V’zot HaBrakha: And to There You Shall Not Pass
byThe task of all the generations following Moshe (including our own) is to manifest & illuminate all of the powerful ideas hidden in Israel’s Torah.
Culture
Sukkot: Pesaḥ for the Nations
byIf the Torah shows us Sukkot taking place during the Exodus from Egypt, why do the children of Israel delay its celebration for a full six months?
Ha’azinu: The Radiance is Yours
byThe prophetic message of the Ha’azinu Torah portion clarifies the complicated relationship between Israel’s behavior & our inner Segula.
Vayeilekh: Who Transmitted the Torah?
byThere appears to be a contradiction between the words of our sages in Pirkei Avot & in the Talmud.
Nitzavim: Which Tshuva?
byApproaching the individual tshuva of observing the Torah’s commandments as a deeper expression of Israel’s national tshuva is what actually protects us from lapsing back into our misguided former ways.
Ki Tavo: Torah from the Earth
byTorat Eretz Yisrael stems from earthliness, from life itself, without any feelings of external coercion.
Ki Tetzei: The Master of War
byCoping with the difficult reality of our wars & their relevant laws elevates us to higher ethical horizons.
Shoftim: Why Two Torah Scrolls?
byThe Torah of the king allows us to experience Divine revelation through national & international affairs.
R’eh: Sons for All Eternity
byWhen the children of Israel choose to conduct ourselves according to the Torah – according to our true inner nature – we reveal & express the inherent holiness of the segula in our collective soul.
Ekev: Right to the Land
byIf 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
byA 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
byUnlike Kalev, who believed in the power of the people to rise up & wage war, Moshe believed that Israel required miraculous assistance to succeed.