And they said one man to another "Let us put up a head and turn to Egypt" What is the meaning of "let us put up a head"? Rashi explains it as desire to appoint a leader that will lead them back to Egypt. Ha'amek Davar explains it differently. Each person wanted to remain free

Complaining about the manna, people said: We remember the fish we used to eat in Egypt for free, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic. Rabbi Fohrman asks why these foods are mentioned? Whereas the manna fell from the sky, these foods come from under the ground or

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, 'Thus shall you bless the Israelites... Prayer, the Mishna teaches, can be said in any language, but the priestly blessing is different. Since the word thus introduces it, we are not supposed to recite it in another language. Interestingly, the oldest fragment of

On Shavuot we celebrate receiving the Torah and we read the Book of Ruth; to this practice there is a hint. There are 7 commandments that apply to all humanity, and Ruth in gematria (numerical value) is 606. Added together these numbers make 613 - the number of commandments. Prior to receiving the Torah, we

I shall turn toward you and make you fruitful and multiply you...And I shall place My presence in your midst...Before God promises that His presence will be in our midst, He first promises that we will multiply. Rabbi Hirsch explains that God's presence does not rest with lone individuals but rather within a large community