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Ki Teitzei: The Non-Jewish Woman Captive
This week’s parsha begins with the perplexing scenario of eishet yefat toar. Literally translated as “woman of beautiful appearance,” the pesukim outline that under circumstances of war, a Jewish soldier who sees a non-Jewish female captive may take her as his wife, following certain conditions. Here, we will discuss and explore some of the depth…
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10 Things I Learned From My Newborn
Having a baby is a busy time in one’s life – and doesn’t leave too much leftover for learning Torah. Nevertheless, over these last 7 weeks since I gave birth, I have found myself learning from the deepest sefer of all: my baby. Here are some of the lessons I’ve picked up… If I could…
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Re’eh: Tzedaka, the Feminine Way
When it comes to tzedaka, the Torah’s commandment is twofold. The pasuk tells us not to harden our heart nor to withhold our hand (Devarim 15:7). These two elements of the Torah’s commandment speak to two different parts of us: the emotional and the physical. On an emotional level, the Torah tells us not to…
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Emerging From the Waters: Explaining the Mitzvah of Mikvah
Spirituality permeates every aspect of Jewish life, especially between a husband and wife. One of our missions in this world is to imbue the physical with the spiritual. To that end, the concepts of taharah, purity, and tumah, impurity, are spiritual concepts with physical implications. Tumah is closely related to death or loss of potential…
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Comparing the Greatness of Chuldah and Rachav
As with many prophets, Chuldah HaNavia is not as widely known as would be appropriate given her contribution to the Jewish people. Chuldah’s story is brought in Melachim II, where Yoshiyahu HaMelech sends his advisors to Chuldah to make sense of the ominous scroll found in the Beit HaMikdash. Chuldah’s piece spans only seven pesukim,…
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Ekev: No One Will Stand Up Before You
“No man will stand up before you, Hashem your G-d will cast fear of you… on all the land upon which you tread.” The final pasuk of this week’s parsha reinforces the message which is sprinkled throughout the parsha – that Hashem will not allow any enemy to prevail over us. He will make sure…
