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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bamidbar
- Matot
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bamidbar
- Masei
But wait: Didn’t we cover this subject last week, in parshat Pinchas? So why do it again? Not just that; this is actually the very last item in the entire sefer, a kind of signature on the whole book! What is so all-important about it?
I suggest to you that the heroism of the B’not Z’lafchad is a tikun, (correction), a cure & a Kappara (atonement) for all the manifold maladies of Sefer Bamidbar.
You see, the Torah really should have consisted of 3 books, not five. It should have ended after Vayikra; after we had left Egypt, received the Torah, built the Mishkan & appointed the Kohanim & the Sanhedrin. We should have marched straight to Israel, conquered it, & set up shop as a nation. But alas, it all broke down rather disastrously.
This breakdown is manifested in 3 ways: We rebelled against G-d, when we complained about all He was doing for us, grousing about the shortage of meat & water and even about the miraculous Mahn! We rebelled against Moshe, in the popular but ill-fated Korach-ian rebellion against Moshe’s leadership. And we rebelled against the Land of Israel itself, in the outrageous negative report of the m’raglim - spies, to which we tragically subscribed.
Comes the B’not Z’lafchad to correct, with their petition, all these flaws in our national character. Machla, Noa, Chagla, Tirza, & Milka complain that they, too, want a share in the Land. But this is the exact kind of complaint which Hashem loves, like the teacher who is thrilled when his student demands extra homework or begs to be allowed into the after-school math club. Their decidedly positive plea makes up for all the previous, negative ones.
The ladies show their loyalty to Moshe by bringing their petition straight to him, trusting fully in his wisdom & guidance. They specifically point out that their family had no part whatsoever in Korach’s mutiny. And of course, they show their great love for Eretz Yisrael, in their determination to receive an equal share of the Land.
This is why the story of B’not Z’lafchad is given such prominence & why it was chosen to end the Sefer. It rights all the wrongs & allows us to conclude Sefer Bamidbar on a very upbeat note. Note that the initials of these 5 women form the word "Minchatam," literally, "their offering." It is indeed a marvelous offering for the ages.
P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Realtor’s Fee on Large Commercial Building – part I
(based on ruling 85031 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Rabbis in Midrash
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The Month of Elul TESHUVA IS THE ANSWER
The month of Elul serves as a vital time for self-reflection and personal accountability to prepare for true repentance.
P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Realtor’s Fee on Large Commercial Building – part I
(based on ruling 85031 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
(based on ruling 85031 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
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Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 263 (address at the laying of the cornerstone of the Yeshiva Chakla’it in Kfar Haroeh)
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 263 (address at the laying of the cornerstone of the Yeshiva Chakla’it in Kfar Haroeh)
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Parshat Re'eh
Judaism is against extremism, so how can we understand the seemingly extreme statements found in our sages in favor of living in the Land of Israel and against living in Chutz laAretz? The article deals with the seeming contradiction between the strength of Free-Will and the strength of being influenced by our surroundings.
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Parshat Eikev
Description: The 7 Haftarot we read after Tisha B'Av ("Shiva D'Nichemta") surely get us excited that they're coming TRUE, and awaken us to yearn, dance & join the return to Zion! The short article also deals with the problems and solutions facing the American Jewish community as discussed at a recent panel, as well as the question why Jews come from America to Israel to help when we face problems, but Israelis don't come to aid Jews in America when they face anti-Semitism.
P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Complaints about Contractor’s Work – part II
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: Twin Foundations
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
D'varim Judaism’s Social Vision
Re’eh
Giving is more than an act of generosity—it is an essential part of human dignity that belongs to everyone, rich and poor alike. The ultimate goal of help is to empower others to stand on their own.
