This week’s parsha introduces the 613 th , final mitzvah of the Torah: Hakhel (some count it as the 612th): “ Moshe commanded them, saying: ‘At the end of seven years, at the conclusion of the Sabbatical year, during the festival of Succos, when all Israel comes to appear before Hashem your God in the place that He will choose, you shall read this Torah before all Israel in their ears. Gather together the people—the men, the women, and the small children, and the stranger i

As we approach Rosh Hashanah, the Torah speaks to us about teshuvah , the process of returning to Hashem: “It will be that when all...

This week’s parsha describes a dramatic ceremony the Jewish people were to perform upon entering the Land of Israel. Six tribes would ascend Har Gerizim, and six would ascend Har Eival. From the valley below, the Kohanim and Levi’im would proclaim a series of blessings and curses. Each time they faced Har Gerizim, they declared a blessing, and the people responded “Amen.” Then they turned to Har Eival and proclaimed the corresponding curse, and again the people answered “Amen

In this week’s parsha, the Torah commands: “Take heed in the plague of tzara῾at, that thou observe diligently, and do according to all that the priests the Levites shall teach you: as I commanded them, so you shall observe to do. Remember what Hashem your G-d did to Miriam by the way, after you had come out of Egypt.” (Devarim 24:7-8). It is significant that these two verses are written in the Torah as one complete paragraph, set apart from the surrounding text. What is

When the Torah describes the laws of going out to war, it lists several exemptions for soldiers: One who has built a new house and not dedicated it, planted a new vineyard, or became engaged to be married. Yet, the Torah adds one unusual exemption: And the officers shall speak further to the people, and they shall say, ‘What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go and return to his house, lest his brethren’s heart melt like his heart.’” (Devarim 20:8).

This week’s parsha opens with a stark choice: “Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; a blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day: and a curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which you have not known.” (Devarim 11:26-28). At first glance, the choice seems obvious. Who would ever choose a curse over

In this week’s parsha, Moshe addresses the nation on the brink of entering the Land of Israel: “Hear, O Israel, today you cross the Jordan, to come and drive out nations that are greater and mightier than you, cities that are great and fortified up to the heavens… But you know that today that Hashem your G-d – He crosses before you, a consuming fire: He will destroy them and He will subjugate them before you. (Devarim 9:1-3). Moshe tells the people that despite the might of

In this week’s parsha, Moshe tells the Bnai Yisroel that the nations of the world will hear about the decrees of the Torah, and they will say: “Surely a wise and discerning people is this great nation!” (Devarim 4:6). Moshe explains the reason for this admiration: “For which is a great nation that has a G-d Who is close to it, as is Hashem our G-d, whenever we call to him? And which is a great nation that has righteous decrees and ordinances (חוקים ומשפטים), such as this enti

When Moshe revisits the tragedy of the Spies in this week’s parsha, he recalls how the people rebelled after hearing the spies’ report: “You slandered in your tents and said, ‘Because of Hashem’s hatred for us did He take us out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorite to destroy us.’” (Devarim 1:27). This statement is puzzling. As the Sifsei Chachamim points out, if the people truly believed that Hashem hated them, why did they mention His having take

In this week’s Torah portion, the tribes of Reuven and Gad request to settle on the eastern side of the Jordan River, rather than entering the Land of Israel with the rest of the nation. Moshe is initially disturbed by their request, challenging them: “Shall your brothers go out to war while you settle here?” (Bamidbar 32:6) Moshe feared that their withdrawal from the national mission would discourage the rest of the people—just as the Sin of the Spies had decades earlier. Bu