This week’s Torah portion is “Nasso”. The reading opens with the command to Moses to “also” count the family of the Gershonites – one of the Levitical tribes. A number of commentators ask why the command to count the Gershonites includes the word “also”. Everyone gets counted! Why are they singled out to “also” be counted?...

What is the eternal bond that the Jewish People have with the Land of Israel? Join us on this journey through history, from biblical times to the modern day State of Israel, highlighting the deep, unbreakable connection between the People and the Land of Israel, and its awesome, everlasting impact upon the entire world. Learn why Israel matters so much!...

It is ironic that Shavuot is such a little-known holiday. Because in fact, Shavuot commemorates the single most important event in Jewish history - the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai....

Shavuot celebrates the day when God gave the Torah to the Jewish people at Mt. Sinai. But what is meant by the word "Torah"? Many people associate the word "Torah" with the Five books of Moses, but according to Jewish wisdom, the Torah and what was given at Mt. Sinai was much more than a book. ...

The story of Ruth teaches us great Jewish values for how we should live our lives as Jews. ...

Shavuot is the Jewish festival celebrating the giving of the Torah by God to the Jewish people at Mt. Sinai, and is a holiday filled with meaningful customs....

The Jewish people have many customs for celebrating Shavuot and each of these customs has a meaning....

Shavuot never had the marketing potential of the others Jewish holidays – no matzah, no colorful candles, no lulav, no shofar. As a result, it is the least known of the major Jewish holidays. It has no symbol, nothing to recommend itself and capture the imagination....

It isn't only Jews who should be celebrating the holiday of Shavuot. You don't have to be Jewish, nor do you have to be religious, to acknowledge that what happened on Mount Sinai was one of the most important moments in the history of civilization. ...

It is customary to eat dairy on Shavuot, and in today’s United With Israel Torah column we are going to tell you why! Indeed, we are going to share with you many of the lesser-known reasons for eating dairy on Shavuot....

Moses was very against the tribal arrangements and the assigning of flags. He was worried that such distinctions and separation within the nation would lead to division, animosity, and disputes. Moses thought to himself, “If I put the tribe of Gad in the North and Judah in the South and the tribe of Zebulun at back and Simeon at front and this tribe here and that tribe there-- – pandemonium will break out! Some tribes will feel slighted, some will feel inferior, this one will be angry, that one will be jealous”. And so on. ...

When the State of Israel was established in 1948, the neighboring Arab armies attacked the Jewish state, and the Jordanians captured the Old City of Jerusalem....

Shemitta - the Sabbatical Year - is indeed unique from among all other commandments. This is because it takes solid and unwavering faith in God in order to properly observe this mitzvah. Imagine, how would you feel if you were told –as Jewish farmers are told regarding the laws of Shemitta – that you would not be able to work for an entire year? No work. No paycheck. And there was no social security and unemployment payments back then! A farmer lives off the land. He lives off his crop. He lives off the sales of his produce. ...

Israel's New Year for Trees has begun! Join us in responding to 1500 Rockets fired from Gaza by planting 1500 Fruit Trees in southern Israel! We will soon see the beautiful Fruit Trees of Israel blossom into magnificent expressions of bounty and beauty. Please join our project to plant Fruit Trees in Israel. This year our trees will be planted in southern Israel- near towns that were hit with rockets of destruction. We will respond to the 1500 rockets fired during Operation Pillar of Defense by planting 1500 fruit trees in southern Israel!...

Rabbi Shimon was a great sage who lived during the Roman conquest of Jerusalem 2,000 years ago. He was one of Rabbi Akiva's five students who – despite terrible persecutions – ensured that the Torah would not be forgotten....

Lag B’omer is a Jewish holiday celebrated on the third-day of the counting of the Omer in celebration of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and the revelation of the Zohar. Jews also commemorate the Bar Kokhba Revolt on this holiday as well. In Israel, every Lag B’omer, children gather around bonfires and do BBQs with their friends. In the days leading up to Lag B’omer, often one can find children looking for wood to use in their bonfires. Indeed, in Israel, Lag B’omer is very much a child-centered holiday. ...

