One of the prohibitions mentioned in this weeks Parsha is where the Torah disallows any of the Amonim or Moavim to intermarry within Klal Yisroel. The two reasons given for this ban is because they refused to give us bread and water upon our exodus from Mitzrayim as well as having hired Bilam to curse [...]

????? ????? ??? ??? ??? ????? ?? ????? ?? ???? 21:11 The Gemora in Shabbos (130a) states that any mitzvah which was accepted by the Jewish people with happiness, such a circumcision, is still performed to the present day with gladness, but any mitzvah which was accepted with fighting – such as forbidden relationships – is [...]

This week’s Sedra goes into some detail as to what is to be done with a Ben Sorer Umoreh (the ‘wayward and rebellious son’). Chazal explain in great detail what exactly a Ben Sorer Umoreh has to do in order to be liable to the death penalty, how the parents must proceed with him, and [...]

V’kol ha’am yishme’u v’yira’u v’lo yezidun od (17:13) When a person is convicted of a capital crime, the execution is carried out in a public manner. Rashi writes that the Sanhedrin waited to carry out the execution until the next Yom Tov, when people would travel to Yerushalayim to fulfill the mitzvah of aliyah l’regel (ascending [...]

‘You should prepare a way and divide your surroundings into three portions…and it should be for a person who kills accidentally to run there’. (19; 3)   The above pasuk is talking about someone who accidentally kills another person; he should have a safe place to run, to where the relatives of the deceased can’t avenge the [...]

Using A Water Cooler/Water Fountain On Shabbos One may only use a water cooler on Shabbos if he is lenient in regard to opening a refrigerator on Shabbos. The same would apply to changing the water bottle on top of the water cooler on Shabbos. A water fountain may be used on Shabbos if the [...]

 This week’s Sedra once again (as did last week’s) seems to be an introduction to the Brachos and Klalos (to the Blessings and the Curses). This week’s Torah portion states it explicitly: “see I place before you today the Brocho and the Klolo”. The obvious question is: why does the Torah need to give such [...]

Asking A Goy To Turn On The Air Conditioning On Shabbos Today, many people are accustomed to air conditioning. Therefore, on Shabbos when one is very hot one may ask on goy to turn on the air conditioning for him. The reason for this is because it is two shevusim (Amira L’nuchri and turn on electric) [...]

Ki y’sis’cha … leimor neil’cha v’naavda elohim acheirim … lo so’veh lo v’lo sish’ma eilav v’lo ta’chos ein’cha alav v’lo sach’mol v’lo t’chaseh alav … ki harog tahar’genu … u’skalto ba’avanim va’meis ki bikeish l’hadich’cha me’al Hashem Elokecha (13:7-11) The Torah is stricter regarding the treatment of the ???? – inciter – than it is with [...]

This weeks parsha discusses the mitzvah of tzedakah. It states that when someone will approach you and ask for tzedakah, you should give him. The pasuk concludes with a beracha ‘because of this mitzvah of tzedakah Hashem will bless you with all your endeavors and with anything that comes in contact with your hand.’ The gemarah in kesuvos (49) says that beis din may force a person to give tzedakah, just as they can force [...]