The parasha of Vayishlach opens with the long-awaited reunion of Ya’akov and Esav. To Ya’akov’s consternation, he learns that Esav is not...

Ya’akov followed his father’s instruction and headed for the home of his uncle, Lavan. As he arrived in Haran, he asked the shepherds...

With the parasha of Toldot, the second patriarch, Yitzhak, takes centre stage. This new phase of Jewish history is introduced with the...

Sarah has died. Avraham has to purchase an eternal resting place for her, which will become the first piece of the land of Israel to...

Towards the end of the parasha of Vayera, just prior to the drama of the akeida, Avraham settles in Beer Sheva. וַיִּטַּע אֶשֶׁל בִּבְאֵר...

Avraham’s early days in Israel are beset by challenges. After being forced to flee to Egypt in order to avoid a famine, he returns to an...

And so the work of creation was completed. As we read from the parasha of Bereishit, in the words that are familiar from Friday night...

Vezot Habracha. The final Parasha. The last moment of Moshe’s life. יָּמׇת שָׁם מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד ה׳ בְּאֶרֶץ מוֹאָב עַל פִּי ה׳. וַיִּקְבֹּר...

The final mitzvah of the Torah is found in the parasha of Vayelech. Having introduced the “song” that will constitute nearly all of the...

The parasha of Ki Tavo includes a detailed description of the first act that the Jewish people are to perform upon entering the land of...

Amongst the very many mitzvot found in the parasha of Ki Tetze, we find this (Devarim 23:4-5): (ד) לֹא יָבֹא עַמּוֹנִי וּמוֹאָבִי...

The parasha of Shoftim details many judicial institutions and practices that the Jewish people are commanded to establish on entering the...

This essay is dedicated in honour of the yahrzeit of my mother, Ann Kennard, Chanah bat Yosef, which falls this coming Wednesday night...

The second paragraph of the Shema, which appears towards the end of the parasha of Ekev, describes the dangerous consequences of turning...

As a critical part of preparing the people for entering the land of Israel. Moshe warns them that there will come a time of failure, or...

Parashat Devarim opens the new sefer, which is, in many respects, an elucidation of the mitzvot (some new, some previously listed in...

The last section of the parasha of Mattot describes how the tribes of Reuven and Gad asked Moshe for permission to settle on the...

The Jewish people are presented with a stark choice – prosperity or destruction. In the opening words of the sedra of “Re’eh”, Moses...

The sedra of Va-etchanan continues the final speech that Moshe gave to the Jewish people prior to his death. In this section, he recalls...

Chukat This week’s sedra describes some of the events of the fortieth and final year of the Israelites’ journeying through the desert....