The agricultural laws are all laws of the “interpersonal nature” not to mention charitable, and all acts of kindness. This is because the portion of one’s field that must remain uncultivated goes to the poor. The gleanings that one drops are also to be left for the poor, and so on. Perhaps the Torah commands us with the agricultural laws at this time in order to remind us that even though our holidays are important, and ritual law is important, we can not forget our interpersonal relationships....

In Israel, months before the advent of the festival of Lag B’Omer -- the 33rd day of the Omer, the 49 days that bridge between Passover and Shavuot -- one can see youngsters dragging all types of combustibles, from fallen trees to broken chairs to old mattresses. Their destination? The nearest empty lot, where they pile their treasured possessions to impossible heights and wait with eager anticipation until the night of Lag B'Omer, arguably their favorite time of year, when they turn the piles into enormous conflagrations. Ask anyone what the bonfires are for, and you'll be told they are in celebration of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, a great sage who lived and taught approximately half a century after the destruction of the second Temple....

We currently find ourselves in the “Sefirat Ha’omer” period: the fifty day period between the holiday of Passover and the holiday of Shavuot. Indeed, it has been said that Shavuot is the culmination of the Passover holiday, and that these fifty days are actually a continuation, of sorts, of Passover itself....

The message: Everyone is important. Every person counts. One person’s actions affect the entire group, and sometimes, the entire world. We must always work together. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. The Jewish people are one soul made up of many bodies....

The Torah is teaching us that even sinners need compassion. Even sinners need a shoulder to lean on, and a hand to hold. The Kohen was one of the most compassionate people around....

There is much discussion among rabbis and scholars as to why God gave us the laws of keeping kosher. Many are of the opinion that the reason the Torah gave us all these rules about which animals we may and may not eat are based on health considerations. Everyone agrees that we need a strong body! And as the saying goes, “you are what you eat.” Food is nothing less than medicine: the rights foods will do you well, while the wrong ones will harm you. We need to be healthy for our families, our jobs, and even to serve God. Therefore, the Torah wants us to be strong, healthy, and holy....

The Jews of the Vaihingen Concentration went to work baking the matza in secret, even though they knew that they would die if they were caught. Perl proclaimed, “Throughout the camp, we organized wooden beams. We found a wheel among my work tools with which to perform the matza and our matza-baking entered into high gear. We collected glass bottles, washed them well, cleaned the upside down table with the fragments and kneaded the dough....

The Children of Israel were not saved because they got good grades, worked really hard, were utterly brilliant, applied for a grant, voted Moses into power, started a non-profit, spoke at a TED conference, raised a whole bunch of money and ran a successful social-media campaign to lobby Pharaoh to change his policy. God took the Children of Israel out of Egypt because they groaned -- they didn't even pray for change. Torah teaches there wasn't a "reason" that God saved the Children of Israel. It was unconditional Love, and Torah brings down that true freedom, is choosing Love....

Passover commemorates our freedom from slavery and the birth of the Jewish nation: A healthy, liberating experience for both the body and the soul of the People of Israel. ...

Passover is a time to free ourselves from the "bondage" of every day living and "bond" with our Creator and those whom we love. It's a time to be close to our family, share our experiences, laugh, cry, sing and dance. A time to discuss, to share - and yes even to disagree and argue a bit - that's the Jewish way!...

There are 5 mitzvot (commandments or obligations) that every Jew must perform at the Seder. 2 of these are biblical in origin, and 3 are mandated by the Rabbis. The first biblical mitzva is simply to relate the story of the exodus from Egyptian captivity as is recorded in the Haggada....

While we all love and enjoy Passover, Jewish tradition says something surprising about the future of this beloved holiday. According to one opinion in the Talmud, at the end of times, we are not even going to talk about the Exodus from Egypt anymore because those miracles will be entirely overshadowed by what God has ...

The 'Afikoman' is the treasured piece of matzaH that is hidden, ransomed, and then eaten at the end of the Passover Seder. As we will see, there is actually much more meaning behind the word "afikoman" than meets the eye. There are those who teach that keeping a piece of the afikoman matzaH is a special merit for a number of things, especially for Divine protection....

'Charoset' is a Seder favorite, but certainly, not a food we eat every day. What exactly is Charoset'? is the sweet thick dip made of fruits and nuts that is a tasty component of the Pesach Seder. Although there are those who have argued that eating charoset is actually a mitzva for which a special blessing is to be recited, the halacha is not in accordance with this view. The Talmud does require, however, that charoset be placed on the Seder table, and this has the status of a rabbinical mitzva. ...

