes (lemanchem) and would not hear me. And G-d said to me, Enough! Do not speak to me any more about this” (3:26…