Parshah Power

The Torah portion of Vayechi, as transcribed in the sacred Torah scroll, begins without the usual marking of a new portion. Join us as we probe the meaning behind this anomaly.

“And it came to pass in those days that Moses grew up and went out to his brothers and looked at their burdens” (Exodus: 2:11). Is this verse simply telling us that Moses matured? And what lesson is in it for us?

When G-d instructs Moses to speak to Pharaoh, Moses objects that he is speech impaired. Why would G-d’s agent to communicate His word be challenged in this ability itself?

In chapter twelve of Exodus, G‑d gives the Jewish people their first mitzvah: “sanctifying the month”—to establish the calendar based on the lunar cycle (the rebirth of the moon). Why is this the first mitzvah?

Not long after leaving Egypt, the Jewish people found themselves trapped between the Red Sea and the Egyptians chasing behind them. At that time, our people were divided into four factions as to what should be the appropriate reaction.

The first of the Ten Commandments reads “I am the L-rd, your G-d, who took you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage” (Exodus 20:2) What does the reference of the Exodus add to this fundamental mitzvah to believe in one G-d?

In middle of the many logical mitzvahs – most dealing with civil law – that are enumerated in the parshah of Mishpatim, the Torah mentions the super-rational prohibition of cooking milk and meat (Genesis.23:19); what’s the significance?

In Exodus 25:31 G-d instructs Moses to construct, among the various vessels of the Temple, a Menorah of gold fashioned with intricate design work of cups, flowers and buttons. But Moses finds this too difficult….

The Torah specifies the olive oil used for kindling the menorah in the Holy Temple to be pure. The classical commentaries provide two approaches in the understanding of pure.