Our 'Passover Partners' project connects you with the heroes of Israel who defend our freedom every day. Many soldiers spend the Passover holiday with needy families back home. Join us in sending Passover packages and holiday greetings to IDF soldiers and their families. ...

The Shabbat before Pesach is known as Shabbat Hagadol, "the Great Sabbath", though it is not completely clear why this is so. Nevertheless, a number of explanations have been offered for this honorable designation. The most common explanation is related to the Passover offering that the Jewish people were commanded to prepare. On the Shabbat just prior to the Exodus, which was the 10th of Nissan, the Jewish people were commanded to prepare a sheep for the Pesach offering and to tie it to their beds. The Jewish people, of course, did as they were told. ...

Our Torah portion opens up with something intriguing. The word “Vayikra”, which literally means “to call”, is made up of the Hebrew letters vav, yud, kuf, reish, and aleph. You will notice that the last letter of “Vayikra”, the “aleph”, is written much smaller than all the other letters of the word. What’s going on here? What’s with the font-size change?...

Moses thought that it would be inappropriate to use these copper mirrors, whose purpose was for women to beautify themselves, in the service of the holy Tabernacle. Moses felt that the sanctity of the Mishkan and intimacy between husband and wife just couldn’t mix....

The Torah promises that God will protect the property and possessions of those who perform this mitzva! That’s right – if you pack up and travel to Jerusalem for the holidays as the Torah instructs us to, God Himself will guard your house: 24 hour patrols. Video cameras. Booby traps. The works. Your possessions will be safe. As the Torah says: “No man will covet your land when you go up to appear before God three times a year. (Exodus 34:34)....

It's Purim time! Purim, the holiday that celebrates the Jewish's people deliverance from the evil plot of Haman, is observed on the 14th of Adar, which this year is Sunday February 24. In places that were surrounded by a wall in the times of Joshua when he conquered the Land of Israel – Purim is observed on the next day, the 15th of Adar. Therefore, in Jerusalem, and several other ancient walled cities, Purim is observed on Monday, February 25, and it is known as "Shushan Purim"....

We learn about the unique garments that the Kohen Gadol, the High Priest, was required to wear when he performed the service in the Beit Hamikdash – the Holy Temple. One of these garments was the “Me’il” – a long, four cornered, blue, woolen robe. At the bottom of this robe were several dozen bells. So important is this bell-adorned robe, that if the Kohen Gadol were ever to enter the sanctuary without it, he would be subject to the death penalty....

The festive holiday of Purim commemorates Israel’s salvation from extermination by the mighty Persian Empire, some 2500 years ago. Jews in Israel and all over the world celebrate Purim on the 14th day of Adar (this year Feb 24th) as a time of “Light, Gladness, Joy and Honor for the Jewish people” (Esther 8:16)....

Jewish communities around the world have some common ways of celebrating Purim, yet at the same time possess traditions that differ depending on location. For example, Jews across the planet traditionally read Megillat Esther (Scroll of Esther) in the synagogue. However, Ashkenazi children will bring noise-makers to the synagogue and cause as much ruckus as possible whenever the name of the evil Persian Prime Minister Haman is mentioned. Ashkenazi children will also come to the synagogue dressed up in various costumes. Dressing up as the main characters of the Purim story, Queen Esther, Mordechai, Haman, and Ahaseurus, the King of Persia, has always been popular, yet in recent times, people will dress up in other sorts of costumes as well. ...

The message: Zachor. Remember who your enemies are. Evil for evil's sake is unforgivable. Whether it is Haman, Hitler, or Ahmadinejad – we will never forget. The Jewish people will never be destroyed. 'Am Yisrael Chai' - the Nation of Israel Lives!...

According to the Meam Loez commentary on the Tanakh: “In every generation, Amelek rises to destroy us and each time he clothes himself in a different nation.” For our generation, Israeli President Shimon Peres has proclaimed, Ahmadinejad is the “modern day Haman,” the Amalekite who sought to slaughter the Jewish people in the Persian Empire. As Rabbi Israel Rosen asserted, both Ahmadinejad and Haman are “characterized not only by their meaningless hatred, but by their compulsive animosity. A ‘real’ Amalekite is absorbed and consumed with hatred of Israel which nourishes him 24 hours a day, when he’s awake and in his dreams. A ‘pure’ Amalekite is possessed by a crazed and deep hatred of Israel; it’s his spirit, his heart’s desire, his soul and his passion, exclusively.” ...

