This week’s portion opens with the words, “And it will be when you heed these ordinances” (Deut. 7:12). The subsequent verses proceed to relate all of the blessings that G-d will grant the Jewish people for upholding the commandments. The term “eikev,” which our portion is named after, is typically ...

The renowned American psychologist, Gordon Allport, once stated that as soon as scientific findings contradict concepts or ideas held in a given faith or religious scripture, that faith or scripture is no longer relevant. In this week’s Torah portion entitled VaEtchanan, Moshe continues his final address to the people before ...

This week we begin the fifth and final book of the Torah, Devarim or Deuteronomy. This book is called by the sages “Mishneh Torah” or the “reiteration of the Torah.” Just before Moses passes away and the Jews begin the conquest of the Land of Israel, Moses chooses – as ...

The son of the king was terribly sick. After the top doctors examined the boy they came to the conclusion that there was one remedy that could save the prince; they needed a certain enzyme produced by a rare fish. Immediately, the king dispatched an emissary to procure the enzyme. ...

This week we read the Torah portion of Pinchas. We recall that in last week’s portion, entitled “Balak,” Bilaam was hired by the King of Moav to curse the Jewish people. Bilaam was unsuccessful. Nevertheless, at the conclusion of the portion he comes up with an alternative plan. He advises ...

This week we read the Torah portion of Balak. At the conclusion of the last Torah portion, Israel sent out messengers to the Amorite nation asking for permission to pass through their land. They swore that they would not put the Amorites out in the slightest by using any of ...

This week in Israel we read the Torah portion of Chukat. We are taught of the parah adumah, the red heifer. Should an individual or group be impure due to exposure to a corpse, the Torah species a special ritual by which the priest would take a “perfectly red unblemished ...