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Why did God choose that Israel be blessed by Bilaam? Surely there is the principl “Good things come about through good people” (Tosefta Yoma 4:12). Why did this good thing come about through a bad man?

The pasuk in the beginning of Parshas Eikev says that when we will follow the laws of the Torah, Hashem will guard the bris.

If G-d told Balaam not to go with Balak’s men, why did He seemingly “change His mind” and later allow him to go?

When we make choices, we should try to see all the sides involved and not just our own point of view.

We were fortunate to start our trip home. What a thrill to call the insurance company and advise them, “Please cancel my service call.”

So why then are we not attentive enough to all of the signs that surround us? I have not the psychological training to analyze this question, but what seems clear is that slumber is not only restricted to our beds.

Classical writing requires ink and paper, which are technically separable. In engraving, the material being engraved becomes the writing.

It should have proven to them that the churban was upon them and should have caused a tremendous teshuvah movement.

What made this trial different? Why did Moshe momentarily lose control? Why then? Why there? He had faced just this challenge before.

Whether people knew the Rebbe personally, or met him just once, or just read stories about him, each one feels a personal connection.

Even after all of the medical procedures, both Chaya and Daniel were left with medical problems.

The Midrash tells us that thousands of children in the desert were named Aharon because Aharon brought peace to their homes.

The story of Korach remains the classic example of how argument can be dishonored. The Schools of Hillel and Shammai remind us that there is another way.

Rabbi Pappenheim maintains that “hayaven” is derived from the root yud-nun, which means trickery or deception.

The Torah teaches us that when it comes to controversy and dispute even the small children can be harmed. That’s how deep and internal the evil and poison of the dispute can be.

Whatever the subplots and subsidiary themes of the Chumash, its overarching narrative is the promise of and journey to the land. Jewish history begins with Avraham and Sarah’s journey to it. The four subsequent books of the Torah, from Exodus to Deuteronomy, are taken up with the second journey in the days of Moshe.

Something that is adin or adinah (see Isaiah 47:8) is sensitive, delicate, or dainty – it is susceptible to being over-stimulated by sensory overload.

The entire process seemed inexplicably doomed from the start; it was a proverbial comedy of errors if ever there was one.

The universal theme of this week’s parsha seems to be interpreting facts correctly, and not listening to fake news.

The spies were not afraid of failure, he said. They were afraid of success.

In times of surplus (brought on by ample rain), people tend to treat each other more fairly and are at peace with one another versus times of austerity and famine when people compete with each other for limited resources.

When someone loves something or someone, he will feel compelled to do all that he can for that thing or that person, even if it will not actually make a difference.

Even if the cash was lost, it would still save endless hours of paperwork, phone calls, and visits to government offices to have all her documents returned.

Our task as a people of destiny is to bear witness to the presence of G-d – through the way we lead our lives (Torah) and the path we chart as a people across the centuries (history).

Enjoy the moment, enjoy dreaming that what you really want should come true.

It was not easy for any of them. According to Yitzhak, their lifeline was the books and letters that came from Jews in America and Western Europe.

When He revealed the Decalogue at Mount Sinai, however, the entire Jewish people were gathered at the mountain, so G-d “raised His voice” and we therefore speak of the “Aseret HaDibrot.”

Inspiration is everywhere-especially in the small things--if we pay attention.

A society takes all types... Shabbat Shalom!

The entire courtyard of the masses becomes silent exactly at sunrise as they pray to Hashem. This is a magnificent moment; you can hear the hum of the prayers as all the Jews unite quietly with Hashem in prayer at that exact moment.