The Portion of Shelach

The Portion of Shelach

This week’s portion focuses primarily on the Sin of the Spies, which results in God’s decree that the Israelites must wander in the desert for forty years instead of entering the land of Israel directly. It also includes details regarding a number of laws, such as the...

The Sin of the Spies

In our portion, God tells Moses to choose a representative from each tribe to scout out the land that He has chosen to give the people. Moses selects reliable men and instructs them to examine the country carefully, not only militarily (are the cities fortified? What...

Punishment

God is infuriated by the people’s mistrust and ingratitude, and threatens to wipe out the nation. Moses begs God to reconsider, taking into account the impression such action would make on the nations that watched God take Israel out of Egypt. God relents, in...

Libations, Challah and Atonement

The Torah describes the accompanying offerings that must be brought alongside sacrifices. Depending on the animal brought, the Torah lists the amount of flour, oil and wine that is to accompany the offering. This applies regardless of who brings the offering.  ...