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.

A Mezuzah on the Door

Published: 07 June 2010 | Written by Yitschak Meir Kagan

This week's Torah reading relates how Korach, a member of the priestly tribe of Levi, rebelliously challenged the leadership of Moses and the high priesthood of Aaron.

The Midrash relates that Korach confronted Moses with several questions. One of them concerned a Mezuzah. According to Torah law every house must have affixed on its right doorpost, a Mezuzah, a small scroll of parchment containing the first two paragraphs of the Shma Yisroel. Korach demanded of Moses: "Does a house filled with scrolls of the Torah require a Mezuzah?" Moses replied that the contents of the house were immaterial; a "Mezuzah" was required on every doorpost.

Recognition

Published: 31 May 2010 | Written by Tali Loewenthal

The power of recognition is a fascinating feature of our minds. What gives us the ability to recognize another person? Or the street on which we used to live? What about recognizing when someone is telling the truth? "I just knew she was being truthful. It was obvious."

One of our great problems in life is the fact that we often do not recognize the world around us for what it really is. For many reasons we allow ourselves to be deceived; in fact, it might be incredibly difficult to see things in a clear way. Then, sometimes, we suddenly recognize the truth. Immediately everything looks different.

Miriam's Courage

Published: 26 May 2010 | Written by Yitschak Meir Kagan

At the conclusion of the parshah of Behaalotecha we read how when Miriam had to live outside of Israel's desert encampment for seven days, "...the people did not journey till Miriam was brought in again" (Numbers 12:15).

Two million people, with all their leaders, their prophets, judges, elders and sages delayed their scheduled journeying to wait for one individual! For they remembered; they remembered how she had waited at the banks of the Nile to guard her baby brother Moses floating in the reed box in the river; they remembered how Miriam, a little girl, had molded Israel's destiny and changed the course of history...