Daily Chumash

When G‑d gathers His people’s exiles, the curses which accompanied them throughout their sojourn in foreign lands will be placed upon their enemies who persecuted them. The Israelites will once again serve G‑d, and will be blessed with abundance in the work of their hands, the fruit of their wombs, the fruit of their land and the fruit of their livestock.

Moses warned the Israelites not to be tempted by the idolatrous lifestyles of the Egyptians and the other sundry nations through which they had passed in the course of their travels. Moses warned of the dire consequences which will befall the individual, family or tribe which would forsake their covenant with G‑d. This section concludes with the concept of communal responsibility for not appropria...

This covenant established the Israelites as G‑d’s exclusive nation. The covenant, Moses explained, was not limited to those who were physically present on that day; rather, it included all future generations of Jews as well.

On the final day of his earthly life, Moses gathered all the Israelites—men, women, and children—to enter them into a covenant with G‑d.

This section continues with the aforementioned blessings, and then launches a lengthy description of all the maledictions and suffering which will befall the Jews when they neglect the mitzvot.

The Jewish people are instructed to proclaim blessings and curses on Mts. Grizzim and Ebal. The elders of the Levite Tribe together with the Holy Ark stood between the two mountains, and six tribes were stationed atop each mountain. The Levites and priests faced each mountain alternately, and stated the blessing and curses. At the end of the aliyah , we are told of the bountiful blessings which wi...

Moses admonishes the Jews to observe G‑d's commandments; reminding them that they have selected Him to be their god, and He, in turn, has chosen them to be His holy and treasured nation.

During Temple times, Jewish farmers were required to separate from their produce several different tithes. These were distributed to the priests, the Levites, the poor, and one tithe which was eaten by its owners in Jerusalem. The different tithes were not all given each year, rather there was a three-year cycle. In this aliyah, the Torah gives the procedure to be followed on the day before Passov...

This section introduces us to the mitzvah of bikurim, the requirement to bring one's first fruits to the Holy Temple. This mitzvah applies to fruits and produce grown in the land of Israel, and only those for which the land of Israel is praised: wheat, barley, dates, figs, grapes, pomegranates and olives. When in the Temple, the owner of the fruits recites a brief thanksgiving prayer to G‑d and pr...

More mitzvot : A newlywed man is exempt from military service for a full year. It is forbidden to accept utensils used to prepare food as loan security or to forcibly take a debtor's possessions as collateral, and a poor man's security must be temporarily returned to him on a daily basis. Kidnapping is a capital offense. We are commanded to always remember that Miriam was afflicted with tzara'at (...

This section details the right of field workers to eat from the produce they are harvesting. The Torah then briefly discusses marriage and the bill of divorce. A divorced couple cannot remarry if the woman has been remarried to another man (and divorced again or widowed) in the interim.

Some commandments discussed in this section: Building a safety fence around a flat roof; the prohibitions against sowing mixtures of seeds, plowing with a mixed pair of animals, or wearing a garment which contains a mixture of wool and linen ( shatnez ); wearing tzitzit ; the penalty for a husband who defames his wife; the punishment for adultery; the penalty for rape; and certain prohibited marri...

Commandments discussed in this section: Speedy burial of the deceased, returning a lost object to its owner, aiding a neighbor when his animal has fallen because of its burden, the prohibition against cross-dressing, and the obligation to send away a mother bird before taking its chicks or eggs.

This section begins with a discussion regarding female captives of war, and lays down the conditions under which a soldier may marry a captive. The right of a firstborn son to a double portion of his father's inheritance is then detailed. The section concludes with the procedure for dealing with an aberrantly rebellious child.

A minimum of two witnesses are required to secure a conviction in a case involving capital or corporal punishment. Individuals who testify falsely are liable to receive the punishment that they sought to have imposed upon their innocent victim. The procedure for battle is outlined in this section. When approaching the battlefield, a kohen addresses the troops, admonishing them not to fear the enem...

We also have no need for these abovementioned abominable practices, because we are blessed with prophets who transmit G‑d’s messages to His people. We are commanded to obey these prophets. This section prescribes the punishments for noncompliance with prophets’ words, as well as for an individual who falsely claims to speak in G‑d’s name. This aliyah then reiterates the command to establish cities...

The kohanim were chosen by G‑d to be His holy servants. They do not receive an inheritance (portion) in the Land of Israel, because “G‑d is their inheritance.” Instead, the kohanim are the beneficiaries of various priestly gifts, including select portions of meat from animals slaughtered for private use (not as sacrifices), as well as tithes from crops and wool.

Moses instructs the Israelites to coronate a king after they enter Israel. A Jewish king may not amass an excessive amount of horses, wives or personal wealth. The king writes for himself two Torah scrolls. One of them remains with him at all times—a constant reminder to remain humble and follow G‑d ’s law.

We are commanded to appoint judges in every city of Israel. These judges are instructed to adjudicate fairly. Capital punishment is prescribed for idolatry, and various idolatrous practices are banned. The sacrifices we offer to G‑d must be free of blemishes. We must follow the rulings of the Sanhedrin (the rabbinic supreme court) and of the Oral Law. Refusal to accept the Sanhedrin ’s authority i...

Moses commands the Israelites to designate every seventh year as a Shmitah (Sabbatical) Year. During this year, creditors must forgive outstanding loans. The section then discusses the obligation to give charity to the poor with a happy heart, and to lend them money if necessary, even if the Shmitah Year is looming. A Jewish slave must be freed after six years of service and must be given generous...

After giving a tenth of one's crops to the Levite, a tenth of the remainder — the "Second Tithe" — is to be taken and eaten within the confines of Jerusalem . Provision is made here for people who live far away from Jerusalem for whom it would be unfeasible to transport so much produce. Instead they may exchange the produce for money which is then taken to Jerusalem and spent on food. There is a t...

Moses admonishes the Israelites not to be lured by the heathen abominable practices of the Canaanites, and to remain true to the Torah ; neither adding to nor subtracting from its laws. A person professing to be a prophet who claims to bring instructions from G‑d to worship idols must be put to death. This is true even if the individual performs supernatural acts or accurately predicts the future....

Although it is forbidden to offer sacrifices in any location other than the one designated by G‑d, it is permitted to slaughter cattle for consumption purposes, but blood may never be eaten. The consumption of various tithes and sundry sacred foods is also restricted to the designated holy city.

Moses informs the Israelites that they can be the recipients of either blessings or curses — blessings if they obey G‑d's commandments, and curses if they do not. He further instructs them to proclaim blessings on Mount Grizzim and curses on Mount Ebal — the exact procedure of this ceremony will be described in the Ki Tavo Torah reading ( Deuteronomy 27:11 -16). Moses then commands the Israelites...

Moses tells the Israelites that the land of Israel is constantly dependent upon G‑d for irrigating rains, and that the land is constantly under G‑d's watchful eyes. We then read the second paragraph of the Shema prayer. In this section we are admonished to observe G‑d's commandments, which will cause G‑d to supply bountiful rainfall and harvests. Non-observance will lead to exile. We are commanded...