Numbers 22:2–25:9 Parashat Balak brings us to the account where Gentile kings and pagan prophets attempt to manipulate divine reality, only to discover the unassailable sovereignty of Mar-Yah, the Most High. Situated on the cusp of Israel’s entrance into the Promised Land, this section of Bamidbar unfolds an encounter between Balak, king of Moab, and […]
Commentary on Parashat Chukat
Bamidbar (Numbers) 19:1–22:1 The parashah opens with the phrase “זֹאת חֻקַּת הַתּוֹרָה” — “This is the statute of the Torah…” (Numbers 19:2). The Hebrew word chok implies an edict or ordinance whose reason is not revealed. In contrast to mishpatim (judgments) that appeal to reason, chukkim are decrees given purely by the authority of Mar-Yah […]
Commentary on Parashat Korach
Numbers 16:1-18:32 Parashat Korach is one of the most arresting narratives within the wilderness journey of the children of Israel, for it lays bare the anatomy of rebellion—not merely political dissent, but spiritual insubordination. It exposes the dangers of ungrounded egalitarianism divorced from divine order and vocation. It also affirms Mar-Yah’s sanctification of priesthood, and […]
Commentary on Parashat Sh’lach
Numbers 13:1-15:41 “Send for yourself men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel.” (Numbers 13:2) Parashat Sh’lach (“send for yourself”) provides for us one of the most poignant and tragic narratives in the Aurayta (Torah) – the sending of the twelve spies into the Land of […]
Commentary on Parashat Beha’alotcha
Numbers 8:1-12:16 Parashat Beha’alotcha contains various narratives and mitzvoth, themes of consecration, purification, divine order, human frailty, and the enduring mercy of Mar-Yah. The Parashah begins with the kindling of the menorah, symbolic of divine illumination and the sanctification of the inner life, and concludes with the prophetic emergence of seventy elders, a mirror of […]
Commentary on Parashat Nasso
Parashat Nasso (consisting of Numbers 4:21–7:49) is rich in detail, scope, and theological significance. The portion continues the themes inaugurated in Bamidbar, refining the organisation of the wilderness camp and emphasising the sanctity, purity, and devotion required for Israel’s journey toward the Promised Land. Parashat Nasso interweaves laws concerning Levitical responsibilities, communal purity, marital fidelity, […]
Commentary on Parashat Bamidbar
Parashat Bamidbar (Numbers 1:1–4:20) inaugurates Sefer Bamidbar—literally, “In the Wilderness”—known in English as the Book of Numbers. Yet the Hebrew title is more than a geographical note; it is a spiritual metaphor. The wilderness (midbar) is the theatre of divine pedagogy, covenantal testing, and the shaping of identity. It is here, in the crucible of […]
Commentary on Parashat Behar-Bechukotai
Leviticus 25:1-27:34 Parashat Behar-Bechukotai, comprising the final double portion of Vayikra, encompasses a richly textured matrix of mitzvoth, divine assurances, and warnings, through which the identity of Israel as a holy people consecrated unto Mar-Yah is further refined. Here, within these sacred ordinances, the covenantal dynamics between Mar-Yah and Israel are revealed in legal, theological, […]
Commentary on Parashat Emor
Torah Reading: Leviticus 21:1–24:23 This Sabbath’s Parashah opens with a solemn charge to the kohanim, beginning with a clear delineation of the boundaries of ritual purity and conduct. Mar-Yah commands Moshe to say to the priests. “Speak to the priests the sons of Aaron, and say to them, There shall none be defiled for the […]
Commentary on Parashat Achrei Mot–Kedoshim
We will consider Achrei Mot–Kedoshim, a double portion that encompasses the holy commands found in Vayiqra (Lev. 16:1–20:27), chapters 16 through 20. These passages form a foundational pillar of righteousness for the remnant, that we might walk in the path of separation from the defilements of the nations and in the light of the presence […]