Near the end of Parshat Chukat (Bamidbar 21:29) we read about Moav’s defeat: Woe to you, O Moav, you are destroyed, people of Chemosh, he rendered your sons as refugees, and your daughters as captives, of Sichon, King of Emori. Ramban explains that the people of...
In Honor of Sharona and Josh Halickman’s 28th Wedding AnniversaryNachal Zered is mentioned in both Parshat Chukat and in Parshat Dvarim.Let’s take a look at the first passage (Bamidbar 21:11-12):They (B’nai Yisrael) journeyed from Ovot and...
Sponsored by Sharona & Josh Halickman on their 27th Wedding AnniversaryIn Parshat Chukat, Moshe sends messengers to the king of Edom (Esav’s descendant) to see if he will let B’nai Yisrael pass through his land. Before the messengers make the...
After B’nai Yisrael were saved by the splitting of the sea, Moshe and B’nai Yisrael sang “Az Yashir” to praise God for miraculously delivering them from the hands of the Egyptians. “Az Yashir” is recited daily as part of the...
War, violent teenagers, divorce, negligence, rape, mistreatment of the weaker populations, crooked courts…These sound like the headlines of newspapers across the world today.These relevant topics and many more are found in Parshat Ki Tetze. The parsha...
In Parshat Chukat (Bamidbar 20:22-29), we read about the death of Moshe’s brother, Aharon. God informs Moshe that Aharon is about to die. Moshe is instructed to take Aharon and his son Elazar to the top of Hor HaHar. At that point, Moshe takes off...
In Honor of Sharona and Josh Halickman’s 25th Wedding AnniversaryIn Parshat Beshalach (Shmot 17), one month after B’nai Yisrael left Egypt, they camped at Refidim and complained that they wanted water. God told Moshe to take some of the elders of Israel...
In Parshat Chukat (Bamidbar 20:7-8), God asked Moshe to speak to the rock so that it may bring forth water. However, Moshe hit the rock instead of speaking to it. In verse 12, God said to Moshe and Aharon, “Because you did not believe in Me to sanctify Me in...
While teaching a class this week I was asked the following question: "Why hasn't the Mashiach (Messiah) arrived yet?"I explained that the process of the geula (redemption) according to Rav Kook is a slow process which unfolds gradually in small steps. Part of the...
In the Haftara of Parshat Chukat, which was read last Shabbat in Israel and which will be read this Shabbat outside of Israel, we read the beginning of the story of Yiftach (Jephte) the judge and his famous vow (Shoftim 11:30) “If you will indeed...
In the Haftara for Parshat Chukat we read the story of Yiftach (Jephte), Shoftim Chapter 11. In sentences 30-31 Yiftach makes a vow: Yiftach declared a vow to God and said, “If you will indeed deliver the Children of Amon into my hand then it shall be...
In Parshat Chukat, Bamidbar, 21:1-3 we read: “And the Cnaanite King of Arad who lived in the Negev (South) heard that B’nai Yisrael had come by the route of Atarim, he fought against Yisrael and took some of them as prisoners. Yisrael made a vow to God...
In Honor of Sharona & Josh Halickman’s 18th Anniversary (5th of Tamuz) In Parshat Chukat, Bamidbar 20:14-21, Moshe sent emissaries from Kadesh to the King of Edom (the descendents of Esav) asking him if B’nail Yisrael could pass through their...
In Parshat Chukat, Bamidbar 21:5, we read: “The people spoke out against God and Moshe, ‘Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no food and no water, and we are disgusted with this lechem haklokel (rotten...
In the Haftara for Parshat Chukat, we read the story of Jephte (Shoftim 11:1-33), a Judge who made a neder, a vow to God saying (Shoftim 11:30): “If you will indeed deliver B’nai Yisrael into my hand, then it shall be that whatever emerges- what will...
Sponsored by Sharona and Josh Halickman in Honor of their 16th Wedding Anniversary Living in Israel we get used to speaking Hebrew. After a while, we begin to take the Hebrew language for granted. Of course there is a Hebrew word for bicycle, doll, ice...
Sponsored by Send A Sefer (www.sendasefer.com) where you can send Jewish Books (Hebrew, English or French), Talitot, Tzizit, P'til Techelet, Mezuzas, Megilot & Tefillin to someone special in Israel! For a Bar- Mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah, Birthdays,...
In Parshat Chukat we see Moshe’s tireless efforts to make peace with the nations surrounding the Land of Israel. First Moshe sent messengers to ask the king of Edom if B’nai Yisrael could peacefully pass through their land. Edom’s response was...
In Parshat Chukat we read about the deaths of both Miriam and Aharon.Miraim's death is recorded in Bamidbar 20:1: "The entire community of B'nai Yisrael came to the wilderness of Tzin in the first month. They settled in Kadesh and Miriam died and was buried...
After Miriam’s death, there was no more water left for B’nai Yisrael to drink. B’nai Yisrael complained to Moshe. God told Moshe to take his staff and assemble the community and speak to the rock and the rock will give forth water. Moshe took the...