Ekev: Right to the Land
If the land was given to Israel due to the righteousness of our ancestors, are later generations required to maintain at least a minimum level of righteousness in order to remain?
V’et’ḥanan: Levels of Love
A person who truly recognizes that ‘HaShem is One’ lights up with an inner glow that causes the people he interacts with to also love the Creator.
D’varim: A New Order
Unlike Kalev, who believed in the power of the people to rise up & wage war, Moshe believed that Israel required miraculous assistance to succeed.
Matot: Talking to the Creator
Our speech is not merely a natural skill but actually an extension of the Divine speech of the Creator.
Pinḥas: The Festivals & their Korbanot
The set order of Divine guidance is revealed through festivals on our calendar & their unique korbanot.
Balak: Bilaam & Nietzsche
Great hostility towards the nation of Israel manifests at historical moments when we prepare to assume a serious leadership role on the world stage.
Ḥukat: The Logic of the Red Heifer
Purification from the impurity of death is achieved through the mysterious ritual of the Red Heifer.
Koraḥ: He Saw Shmuel
Shmuel might’ve superficially appeared to institute Koraḥ’s ideal anarchistic society. But his actions ultimately led to stronger national institutions.
Shlaḥ Lekha: Good Intentions
Due to their deep love & genuine concern for the people of Israel, the spies committed a terrible transgression that still holds lessons for us today.
B’haalotkha: Redemption from Below
A second chance is offered for one very important mitzvah because being part of the nation of Israel requires one to deeply self-identify as having been personally liberated from slavery in Egypt.
Nasso: Near & Far
The Torah’s different ways of addressing the personal crises people face might carry a dangerous side effect of too heavily focussing on the individual.
Bamidbar: The Collective & the Individual
When confronting the challenges of Bamidbar, the Torah strikes a balance between the value of the individual & the importance of the collective.