Category: Uncategorized

  • The 9th of Av and the Cities of Refuge

    The problem with an accidental killing is that someone died. That this comes during the week of the 9th of Av teaches us that we have to be careful with how we react to commandments of man to man.

  • The Reason For Our Woes

    The ancients believed if they lost a war it was because their gods were weak. The Jews took the exact opposite view. We lost wars because we did not behave properly one to the other, that it was a punishment from God.

  • Justice Must Be Pure

    The Torah admonishes judges numerous times about being careful in judgement. That they cannot be concerned over the social or economic status of those before them pervert their judgement. They can only deal with the law.

  • Leaders Need Wisdom

    The Torah informs us that our leaders need wisdom. Knowledge was not a prerequisite since people with knowledge but no wisdom make bad judgements. But people with wisdom know how to apply knowledge.

  • Why We Go To War

    When Moses is recounting the wars that we had to fight he points out that we went to war to defend our people and mission. We do not go to war to conquer others. We try for peace.

  • Remembering Our Mission

    Moses’s recounting of the events after the Exodus is meant to remind us of our mission, which is to serve God on both a religious and moral level. He reminds us that without one the other does not work.

  • Count Your Blessings

    The bad report of the emissaries was on the 9th of Av. God declared that since we cried about nothing on that day we would have something to cry about in the future.

  • Moses’s Long Good-Bye

    The Book of Deuteronomy is Moses going over the history of the Jews after leaving Egypt. He especially warns the Jews what will happen if they do not follow the laws in the Torah.

  • The High Priest & Accidents

    When an accidental killing occurs then the one responsible has to go to a city of refuge until the death of the High Priest. The reason, if the High Priest had done his job correctly then the accidental killing would not have occurred.

  • Remember What’s Important

    When the tribes of Reuben & Gad state that they will assist in conquering the Land but first they have to take care of their livestock and families, Moses reverses the order to show that families come first even before business.