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What’s the harm?

Parshas Emor concludes with the tragic episode of the man who cursed Hashem (R”l). Initially, B’nei Yisrael were unsure of what should happen to the offender, so they placed him in jail while Moshe consulted Hashem. In response, Hashem taught Moshe the laws of blasphemy and the harsh capital punishment for one who commits this egregious crime (VaYikra 24:14-16).

It’s the secret to Jewish success and survival.

Sefer BaMidbar (aka the Book of Numbers) begins with another census, which, Rashi explains, demonstrates Hashem’s great love for us. Just as a person constantly counts money because every dollar is so precious, Hashem always wants to know the exact number of Jewish people in His “account.”

When is it appropriate to NOT believe in Hashem?

Parshas B’Har opens with the laws of Sh’mitah, including Hashem’s promise to provide for the Jewish people throughout the year that their fields are left fallow. The Torah then suddenly shifts to discuss the obligation to support a fellow Jew in financial need. What is the connection between these two topics, Sh’mitah and charity? Or, to quote from Rashi’s opening comment on the parshah, “Mah inyan Sh’mitah eitzel Har Sinai?”

We gain from giving, not taking.

Parshas Naso, the longest sidrah in the Torah, contains a wide variety of topics and mitzvos, and the commentators work hard to explain the connection between successive topics. There are many lessons to be learned from the Torah’s juxtapositions.

It’s time to stop looking over our shoulders.

One of the harrowing predictions of the Tochachah (Admonition) is “You will flee, though there will not be anyone chasing you” (VaYikra 26:17). What is so terrible about that? Certainly, a false alarm is annoying, and running away for no reason is not an enjoyable experience; but would it be better if there actually was a hostile enemy in pursuit? The verse reads like a warning from Hashem against improper behavior with the threat of a dreadful punishment, but it ends up depicting a mere inconvenience!

What makes a student “bright”?

This week’s sidrah opens with the daily commandment to light the Menorah in the Mikdash. Rashi (BaMidbar 8:2) explains that the name of the parshah, B’Haaloscha, describes this process as causing fire to “go up.” The kohen would hold the igniter to each cup of oil until the flame took hold and was able to rise on its own (Shabbos 21a).