Nitzavim: T'shuva as a Return to the Land of Israel

by Baruch Gordon

Baruch Gordon looks at Chapter 30 in Parshat Nitzavim - the Torah's "T'shuva passage" - and finds that, according to the Torah itself,  T'shuva [return, often translated as repentance] really begins with a return to the Land of Israel.

Rosh Hashana: Israel's National Day of Judgment

by Rav Eliezer Melamed, Rosh Yeshivat Har Brakha yeshiva.org.il

[Translated by Hillel Fendel]

Jews blowing shofars at the Western Wall in Jerusalem [Credit: Marco di Lauro/Getty Images]

Reward and Punishment – Primarily for the Community, not the Individual

It is a common mistake to believe that the material rewards and punishment s written in the Torah are directed at the individual. Many think that if one walks in the path of Torah and its commandments, he will be granted health, wealth, and happiness. But this approach leads to a terrible question: What of all the righteous people who suffer in various ways, while many who are far from righteous appear to be living it up in this world with great honor and wealth?

Redemption Comes Kima Kima [Slowly Slowly]

by Rav Moshe Kaplan, meirtv.com/en

Rav Moshe Kaplan looks into Kol HaTor (the teachings of the Vilna Gaon) to discover the pattern in which the complete Redemption will come about...and how to recognize it in our day.

Nitzavim: 1st Stage of T'shuva - National Awareness

by Rav Yehuda HaKohen, visionmag.org

Herzl looking over Basel

More than merely fostering personal piety among Jews, t'shuva that begins with a reawakening of Hebrew identity will lead Israel to express kedusha in every sphere of national life.

Ki Tavo: The Difference Between Judaism and Christianity

by Baruch Gordon

Baruch Gordon teaches a deeper meaning found in the practice of bikkurim [sanctifying the first fruits]. And that meaning is the foundational and unique difference between the mission of the Jewish people, and that of the rest of the world.

Universalism vs. Nationalism

by Rav Moshe Kaplan, meirtv.com/en

Rav Moshe Kaplan explains how Jewish nationalism is not in conflict with universalism, but rather is the necessary means by which humanity will achieve a universal good.

Ki Tavo: Knowing G-D via Jewish History

by Yehuda HaKohen

It is through the historic journey of the Jewish people that the Divine Ideal will be expressed in this world and humanity will come to know HaShem as the timeless and boundless ultimate Reality that creates and sustains all that exists.

Bikkurim

Ki Tetzei: Does the Torah Promote Genocide??

by Baruch Gordon

Baruch Gordon looks at the last verse of Ki Tetzei, which commands the Jewish People to... completely wipe out another nation from existence!

Achieving an All-Inclusive Perspective

by Rav Moshe Kaplan, meirtv.com/en

Rav Moshe Kaplan explains how to achieve an all-inclusive perspective of the inner workings of Torah and reality itself. And then he explains why it's so fulfilling to achieve it. (Hint: it has to do with the purpose of existence and the goal of humanity)

Ki Tetzei: Silence Those Who Agree With G-d

by Rav Yehuda HaKohen, visionmag.org

Mother bird feeding her baby

“If a bird’s nest happens to be before you on the road, on any tree or on the ground – young birds or eggs – and the mother is roosting on the young birds or the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young. You shall surely send away the mother and take the young for yourself, so that it will be good for you and you will prolong your days.” (D’varim 22:6-7)

It is learned from the statement “you will prolong your days” that a long life is acquired through adherence to this particular commandment. In his Guide to the Perplexed (3:48), the Rambam emphasizes the inherent cruelty of slaughtering a mother together with her young. Animals instinctively love their offspring and would obviously suffer pain if forced to witness the abduction of their children.

Our Sages make reference to the above directive, stating, “If one says, ‘Your mercy rests upon the bird’s nest’… we silence him.” The Talmud comments, “It is because he attributes G-D’s conduct to mercy when it consists only of decrees.” (Brakhot 33b)

Shoftim: Precisely How The Messiah Will Come

by Baruch Gordon


Baruch Gordon reveals... precisely how the Messiah will come. 

Elul: National (vs. Individual) T'Shuva

by Rav Moshe Kaplan, meirtv.com/en

Rav Moshe Kaplan explains what "national t'shuva" is, how it differs from individual t'shuva, and why it takes precedence in this generation.

Elul: T'shuva - It's Not What You Think.

by Rav Netanel Yosifun, yeshiva.org.il

7 Species of Israel (Credit: Wikipedia)

When the parents of Rav Kook z"l immigrated to the Holy Land, they came by ship – together with many Russian Christians on a pilgrimage to their holy places in Jerusalem.

At one point during the course of the journey, one of the elderly Russian women asked Rav Kook's mother, "Tell me, please: We're on our way to the Holy Land to meet our god, but why would you Jews be going there?"

Mrs. Kook answered without hesitation: "You're going to visit a dead god, but we're going to meet the living G-d."

Shoftim: On Love and Collective Responsibility

by Yehuda HaKohen, visionmag.org

King of Israel

Shoftim deals primarily with statutes pertaining to Israel’s leadership. Because leadership is not a position of honor for the individual but rather a burden of responsibility for the welfare of the Jewish people, the Torah sets down specific guidelines in order to steer our leaders towards attaining their full potential.

“It shall be that when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself two copies of this Torah in a book, from before the Kohanim, the Levi’im. It shall be with him, and he shall read from it all the days of his life, so that he will learn to fear HaShem, his G-D, to observe all the words of this Torah and these decrees, to perform them, so that his heart not become haughty over his brethren and not turn from the commandment right or left, so that he will prolong years over his kingdom, he and his sons amid Israel.” (D’varim 17:18-20)

A melekh (generally translated into English as “king”) is commanded to write and read his own Torah in order to prevent his position of leadership from creating within him a feeling of arrogance toward his brothers. By delving into the deeper secrets of Torah, a melekh can gain a higher awareness that although we may each play unique roles in Israel’s national life, we are all in fact parts of a greater whole and no man can truly reign supreme over others. Even learning the Torah on a surface level enables a leader to understand the past failures of his people in order that he personally strive to correct these shortcomings and lead the Jewish people in fulfilling our collective destiny.