In Parashat Va’etchanan, Moshe Rabbeinu turns to Hashem with a heartfelt plea: “Va’etchanan el Hashem…” Rashi tells us the word va’etchanan stems from chinun, a request for a matnas chinam—a free gift. Even the greatest prophet, whose entire life was devoted to leading Klal Yisrael, didn’t ask to
Parashat Eikev teaches that living in Eretz Yisrael is not merely a privilege but a sacred responsibility. The Torah describes the Land as one of
“And you shall observe and do them, for they are your wisdom and your understanding in the eyes of the nations.”
(Devarim 4:6)
This essay was meant to be for last week’s parasha, Massei, but the insight only came to me on Shabbat as I was reading the parasha and wandering
In a deeply personal and wide-ranging conversation, Rabbi Reuven Feinstein, Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshiva of Staten Island and son of the legendary Rabbi
In this week’s parshah, the Torah commands: “V’nishmartem me’od l’nafshoseichem, ki lo re’isem kol temunah…”—“You shall be very careful with your
The first Rashi in Parshat Va’etchanan teaches us a powerful yesod about tefillah. The word va’etchanan is rooted in chanun, meaning to beseech
