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Recent Lessons

Iyar 27 5781 | Rabbi Ari Shvat
Remembering the 6 Day War- Yom Yerushalayim & Declaring New Holidays
It sounds complicated to declare new holidays, but it's actually not at all. Similarly to allow haircuts and music during the Omer also is simple. Just declaring Hallel with a bracha is more complicated, but an historic return to the forgotten background of the "6 Day War" helps clarify that, as well.
The Obligation of Thanking Hashem Jerusalem Day
45 min
Iyar 25 5781 | Rabbi Azriel Ariel
Translated by Hillel Fendel Jerusalem Day: Some Stones Are Hearts
The Western Wall looks simply like a big and menacing block of rocks. One must look with penetrating eyes to sense what it really expresses: the longing of dozens of generations, the prayers of our forefathers and foremothers, and the joy of all those who commemorated their happy occasions there over the course of centuries.
Jerusalem Day
Iyar 25 5781 | Rabbi Ari Shvat
Ein Aya Shabbat 2, 276 Give Space Before Harmonizing
Rav Kook teaches that opposing legitimate ideals inevitably first appear as contradictory, but eventually harmonize with each other. So by all partnerships and inter-personal and relationships, as well as ideological rabbinic machloket.
Ein Aya Ein Aya on Lag Ba'Omer
32 min
Iyar 25 5781 | Rabbi Stewart Weiss
The Halacha Named for a Thief!
What Halachic principle is, strangely, named after a thief?
Preparations for Shabbat, Entrance and Exit
Iyar 25 5781 | Rabbi Stewart Weiss
A Tale of Two Mountains
This Shabbat, we find ourselves between two staggering events: the tragedy at Har Meron last Friday, and Yom Yerushalayim this Sunday night and Monday. Two mountains, steeped in Jewish history, associated with the most significant personalities and pathos: Avraham, Yitzchak and Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.
Bechukotai Jerusalem Day

Beit Midrash Torah Portion and Tanach Bamidbar

Balak

Parashat Hashavua - Torah Portion - Balak

Tamuz 11 5780 | Rabbi Haggai Lundin
A Very Pessimistic Man
Balak
Tamuz 10 5780 | Baruch Gordon
You May Need (Israel) Glasses
A look into the story of Bilaam in this week's Torah reading of Balak which explains the importance of seeing the Jewish People and the Land of Israel with an Ayin Tova - a positive outlook.
Balak
4 min
Tamuz 10 5780 | Rabbi Stewart Weiss
Einstein on the Parsha
Balak
Tamuz 9 5780 | Rabbi Berel Wein
Balak
Balak
Tamuz 8 5780 | Rabbi Yossef Carmel
Vote Nedivei Am for the Knesset
Parashat Hashavua Balak
Tamuz 6 5780 | Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
The Hidden Meaning of the Bilam Story
Covenant & Conversation Balak
Tamuz 15 5779 | Rabbi Benjamin Sipzner
Parashat Balak
The speech of Bilam's donkey and things that were created during the twilight zone.
Balak
13 min
Tamuz 6 5779 | Rabbi Stewart Weiss
From Curses to Blessing
Balak
Tamuz 5 5779 | Rabbi Yossef Carmel
Why to Be Afraid or Not Be Afraid of Og, and Who Killed the Giants? – part II
Last week we saw that the giants were a prominent regional phenomenon for hundreds of years. They are first mentioned, with the name nefilim, already early in history, in Parashat Bereishit (Bereishit 6:4). We find at the time of Avraham that the four Mesopotamian kings killed out most of them, with Og being the remnant (see ibid. 14:5). When the spies returned from the Land of Canaan, they highlighted the presence of the three sons of the giant in Chevron (Bamidbar 13:22-33). On the way to Eretz Yisrael, the nation encountered Og, whose stature was described in great detail. In Devarim (2:10-11; ibid. 20-21), the relationship between the various groups of giants and the nations of Ammon and Moav is spelled out. When the navi describes the battles of Yehoshua after Bnei Yisrael crossed into the Land, the giants are once again stressed. They were removed from the whole country except for the area of Azza, Gat, and Ashdod, which would be known as the Land of the Plishtim (Yehoshua 11:18-22). Kalev asked as a reward for his valor in standing up to the spies to receive Chevron, so that he could (and did) remove the three giants (ibid. 15:14). David’s family and servants ended the era of the giants in Eretz Yisrael (Shmuel II, 21:16-21).
Parashat Hashavua Balak
Tamuz 4 5779 | Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
Not Reckoned Among the Nations
Covenant & Conversation Balak
Tamuz 15 5778 | Rabbi Stewart Weiss
ADVERSARIES & ADMIRATION
Balak
Tamuz 15 5778 | Rabbi Yirmiyohu Kaganoff
Where Should I Pray?
Shul Balak
Tamuz 15 5778 | Rabbi Yossef Carmel
Wicked Wizard or Prophet?
Who (or what) was Bilam really? The commentaries have always dealt with this thorny issue. On the pasuk, “Another prophet like Moshe never arose in Israel, whom Hashem knew face to face” (Devarim 34:10), Chazal (Sifrei , V’zot Haberacha 357:10) derived an extremely positive appraisal: “While in Israel there was not as great as Moshe, among the nations there was Bilam.” The difference is that Moshe did not know Who was speaking to him, and Bilam did know; Moshe did not know when Hashem would speak to him and Bilam did know. To put things in perspective, they explained that Bilam knew so much, just like a royal chef knows about the ins and outs of the goings on of the king’s kitchen – without being an important officer. In this vein, Moshe is uniquely described as, “in My house, he is trusted” (Bamidbar 12:7).
Parashat Hashavua Balak
Tamuz 15 5778 | Rabbi Daniel Kirsch
Balak 5778 At The Shabbat Table
Balak
Iyar 17 5778 | Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
A People that Dwells Alone
Covenant & Conversation Balak
Tammuz 11 5777 | Rabbi Yirmiyohu Kaganoff
Shul Shaylos - The Rulings of the Gadol of Brownsville
Shul Balak
Tammuz 9 5777 | Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
A People That Dwells Alone
Covenant & Conversation Balak
Tammuz 9 5777 | Rabbi Daniel Mann
Kabbalat Shabbat of Part of the Community
My community has a small minyan for Kabbalat Shabbat that accepts Shabbat early, and no second minyan (there is a larger minyan for the rest of Shabbat). Must I accept Shabbat at the time the early minyan does, which is sometimes difficult for me?
Balak
Tammuz 9 5777 | Rabbi Yossef Carmel
Navi of Modern Zionism
Jewish communities have the minhag to read ch. 5-6 of Micha as the haftara of Parashat Balak. The simple explanation is that in this section, the navi mentions Balak and Bilam and their plot to destroy Bnei Yisrael, which Hashem foiled. We would like to suggest an additional rationale.
Balak Parashat Hashavua
Tammuz 4 5776 | Rabbi Shaul Yisraeli zt"l
Treated Like a Son – For Better and Worse
An entire parasha is dedicated to the story of Bilam and his blessings. What is the reason that Hashem decided it is so important to us?
Parashat Hashavua Balak