What We Can Learn From Pesach Sheni: Mindfulness and Second Chances In this week's Torah portion Beha'alotecha, we encounter a unique event known as Pesach Sheni, or the "Second Passover." According to the Book of Numbers (9:1-14), the Israelites were instructed to observe the Passover festival on the fourteenth day of the first month of Nisan. However, some people found themselves ritually impure and unable to participate in the Pesach Offerings. And yet they didn’t want to

Learning Mindful Compassion from Bahar-Bechukotai In this week’s Torah portion, Bahar-Bechukotai, we learn about being fair in business...

In this week’s Torah portion, Beshalach, we follow Am Yisrael in the moments after their liberation from slavery in Egypt. Standing at the edge of the Red Sea, they suddenly see the Egyptian army approaching. Panic sets in. In fear and desperation, they cry out, even sarcastically asking if they were brought into the wilderness because there were no graves in Egypt. “It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness,”  they say. In that mom

Mindfulness and Gratitude Practice: The Song of Ha’azinu In this week’s Torah portion, Ha’azinu, Moses starts his farewell as the people’s leader with a song. Just as he sang a song of thanks and praise at the Red Sea after the Children of Israel were led out of Egypt, so he concludes his leadership with a song. The song is a history of the people of Israel and lessons that can be learned from all their experiences. He appeals to them to listen to these lessons, such as keepi

In this week’s Torah portion, Ki Tavo, we learn about the covenant between G-d and the children of Israel. It says: “You have affirmed G-d this day to be your G-d and you will walk in His ways and keep his statutes/commandments….And G-d has affirmed as he promised you, His treasure, who shall keep his commandments…” The word in Hebrew for affirmed is האמרת he’emarta which is attributed to both G-d and the people. According to Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, the covenant is a mutual bon

In this week’s Torah portion, Ki Titzei, 74 of the Torah's 613 commandments are mentioned. A few of the commandments have to do with...

In this week’s Torah portion Sh’lach, the people requested to check out the land of Israel before they enter. Twelve princes --people of...

This week’s Torah portion, Beha'alotcha starts with Moses’ command to Aharon to light the Menorah (Candelabrum) and Aharon's fulfillment of the command: G-d spoke to Moshe, saying: "Speak to Aharon and say to him, 'When you kindle the lamps, the seven lamps shall illuminate towards the body of the Menorah.” Why does this command appear here? What is the connection between the lighting of the m enorah by Aharon and the events of the narrative of the book of Numbers ? The co