Murder Mystery-Parshas Shoftim
At one point in this week’s parshah, a statement is made that carries some intriguing implications. Professions of Innocence This occurs in the context of the section featuring the ritual of the eglah arufah, the “broken-necked calf.” The Torah outlines an interesting procedure to be followed in the event of a certain grisly discovery: כִּי־יִמָּצֵא חָלָל בָּאֲדָמָה... נֹפֵל בַּשָּׂדֶה לֹא נוֹדַע מִי הִכָּהוּ... וְהָיָה הָעִיר הַקְּרֹבָה אֶל־הֶחָלָל וְלָקְחוּ זִקְנֵי הָעִיר הַהִוא עֶגְלַת [...]
The Continuous Learning Process of Life-Parshas Re’eh
The Conflict Last week, we addressed the conundrum of competing imperatives, or, more accurately, the manner in which it is addressed by Chazal. There is, on the one hand, the directive to involve oneself constantly in Torah study; as the passuk states: לֹא־יָמוּשׁ סֵפֶר הַתּוֹרָה הַזֶּה מִפִּיךָ וְהָגִיתָ בּוֹ יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה – “This book of Torah shall not depart from your mouth, and you shall meditate therein day and night” (Yehoshua [...]
The Way of the World-Parshas Eikev
There is a well-known and fundamental Talmudic dispute regarding two competing endeavors. On the one hand, there is the imperative of constant Torah study, as contained in the passuk: לֹא־יָמוּשׁ סֵפֶר הַתּוֹרָה הַזֶּה מִפִּיךָ וְהָגִיתָ בּוֹ יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה – “This book of Torah shall not depart from your mouth, and you shall meditate therein day and night” (Yehoshua 1:8). On the other hand, this week’s parshah features the passage that constitutes the [...]
