Balak, Numbers 22:2-25:9 Our portion is named after Balak, king of Moab, who sought to put a curse upon the Children of Israel in the hope of frustrating their forward march to the Promised Land. Yet the central character in this portion’s extraordinary narrative is undoubtedly Bilaam – considered...

Chukat, Numbers 19:1-22:1 “This is the statute of the law which God has commanded, saying: Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring you a red heifer that is faultless with no blemish on it and on which no yoke ever came” (Numbers 19:2). The opening chapter of our portion teaches...

Korach , Numbers 16:1-18:32 “Every dispute that is for the sake of heaven will endure in the end, but one that is not for the sake of heaven will not endure in the end. Which dispute was for the sake of heaven? The dispute between Hillel and Shammai. And which was not for the sake of heaven? This...

Shelach Lecha , Numbers 13:1-15:41 The Torah does not hold back from exposing the failures and shortcomings of even the foremost leaders of Israel , in order to provide clear, true instruction for all the generations. A case in point is the story in our portion about the gratuitous slander spread by...

Beha’aloscha, Numbers 8:1-12:16 “And God spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Speak to Aaron and say to him: When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the candlestick… And this was the work of the candlestick, beaten work of gold… according to the pattern which...