Why does the Torah introduce the laws of vows at the very moment the Jewish people are preparing to enter the Land of Israel? The Torah opens Parshas Matos with the following command: “If a man takes a vow to Hashem or swears an oath to establish a prohibition upon himself, he shall not desecrate his word; according to whatever comes from his mouth shall he do.” (Bamidbar 30:3). At first glance, this section seems out of place. The closing chapters of Sefer Bamidbar focus alm

We learn the laws of inheritance from a simple request made by five sisters. The Torah tells us that the daughters of Zelophehad, whose father died without leaving any sons, approached Moshe and asked: "Why should the name of our father be omitted from among his family because he had no son? Give us a possession among our father's brothers." (Bamidbar 27:3–4) They longed to inherit their father's portion in the Land of Israel, even though the prevailing laws of inheritance pr