Rav Zachariash’s weekly blog on the parsha
You shall love Hashem your G-d with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (Devarim 6:5) The Torah tells us that we are obligated to serve Hashem with our hearts and our souls. This mitzvah is referred to in general as “Ahavas Hashem”. Aside from this mitzvah there is [...]
"The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s trough: but Yisrael does not know, my people does not consider." (Isaiah 1:3) In this week’s Haftara we find the prophet complaining that though donkey may know his trough, Klal Yisrael doesn’t know Hashem. The Baalei Mussar ask, how is it fair to make such [...]
And Moshe was angry with the officers, the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, who came from the battle. (Bamidbar 31:14) The particular war with Midyan was waged to avenge those who caused klal Yisrael to sin with immorality. Klal Yisrael understood they had sinned, they repented, and then Hashem commanded them to go [...]
“and he shall have it, and his seed after him, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Yisra᾽el.” (Bamidbar 25:13) The Torah tells us that Pinchas was given the kahuna as a reward for killing Kozbi. The Gemora in Zevachim (101b) tells [...]
“And Yisrael joined himself to Ba’al Peor, and the anger of Hashem was kindled against Yisrael.” (Bamidbar 25:3) In general, we understand that all people have challenges. We assume the righteous are those who have overcome their challenges and the wicked ones are those who have failed, but our assumptions of future performance based on [...]
“…and Miriam died there, and was buried there.” (Bamidbar 20:1) RASHI: AND MIRIAM DIED THERE — Why is the section narrating the death of Miriam placed immediately after the section dealing with the red cow? To suggest to you the following comparison: What is the purpose of the sacrifices? They affect atonement! So too does [...]
Every dispute that is for the sake of Heaven, will in the end endure; But one that is not for the sake of Heaven, will not endure…And which is the controversy that is not for the sake of Heaven? Such was the controversy of Korah and all his congregation. (Avos 5:17) Perhaps one of the [...]
“But do not rebel against Hashem! You should not fear the people of the land, for they are our bread. Their protection has departed from them; Hashem is with us. Do not fear them!” (Bamidbar 14:9) Kaleiv got Klal Yisrael’s attention in order to calm them down. He tried to convince them to not take [...]
“We remember the fish that we used to eat for free in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic.” (Bamidbar 11:5) Rav Zalman Sorotzkin (1881–1966) asks a question that has been bothering me for many years. I found his answer spot on. Even though I didn’t think of it, I [...]
Shavuos is a very short holiday. Even for those who stay up all night, it still seems to disappear in the blink of an eye. When any holiday finishes, we can fall into a “postpartum depression” as we to try to hold onto that yom tov and apply what we gained to our lives. Parshas [...]
