13 Lessons
Parashat Hashavua: Recipe for Increasing Light
Rabbi Yossef Carmel | Sivan 5785
Like the Levites, Teachers Must be Raised Up!
Rabbi Yossef Carmel | Sivan 12 5783
Choosing Seventy Leaders
Hashem told Moshe that he should gather 70 men whom he knew to be among the leaders of the people.
Rabbi Yossef Carmel | Sivan 8 5782
It’s Good to Be Second or Small
Our parasha deals with the lot of those who lost the opportunity to offer the Korban Pesach on time. The Torah describes these people as having been impure due to “nefesh adam”. Hashem’s solution was that these people should offer the Korban Pesach a month later.
Rabbi Yossef Carmel | Sivan 14 5781
Humble, Majestic Sounds
Rabbi Yossef Carmel | Sivan 10 5780
Each Man under his Grapevine and Fig Tree – When?
The parasha and the haftara share the theme of a gold menora. In the parasha, it is an actual menora, of the Mishkan/Beit Hamikdash (Bamidbar 8:2-4). In the haftara, it is a prophetic vision that represents the emerging leadership in the community that returned to Zion after the destruction of the first Temple, who were involved in the rebuilding of the Temple (Zecharia 4:2-3). Even though this haftara is also read on the Shabbat of Chanuka, we have proved elsewhere that there is no connection between that menora and the events of Chanuka.
Rabbi Yossef Carmel | Sivan 10 5779
About the Kushite Woman
The Torah states that Aharon and Miriam’s negative speech about Moshe had to with the isha kushit (simple translation being, the Kushite woman) that he took (Bamidbar 12:1-3). Several years ago, we discussed the opinions in Chazal that there was nothing derogatory about her being a Kushite, and actually to the contrary. However, there are some Rishonim who see in this matter a point of contention against Moshe and his wife, who left her father’s home to follow Moshe into the desert.
Rabbi Yossef Carmel | Sivan 15 5778
Do War and Happiness Go Together?
The Torah, in our parasha, discusses uses of the chatzotrot (trumpets) that Moshe made. After mentioning their use in war (Bamidbar 10:9), it says: “On the day of your joy, your special days, and your new months, you shall blow the trumpets over your offerings” (ibid. 10). Is there a connection between wars and days of joy? Also, what is this day of happiness, if the yamim tovim are referred to with the next word? The Sifrei (Bamidbar 77) brings two opinions: Shabbat (during the time of the Shabbat offerings); the daily set offerings. The Ibn Ezra explains that the trumpet blasts that were done on Shabbat during the offerings made the people concentrate on their connection to Hashem.
Rabbi Yossef Carmel | Sivan 10 5777
Menora or Chanukiya?
Rabbi Yossef Carmel | 5774
Cloud and Fire – Rachamim and Din
Rabbi Yossef Carmel | 5772
An Individual Who is a Community
The mishkan (Sanctuary) gave an opportunity for the public “display” of the Divine Presence.
Rabbi Yossef Carmel
Seventy Points of View
Parashat Beha'alotcha
Parashat Beha'alotcha
Rabbi Yossef Carmel | 5766