Most people assume that the verse should say “If you are quiet at this time, we are doomed! You are our only hope! Now go and talk to the king!” But it doesn’t. Mordechai knows that the G-d of Israel will not let the Jewish people be exterminated. The only question he had was what was going to be the means and method of G-d’s deliverance. Esther was thrust onto the stage of history with the spotlight shining brightly upon her. Would she sing her lines or would she run off the stage?...

In 1391, there was a series of anti-Jewish massacres across Spain, where Jews were given the choice of converting to Christianity or being murdered; 20,000 Spanish Jews became Christians during this time period and many more continued to convert throughout the 1400’s under duress. However, many of these Jews who were converted under the sword continued to practice their Judaism in secret. This greatly disturbed the Spaniards, who saw that many of these closet Jews continued to be part of the top echelons of Spanish society, like they had during the Golden Age of Muslim Spain. Thus, in 1492, Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand expelled the Jews who continued to practice their faith from their kingdom, while in 1480; the Spanish Inquisition was established to hunt down Jews who continued to practice their faith in secret. In sum, 165,000 Jews fled Spain, 50,000 were baptized, and an additional 20,000 passed away while attempting to leave Spain in 1492. Meanwhile, 31,912 heretics were burned at the stake in Spain, while an additional 17,659 were burnt in effigy. For such secret Jews, known as Anusim, Conversos or Marranoes, who lived under the yoke of the Inquisition and thus were in constant fear that they would be discovered to be practicing their Jewish faith, the Purim holiday would have special meaning, since Queen Esther also was forced to practice her Judaism in secret initially....

Numerous commentators have noted that there is an uncanny resemblance between the hanging of Haman’s ten sons in the Purim story and the Nuremberg Trials following the Second World War, when 10 Nazis war criminals were hung for the crimes against humanity that they committed. Additionally, in the Purim story, the Talmud claims that Haman’s daughter committed suicide and thus didn’t need to get killed, while following the Nuremberg Trials, Herman Goring a well known Nazi cross dresser, also committed suicide and thus did not need to get hanged in Nuremberg. In fact, Julius Streitcher, the Nazi editor of the anti-semitic Das Strumer newspaper, even proclaimed before he was hung, “Purim Fest 1946.” ...

In Israel we are very excited to celebrate the holiday of Purim. It is so much fun to just walk the streets or to drive around and look at the creativity in the costumes that people are wearing. It is so festive and joyous!...

How the spirit of Queen Esther lives on in an Indiana mom today I have just finished reading an article about Stephanie Decker, an Indiana mom who lost her legs protecting her children from the tornado that ravaged her community and completely demolished her home. Stephanie describes how she and her children went down into ...

Have you ever noticed that there is another holiday on the Jewish calendar that seems to sound like “Purim”? The Torah calls the Day of Atonement, “Yom HakiPurim”, which can be translated as “A day that is like Purim”....

Our sages teach us that when we give to tzedaka, charity, we actually reap –take-more than we’ve given. God promises us many blessings for giving money to charity and we reap the exponentially greater benefits and dividends for doing so. Indeed, this is the case with most mitzvot; the benefits outweigh the investment. For example, by your kids seeing you honor your parents, they’ll be more inclined to honor you; spending a few minutes studying Torah can change you for years; who knows what the result of a smile to a stranger will get you....

We have just entered the most joyous month on the Jewish calendar - the month of Adar. According to the Book of Esther, the month of Adar was “reversed for them from grief to joy.” Similarly, the Talmud declares, “When we enter Adar, we increase in joy.” Yet one may wonder; why is the month of Adar considered a such happy time for the Jewish people? ...

Our sages classified the various commandments of the Torah into three different categories: commandments that are relevant to our relationship with God, commandments whose purpose and meaning is not readily understood, and “Mishpatim” – civil law, laws that govern our relationship with others. Why does the Torah portion that immediately follows the Ten Commandments contain the Mishpatim, civil laws?...