David Etengoff News Today

T he primary focus of our parasha, Tazria, is the illness known as tzaraat . In his commentary on the Torah, the Rashbam presents the unique nature of this disease: All of the sections dealing …

Although our parasha, Ki Tisa, contains numerous themes, it is preeminently associated with the Chet Haegel (the Sin of the Golden Calf). How could our ancestors could have participated in such a …

T he best-known pasuk in our parasha, Terumah, is this: “And they shall make Me a sanctuary (mikdash) and I will dwell in their midst.” It is followed by many verses that specify every …

T he words na’aseh v’nishmah (we will do, and we will hear) are two of the most celebrated words that appear in our parasha, Mishpatim. When the Jewish people uttered this phrase during …

The most celebrated section of our parasha, Yitro, is that of the Asseret HaDibrot. It begins with the well-known words: “And Elokim spoke all (kol) these words saying.” The Mechilta …

The concluding section of our parasha, Beshalach, contains the account of our ancestors’ mortal combat with Amalek, the marauding desert tribe that sought to destroy us following our departure …

T wo pasukim in our parasha, Bo, tell the story of our people’s departure from Eretz Mitzrayim: •It came to pass at the end of 430 years, and it came to pass in that very day, that …

Our Sages maintain that Hashem performed ten miracles for our forefathers in Egypt. The Rambam, Rabbeinu Yonah and the Ritva interpret this statement as referring to the ten Makkot. Pharoah is …

Our parasha begins with the famous words: “And these are the names of b’nai Yisrael who came to Egypt, with Ya’akov, each man and his household came” (Shemos 1:1). In his …

The concluding pasukim of our parasha, Vayechi, present Yosef’s final words to his brothers. They contain both a reminder of Hashem’s promise to ultimately redeem the Jewish people from …