By Rav Reuven Tradburks Our Parsha begins with Yaakov fleeing the land of Israel from Esav’s murderous intent and it concludes with his return to the land of Israel. He dreams as he leaves of a ladder reaching to Heaven with G-d promising that He will...
By Rav Reuven Tradburks Parshat Noach describes: the destruction of the world through the Flood, Noah and his family, the story of the Tower of Babel and the introduction of Avraham’s family. The first 2 parshiot in our Torah, Breishit and Noach, are essentially parallel creation stories,...
Machon Milton is an English language Conversion Preparation Course in Jerusalem, Israel. It is under the auspices of the Rabbinical Council of America in partnership with Shavei Israel. Students in the course spend a year studying Judaism, learning about Jewish practices and experiencing the complete...
By Rav Reuven Tradburks Day 1. The Torah reading for the first day is Genesis, Chapter 21, v. 1-34. This chapter describes the birth of Yitzchak, the insistence of Sarah to send Yishmael away, and Hagar and Yishmael’s near death in the desert before being saved. It...
By Rav Reuven Tradburks With Parshat Nitzavim we begin 4 very short parshiot that are the conclusion of the Torah. Although this parsha has but 40 verses, the emotional impact is hard to match. The Talmud says that the curses of Parshat Ki Tavo should be read...
By Rav Reuven Tradburks The Parsha begins the conclusion of our Torah. The book of Devarim consists of Moshe’s long speech at the end of his life. His speech is crafted beautifully, a magnum opus of past, present and future. He began with a review of...
By Rav Reuven Tradburks Parshat Ki Teitsei The Parsha contains 74 mitzvot, the most of any parsha in our Torah. It is the third of the parshiot of Mitzvot; Ekev, Shoftim and Ki Teitsei. Moshe began his long address in Sefer Devarim with narrative, reviewing the central...
Rav Reuven Tradburks Parshat Re’eh begins a section filled with Mitzvot. In the next 3 parshiot there are 170 Mitzvot, ¼ of all the mitzvoth of the Torah. In the flow of Moshe’s speech, he is switching from a discussion of how we got to where...
By Rav Reuven Tradburks 1st aliya (3:23-4:4) I beseeched G-d to allow me to enter the land. He refused: ascend the mountain, gaze at the land that you will not enter. Charge Yehoshua, for he will lead the people. Now, Yisrael Shema, listen to the commandments...
By Rav Reuven Tradburks The book of Devarim is Moshe’s soliloquy in the last week of his life. A rather long soliloquy, the better part of 28 chapters. He has a lot to say. He will not enter the land of Israel. The Jewish people will....
