This Week in Learning

Dear Readers, I have historically taken a writing hiatus over the summer. I’m grateful to be able to post a new idea in advance of Rosh HaShanah. Please find my 5785 High Holiday Reader linked and below for a compendium of previous articles. Wishing you and yours a כתיבה וחתימה טובה and a שנה טובה ומתוקה, a sweet new year for us and for all Israel. Sincerely, Ben We may approach the day of Rosh Ha...

Rebbe Akiva is a towering figure in Jewish history. He appears throughout the Talmud, where he is cited for his halakhic opinions and as the central character in many stories. While originally a junior member of the Sages, he eventually becomes the leader of his generation. תלמוד בבלי – יבמות ס"ב אָמְרוּ שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר אָלֶף זוּגִים תַּלְמִידִים הָיוּ לוֹ לְרַבִּי עֲקִיבָא מִגְּבָת עַד אַנְטִיפְרַ...

The Parsha of Kedoshim contains an array of Mitzvot. It begins with the exhortation to the Jewish people to “be holy”. Notably Moshe is told to convey this message to “the entire congregation of the Jewish people”. ויקרא י”ט (ב) דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־כׇּל־עֲדַ֧ת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל וְאָמַרְתָּ֥ אֲלֵהֶ֖ם קְדֹשִׁ֣ים תִּהְי֑וּ כִּ֣י קָד֔וֹשׁ אֲנִ֖י יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃ Vayikra 19 (2) Speak to the entire congr...

The exodus from Egypt was a foundational event in the history of the Jewish people. It transformed us from a family into a nation, from slaves to a people pursuing their own destiny, into a community that affirms the Oneness of God. We acknowledge this event daily, and celebrate it during the holiday of passover. רמב"ם חמץ ומצה ז:א (א) מצות עשה של תורה לספר בניסים ונפלאות שנעשו לאבותינו במצרים בלי...

The Torah provides an elaborate description of the construction of the Mishkan. It includes materials and measurements for the structure itself and the articles inside. Parshat Pekudei provides some accounting. שמות לח:כד (כד) כׇּל־הַזָּהָ֗ב הֶֽעָשׂוּי֙ לַמְּלָאכָ֔ה בְּכֹ֖ל מְלֶ֣אכֶת הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ וַיְהִ֣י׀ זְהַ֣ב הַתְּנוּפָ֗ה תֵּ֤שַׁע וְעֶשְׂרִים֙ כִּכָּ֔ר וּשְׁבַ֨ע מֵא֧וֹת וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֛ים שֶׁ֖קֶל בְּ...

After an assassination plot against the king is revealed, Haman is promoted to Prime Minister. In this capacity, all are required to bow down to him by order of the king. Mordechai refuses to bow down. While Haman doesn’t personally notice, it is brought to his attention and he is furious. אסתר ג (ו) וַיִּ֣בֶז בְּעֵינָ֗יו לִשְׁלֹ֤חַ יָד֙ בְּמׇרְדֳּכַ֣י לְבַדּ֔וֹ כִּֽי־הִגִּ֥ידוּ ל֖וֹ אֶת־עַ֣ם מׇרְ...

The opening scene of the Megilah portrays two elaborate parties hosted by King Achashveirosh, emperor of the Persian empire. The first party of 180 days entertained the nobles. It was political in nature, designed to consolidate his power across 127 provinces. He then hosted a 7-day party for the people of Shushan, his capital city. All were invited to eat and drink in the king’s palace. מגילת אסת...

Moshe’s father-in-law Yitro joins the Jewish people in the desert following the exodus from Egypt. He is overjoyed to hear of the people’s salvation. He brings offerings with Moshe and celebrates with the elders. The following day, he observes Moshe judging the people. He is critical of the procedure and offers Moshe an alternative to be more effective. שמות יח:כ (כ) וְהִזְהַרְתָּ֣ה אֶתְהֶ֔ם אֶת־ה...

When Moshe first approaches Pharaoh, he makes a specific request that the Jewish people be granted 3 days respite to worship in the desert. Pharaoh refuses, and Moshe persists with this request during the debate that takes place throughout the subsequent 10 plagues. When Moshe is first instructed to facilitate the redemption of the Jewish people (3:10), he is told to gather the elders and approach...

The first Pesach offering was conducted on the eve of the exodus from Egypt. The Jewish people were commanded to perform this service in a specific fashion. Some requirements were unique to that first offering, while others remained in effect throughout the generations. שמות יב (מח) וְכִֽי־יָג֨וּר אִתְּךָ֜ גֵּ֗ר וְעָ֣שָׂה פֶ֘סַח֮ לַיהֹוָה֒ הִמּ֧וֹל ל֣וֹ כׇל־זָכָ֗ר וְאָז֙ יִקְרַ֣ב לַעֲשֹׂת֔וֹ וְהָי...

At the end of his life, Yaakov gathers his children together and proffers his last will and testament. The text in the Torah records a statement about each of his children. They include specific qualities about the individual and many hint at events in the future of the Jewish people. בראשית מט – (א) וַיִּקְרָ֥א יַֽעֲקֹ֖ב אֶל־בָּנָ֑יו וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הֵאָֽסְפוּ֙ וְאַגִּ֣ידָה לָכֶ֔ם אֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־יִקְרָ֥א...

After what appeared to be a successful encounter with the Egyptian ruler, the brothers head home to their father Jacob. But after leaving the city limits, they are accused of larceny. Binyamin Is found guilty and condemned to be a slave. The Torah notes that all the brothers tore their garments in mourning and returned to Egypt together (Beresheit 44:13-14). Yehudah then approaches Yosef and makes...

