Matot-Masei Videos

The Itche Kadoozy show celebrates its 42nd season on the air, and Jono shows us some vintage clips from the very first season of the IKS.

Setting boundaries means that instead of taking on other people’s beliefs or standards, we become in tune with our own.

In the second haftorah of the “Trilogy of Tribulations” we learn how the prophet Jeremiah’s rebuke of his contemporaries can teach us today how to turn criticism into a powerful catalyst for change.

Study some of the highlights of the weekly Torah portion with insights from various commentaries.

The travels of the Jewish people toward the Holy Land teach us about our own spiritual and psychological journeys to our greatest selves. Here are 5 key takeaways that provide a path forward.

The Land of Israel is Heaven’s perfectly suitable gift suited for the Jewish people. By the same token, it is beyond what the Jews can ever deserve.

Do we ask what G-d will do for me today or what will I do for G-d today?

Why is the list of encampments repeated? Rashi seems to offer two different reasons; his choice of commentary is better understood upon analysis of six early manuscripts of Rashi.

The Torah prohibits constructing the Temple with wood; only stone and brick are admissible. Yet the high priest's chamber, located in the Temple proper, was made of wood. This class will present an analysis of the subject from both halachic and spiritual viewpoints. (Likutei Sichos vol 28, Parshas Massei)

It is a mitzvah to keep a vow, but it is also a mitzvah to have a vow properly annulled. How is a vow annulled?

In listing the places where the Jews encamped, we learn alternative names for locations named for idols. What is the law about mentioning the name of a false deity?

G-d tells Moses, “A thousand for each tribe, a thousand from each tribe, from all the tribes of Israel you shall send into the army [to battle the Midianites].” (Numbers 31:4) The Hebrew word for thousand is “elef,” which is spelled the same as “alef.” What is the connection between the battle against Midian, the letter alef, and the Three Weeks of mourning over the destruction of the Temple?

Just before entering the Promised Land, two and a half of the Twelve Tribes ask for special permission to settle on the other side of the Jordan River. If they were meant to settle in that place, then why didn't G-d assign it to them to begin with? And if they were not meant to settle there, then why did G-d agree to their request?

Jews are naturally repelled by promiscuity. Discover Rashi’s insight into Bilam’s top secret plan to get the Jews to sin in the one area they were vigilant to avoid.

Rashi explores Talmudic sources to dissect the Torah law about how a person becomes impure if they kill someone.

Never make promises you cannot keep, right? Rashi highlights how some vows are spiritually essential, others spiritually unhealthy.

Every failure is a potential portal to greatness.

Each parsha conveys its own unique message. Additionally, the combined reading contains a powerful message on how tackling its greatest darkness exposes our deepest soul.

The six constants that apply to every Jew, at all times and in all circumstances, are readily accessible to one who seeks refuge from his failings.

The mitzvah to observe the Torah’s dietary laws of eating kosher are all-encompassing in daily living. The campaign to encourage our fellow Jews to go Kosher – on a practical level – focuses on keeping a kosher kitchen. Explore the unique quality of this mitzvah and why it’s critical to the Jewish experience.

A taste of Shazak Parsha, where the weekly Torah portion comes alive! Geared for kids... Great for adults!

The parshah of Matot contains 112 verses, and the mnemonic for it are the names Buki, Yakeiv, and Eivel. Explore the coded message in this Masoretic note and its connection to the general themes of the Parshah.

Rashi insists that the Torah delineates Israel’s borders to teach us about Mitzvah observance. The Rebbe derives from this an empowering message for our personal growth. Learning Likutei Sichos vol. 13, Massei (sicha 2)

We engage with Torah in three ways, the ultimate being to receive the gift of G-d’s wisdom.

No power in the world can harm us, but we have to ensure that we don't harm ourselves.

Why the Jews didn't need to dip their dairy dishes in a mikveh after they received the Torah and other insights into immersing kitchenware.