Parasha

The many hardships endured by the Israelites during their desert journey could have been greatly reduced had the nation learned to appreciate what they had.

The only halachic ruling that was ever given is that “your life comes first” – and nothing beyond that.

The very different circumstances under which two Israeli soldiers were returned puts things in perspective and echoes Jewish values.

Don’t aim for lofty, angelic separation “like Mine” but live a human holiness – the kind of life for which I created the world.

Just as a bad word can destroy, a good word can build – and that, after all, is the purpose of creation: “The world will be built with kindness.”

Our portion lists four animals that lack one of the two signs of purity. The midrash associates these four animals with the four exiles the Jewish people have experienced over the generations.

Someone who sins is meant to bring something of himself – his heart and emotions – and to experience a sense of closeness to God and love for Him through the offering.

We know who we are. They cannot fathom it. Our tireless efforts to explain may fall on deaf ears – but we hear, and we know.