The reading of the Torah and its analysis is part of the Jewish liturgy. It is a cycle that concludes and begins anew during the celebration of Simchat Torah. The first chapters of Genesis, which will be read and analyzed this week, recount the creation of the cosmos, of the creatures that inhabit it, and of the human being—the most sophisticated and perfect among all creatures.

The Death of Moses and the Torah’s Final Lesson for Israel The Torah transmits several profound lessons through its straightforward account of the death of Moses—the leader whom God knew 'face to face' (Deuteronomy 34:10), and in whom the people placed their faith, recognizing that his actions were guided by direct dialogue with the Divine (Exodus 14:31). In this final narrative, we see that even the greatest human being is not exempt from the mortal condition. Moses was not

This parashah contains a song of Moses, which follows the Torah’s traditional pattern of poetry by being written in equal couplets...

In this parashah the last two precepts appear that, through Moses, God declares to the people of Israel. Both refer to the importance and...

This parashah begins by describing how the new generation, the one born in the desert, renewed the covenant with God that Abraham had...

This parasha begins by presenting the prayer that the Hebrew farmer should say when offering to God the first fruits (bikurim) that were...

This parashah is characterized by being entirely composed of general laws and, in particular, family laws. They include legislation about...

This parashah begins with the command to establish a judicial and policing power in the society that the Israelites are going to build in...

The twentieth century can be described as the time when totalitarianism spread. Mussolini, Hitler, and Stalin are just some names on the...

In this parashah there is a verse (10:12) that, like Deuteronomy 6: 4-9 from last week, expresses fundamental elements of Israel's faith....

This parashah presents two passages that define Israel's faith: the Ten Commandments and the first paragraph of Keriat Shema, the prayer...

The Jewish tradition teaches that the liturgical reading of the fifth of the books of the Torah or Pentateuch, Devarim, should begin on...

These two parashot, which are usually read together, both list laws and regulations about the conquest of the land of Canaan and its...

At the end of the previous parashah, Balak, the text recounts how Moabite and Midianite priestesses sexually perverted many members of...

Balak, king of Moab, upon learning of the military victories of the children of Israel over the Amorites, decided to hire Balaam to curse...

The first thirteen verses of chapter 20 of the book of Numbers, which are part of this parashah, describe a small story of that is very...

"The Bible is not man´s theology but God´s anthropology.” This famous phrase of Abraham Joshua Heschel that appears in his book Man Is...

This parashah presents the story of the twelve spies whom the people of Israel sent from the desert into Canaan. They were to acquire...

From the account in the book of Exodus (2: 11-17) it is clear that Moses had been chosen by God for one of the most important missions in...

In this parashah appears the formula by which the priests were to beseech God for a blessing on the people of Israel. The priestly...