Weekly Newsletter Volume 3, Issue 33

June 24, 2023; 5 Tamuz, 5783

Parsha In this week’s Parsha, Korach led a rebellion against the leadership of Moshe Rabbeinu. The Gemorah in Sanhedrin 109b indicates that Ohn Ben Peles (“Ohn”), who was initially mentioned among those that Korach gathered for his rebellion, was a man of high intellect and of great moral fiber. The Daas Zekainim miBaalei HaTosfos (“Daas Zekanim”) makes the same point in his explanation of the first Possuk (verse) of this week’s Parsha. The Possuk says that Ohn came from the tribe of Reuvain. In a play on words of the name “Reuvain”, the Daas Zekanim says that he was a “Ra’ah V’Haveen” – he saw and understood – i.e. he was a man of great intellect.

That being the case, how could such a highly intelligent individual make such a monumental mistake by joining Korach and his rebellion?...

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Weekly Newsletter Volume 3, Issue 32

June 17, 2023; 28 Sivan, 5783

Parsha In this week’s Parsha, Moshe Rabbeinu agrees to send spies into Eretz Yisrael (Israel) to scout out the land. These spies were the greatest men among the nation, as Rashi points out. And yet, despite being the righteous people that they were, they still returned from their mission with a very negative report about Eretz Yisrael.

The Midrash Rabbah (16:11) points out that there were two sins that the spies committed when they relayed their negative report to Bnei Yisrael (the Jews). They declared:

“And there we saw the Nephilim, the giant sons of Anak, who come of the Nephilim; and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their eyes.” (BaMidbar 13:33)...

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Weekly Newsletter Volume 3, Issue 31

June 10, 2023; 21 Sivan, 5783

Parsha This week’s Parsha begins with the words to be relayed to Aharon, “When you lift up the lamps adjacent to the face of the Menorah, the seven lamps will alight.” (BaMidbar 8:2)

This Passuk (verse) is somewhat enigmatic. It appears to be saying that when Aharon lifts up the lamps to light them, the lamps will light. This would seem to be obvious, so what is the verse really telling us?

The Midrash Rabbah (BaMidbar 15:9) explains this Passuk with a quote from Tehillim (43:3), “Send Your light and Your truth, that they may lead me...” However, this too is perplexing. How does this quote explain the Passuk in this week’s Parsha?...

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