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 (Devarim 7:12-8:10) On the heels of you keeping the mitzvoth, G-d will keep His covenant with you. And love you. You will enjoy success: economic, health, military. Should you fear the nations in the land, wondering how you will prevail...
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....
By Rav Reuven Tradburks In the march to the land of Israel, leadership has transitioned to the new generation. Elazar has replaced Aharon. Yehoshua has been appointed successor to Moshe. There has been military success, with the surrounding nations showing deference and fear of the success...
By Rav Reuven Tradburks 1st aliya (Bamidbar25:10-26:4) Pinchas, son of Elazar, son of Aharon halted the plague. He will merit the covenant of peace, of priesthood. Those killed by him were Zimri, the prince of a family of Shimon and Kozbi, the daughter of a prince...
By Rav Reuven Tradburks 1st aliya (Bamidbar 19:1-17) Para Aduma: This is the Torah law. Elazar the Cohen shall remove from the camp an unblemished red heifer that has never worked. It is burnt. Cedar, hyssop and red thread shall be burnt with it. The Cohanim...
By Rav Reuven Tradburks The story of the rebellion of Korach parallels the story of the spies from last week. Both are a rejection of the Divine, albeit in the rough and tumble of human dynamics. In the sin of the spies, although G-d promised the...
Parshat Emor 1st aliya (Vayikra 21:1-15) Cohanim are not permitted to come in contact with the dead except for their nuclear family. Nor are they to adopt non Jewish mourning practices such as balding their head and beard or cutting their flesh. Cohanim need be holy...
Achrei Mot-Kedoshim 1 st aliya (Vayikra 16:1-17), 2 nd aliya (16:18-24) Aharon is instructed to enter the Holy of Holies only through an elaborate process of offerings. He is to bring a private sin offering. And a communal sin offering of 2 identical goats, one as an...
