This week's parsha

Unless otherwise noted, "This week's Parsha" comprises articles taken from contributors to the Chabad.org website. We show the original author's name here, so that proper attribution is given. For the sake of brevity, footnotes cited in the original author's writings are omitted from this website. If you need to see the citations, please refer to the original articles on the Chabad.org website.

The Road to Peace

Published: 27 June 2013 | Written by Tali Loewenthal

We the Jewish people want peace; we believe that peace is one of the greatest goals in life. The Sages tell us that the Torah was given in order to bring peace into the world. The concept peace means, of course, a pleasant and positive atmosphere, where there is nothing harsh. And yet the concept of the "covenant of peace," which we find in this week's Torah reading, was a reward for Pinchas, the grandson of Aaron, following his forceful action at the end of the previous week's reading.

There we read that a Shimonite prince was publicly cohabiting with a gentile woman. Moses and Aaron were weeping, they felt powerless, but Pinchas took action. He was a strong man, a zealot. But does that action express the virtue of peace? Yet G-d says that in reward for his action "I give him My covenant of Peace."

Of Donkeys and Discernment

Published: 17 June 2013 | Written by Shlomo Yaffe

In one of the most fascinating stories in the Torah, the prophet Balaam tries get G-d to acquiesce to his desire to curse the Jewish people, hence causing them some harm that would weaken or destroy them. Balak the king of Moab had offered him great reward if he would weaken the People of Israel so they could be driven away from the region.

Balaam engages in a series of dialogues with G-d, in which G-d makes it clear that He doesn't want Israel cursed. Balaam, however, thinks he can still "sell" G-d on the idea.

The Call of the Hero

Published: 10 June 2013 | Written by Shimon Posner

Have you ever heard of Reb Mendel? He smuggled Jews out of the Soviet Union at the end of World War Two. The Communists gave him fifteen years in the Siberian gulags.

Ever heard of Mumeh Sorah? She did the same, but they never bothered sending her away. For decades her family never knew her yahrtzeit; they still don't know where, if anywhere, the Communists buried her.

Heard of the mother who backed out of the driveway and pinned her toddler under the rear wheel? She lifted the car by herself and saved her son.