Weekly Torah Portion: The Wayward Son

Children are remarkable creations, for a number of reasons. However, tragically, one of the most important reasons is greatly ignored: the opportunity they represent for their parents, and anyone else who will influence their lives. It actually reminds me of a...

Some Laws Regarding Marriage

The next group of laws Moses outlines relate to marriage. The first deals with a husband who comes to despise his wife and accuses her of not being a virgin when they married. If her parents produce signs of her virginity to the elders of the city, the husband is...

More Laws for a Holy People

It is forbidden to take advantage of the weakest segments of society. Likewise, a worker’s wages must be paid on time.   Fathers and sons may not be held accountable for each other’s actions.   You may not pervert the justice of the convert or the orphan,...

Several Laws for a Holy People

The next lengthy stretch of the portion deals with a variety of brief laws. We have broken it up into two sections for manageability.   To keep the camp holy, anyone impure due to a nocturnal emission must sit outside the camp until he is purified. Among a...

Amalek Remembered

The portion ends with a reminder of the battle with Amalek before the giving of the Torah, recorded initially in Exodus 17. The people are commanded to remember what they did to the nation, attacking them from behind when they were weak and tired, showing no fear of...