At the beginning of Parshat Miketz, we follow the story of Yosef in Egypt. Pharaoh has dreams which no one can interpret. Yosef is brought from prison to the palace and successfully interprets the dreams. There will be 7 years of plenty followed by 7 years of famine. He then suggests a prudent governmental policy. Pharaoh should store grain during the 7 years of plenty, and distribute it during th...

There is an interesting Gemara in Rosh Hashanah that deal with a particular instance of sanctifying the new moon. תלמוד בבלי – ראש השנה כה. רַבִּי חִיָּיא חַזְיֵיא לְסֵיהֲרָא דַּהֲוָה קָאֵי בְּצַפְרָא דְּעֶשְׂרִים וְתִשְׁעָה שְׁקַל קָלָא פְּתַק בֵּיהּ אֲמַר לְאוּרְתָּא בָּעֵינַן לְקַדּוֹשֵׁי בָּךְ וְאַתְּ קָיְימַתְּ הָכָא זִיל אִיכַּסִּי אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי לְרַבִּי חִיָּיא זִיל לְעֵין טָב וְקַדְּש...

We are confronted with the death of our matriarch Sarah at the beginning of the Parsha. It lists the age at which she died, but does so in a manner that has caught the attention of the commentators and any careful reader. בראשית כג א) וַיִּֽהְיוּ֙ חַיֵּ֣י שָׂרָ֔ה מֵאָ֥ה שָׁנָ֛ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְשֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֑ים שְׁנֵ֖י חַיֵּ֥י שָׂרָֽה Bereisheet (1) And the life of Sarah was one hundred year...

This week’s article in PDF: Recap of articles related to Noach: The moral corruption of the generation of the flood is explicitly outlined by the Torah. The error of the generation that built the Tower of Bavel is not explicit (Beresheit Rabbah 38:6). We know the episode resulted in a dispersion of languages and people. It is natural for groups to form among humans. Specialization is part of the e...

The sounding of the Shofar is a central mitzvah of Rosh Hashanah. The Rambam explains that the institution is designed to wake us from our slumber, from being lost in the fleeting endeavors of our times, to do Teshuva and remember our creator (Laws of Teshuva 3:4). While we are used to seeing the Shofar blown in the context of the synagogue service, it looks slightly different when performed in th...

In the concluding sections of Moshe’s final speech to the Jewish people, he reminds them of the binding covenant between the people and God that spans generations. A promise made to our forefathers playing out in the generation about to enter the land of Israel, extends also to future members of the nations. He warns them about abandoning the covenant, that it will lead to their being expelled fro...

The Parsha of Ki Teitze has the highest density of commandments of any weekly section of the Torah. This expansive set of 74 mitzvot do not appear to be clearly related to one another. A range includes returning lost objects, keeping one’s commitments, and maintaining even weights and measures. It concludes with an obligation to destroy Amalek. The Parsha begins with the laws related to encounteri...

In the Torah-based society, there are different categories of of leaders. Parshat Shoftim discusses judges who determine justice, officials who implement the rulings, and Kohanim serving as spiritual leaders and guides based in the Temple, the paradigm of spiritual leaders throughout the generations. The Torah continues to discuss the role of kings, levites, and prophets. At the end of the Parsha,...

The book of Bemidbar, the fourth of the five books of the Torah, contains an array of historical events. It seems to contrast with the previous book of Vayikra substantially. The transition and progression is not immediately clear. In his introduction to the Book of Bemidbar, the Abarbanel provides an insightful summary of the previous 3 books, and then describes the fourth book. אברבנאל במדבר – ה...

The public reading of the Parsha of Bechukotai is broken up into a series of short sections to begin with, followed by an exceptionally long section. The first sections discuss the material blessings the Jewish people receive as a result of adhering to the Torah. The long section includes a series of curses, rebuke, and consequences if the people do not follow the Torah. This structure is codified...

The system of Torah has many rules that govern monetary transactions. Buying and selling is carefully regulated, including acceptable profit margins. Taking advantage of a buyer’s naïveté is strictly prohibited. רמב"ם מכירה יד (יב) כשם שהונייה במקח וממכר כך הונייה בדברים, שנאמר "ולא תונו איש את עמיתו ויראת מאלהיך אני י"י" (ויקרא כ"ה:י"ז), זו הוניית דברים. (יג) כיצד, היה בעל תשובה, לא יאמר לו, זכור...

The concept of Kedushah, often translated as holiness or distinctiveness is a recurring theme in the middle section of the Book of Vayikra. It is referenced with regard to forbidden relationships, and with regard to the Temple, including its spaces and the Kohanim that serve there. But a single verse Parshat Emor is the foundation of another fundamental expression. ויקרא כב (לב) וְלֹ֤א תְחַלְּלוּ֙...

Justice is a prominent theme in the Torah. There is emphasis not only on justice as an abstract concept but on its implementation. In one instance where the Torah charges us not to distort justice and judgement, we are commanded to operate with even weights and measures. ויקרא יט (לה) לֹא־תַעֲשׂ֥וּ עָ֖וֶל בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֑ט בַּמִּדָּ֕ה בַּמִּשְׁקָ֖ל וּבַמְּשׂוּרָֽה׃ (לו) מֹ֧אזְנֵי צֶ֣דֶק אַבְנֵי־צֶ֗דֶ...