Weekly Parsha Thoughts

The passuk states, “למען ידעו דורותיכם כי בסוכות הושבתי את בני ישראל, in order that your generations shall know that I made Bnei Yisrael dwell in Sukkos.” The Gemara states that there are two possible reasons why we sit in a sukkah.... Read More

At the end of this Parsha Hashem commanded Moshe Rabbeinu to go up to Har Ha’avarim, Har Nevo, “b’etzem hayom haze.” There, Moshe would die and be buried. Rashi writes that there are three places where the Torah states the words “b’etzem... Read More

The passuk states, “and I will get angry on that day… and extreme bad and tzaros will find him…and he will say on that day, ‘is it not because my G-d wasn’t with me that these occurred.’” Hashem says, “And I will... Read More

The passuk states, “I am calling upon the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you; I have put before you (a choice of) life or death, the bracha or klalah, and you shall choose life…” Rashi writes that the heavens and... Read More

The beginning of this Parsha speaks about the mitzvah of Bikurim. The Mishna teaches that rich people would bring their Bikurim in beautiful silver and gold baskets while the poor people would bring their Bikurim in baskets of arava (willow) wood, which... Read More

One of the mitzvos in this parsha warns about plowing with an ox and donkey together. The Ba’al HaTurim writes that the reason for this is because an ox which is a kosher animal, chews its cud; however, the donkey, a non-kosher... Read More