Weekly Parsha Thoughts

The passuk states זאת חקת התורה this is the chok of the Torah. What does חקת mean and what does it refer to? Onkelos often translates חוק as קים, statute; here he translates as גזירה, decree. Rashi explains that a חוק is... Read More

The passuk states that Moshe took out all the staffs from before Hashem, “ויראו ויקחו איש מטהו and they saw and a man took his staff.” Onkelos translates the word ויראו “and they recognized,” each man recognized his own staff. The Nefesh... Read More

The Ramban understands that there are two independent mitzvos with challah. One is to separate challah, as it statesראשית עריסותיכם חלה תרימו תרומה  the first of your doughs raise up a terumah. This separation removes the issur tevel, making the rest of... Read More

The passuk states concerning the seventy elders, “ואצלתי מן הרוח אשר עליך ושמתי עליהם” which Onkelos and Rashi explain, “and I will increase from the spirit which is upon you and I will place upon them.” Here Onkelos translates the lashon of... Read More

The passuk states regarding a sotah אם לא שכב… הנקי ממי המרים המאררים האלה. Rashi explains: this is an oath which is conditional; אם לא שכב, if a man did not lay with you, then הנקי, you will be innocent. However שכב... Read More

The Mishnah teaches that there the world is judged four time: on Pesach, Shavuos, Rosh Hashanah, and Sukkos.  On the Yom Tov of Shavuos we are judged for the fruits of the trees. The Gemara explains that the Torah commands us to... Read More