He spoke about the imperative to provide Jewish children with an authentic Torah education, even under communist rule.

Jono makes jokes, get struck by lightning, and figures out how to mute G-fish. Watch, laugh, and maybe drink a soda?

Our Generation’s Substitute for Korbanos: The charitable path to full atonement

Though the Parah Adumah (the red heifer) is prepared by the Kohen, it’s very much associated with Moshe. Learn why is this mitzvah linked to Moses, and what is its spiritual application today?

Now a successful real estate broker and philanthropist, Naomi Streicher shares her personal approach to challenges, charity, setbacks, and faith.

Bank robbery is obviously wrong. But borrowed Wi-Fi and shared passwords? That’s where integrity gets tested. This class builds the Torah's framework for honest measures and truthful dealings, examining how minor choices can create a slippery slope from taking to denying to outright lying. You’ll explore whether misleading someone counts as dishonesty even when no lie is spoken, and what those quiet, unseen choices reveal about your integrity.

A taste of Shazak Parsha, where the weekly Torah portion comes alive! Geared for kids... Great for adults!

How to perform the havdalah ceremony at the conclusion of Shabbat and festivals.

The Red Heifer is the single most incomprehensible commandment in the Torah. By the same token, it most accurately represents the most incomprehensible part of the soul.

Study the daily lesson of Sefer HaMitzvos for day 145 with Rabbi Mendel Kaplan, where he teaches the mitzvah in-depth with added insight and detail.

The face evil presents to us is powerful and compelling. But in essence it is an illusion.

Anti-Semitism is a powerful, negative, thoroughly unholy phenomenon. Stripped of its negativity, however, its raw power can be used in the service of holiness.

The messianic era is central to Jewish belief, but few people actually understand it. Here is what the Jewish texts have to say.

Discover how Torah classes given more than a decade ago continue to enrich lives and touch souls.

Describing the red heifer ritual, the Torah states (Numbers 19:2) “Take a red heifer that never had a yoke placed upon it.” The Hebrew word for yoke (ol) is normally spelled ayin-vav-lamed, but in this verse, the vav is missing. What is the connection between 1) the missing vav, 2) the Edomites who are descended from Esau, and 3) the story of Moses striking the rock?

This portion describes Moses' unusual way of healing those who suffered from poisonous snake bites. A Jewish look at how healing really works.

Sarah and Avi find a letter “mem,” and help him find a mitzvah that starts with the letter “mem.”

The parshah of Chukat contains 87 verses, and the mnemonic for it are the words Lemidva, Yemuel, and Uzi. Explore the coded message in this Masoretic note and its connection to the general themes of the Parshah.

In July 1976, Israel successfully executed the bold Entebbe rescue mission, codenamed “Operation Thunderbolt,” flying thousands of miles over enemy territory to rescue Jewish hostages being held by terrorists in Uganda. Join IDF Commander Sassy Reuven for a first-hand account of how the miraculous operation unfolded.

In moments of self-doubt, when you feel dejected or worthless, here’s how to transform your negative self-talk.

A taste of Shazak Parsha, where the weekly Torah portion comes alive! Geared for kids... Great for adults!

Pinchas gets promoted, a certain obnoxious muppet proposes a scratch-off version of the biblical lottery of the Land of Israel, Moses appoints a successor, and Jono sacrifices his shoe

Cruel intentions often lead to cruel actions. Yet the goodness of actions cannot be judged from their intentions. (Parsha Perks | Pinchas | with Dr Michael Chighel)

The five daughters of Tzelafchad were trailblazers. Here are three things to keep in mind to follow in their footsteps.

Three components were involved in dividing the land of Israel amongst the tribes: evaluation, lottery and inheritance. This class will explore the spiritual significance of these factors and how they reflect three dimensions in our relationship with G-d. (Likutei Sichos volume 28, Sicha 1)

The story of the soul’s journey as it parallels the three-part process by which the Land of Israel was divided amongst the twelve tribes. (Based on the maamor Ach B’goral 5735)

This class will address the halachic and spiritual dynamics of the expanded Land of Israel in the messianic era with respect to the tribal allotments. (Likutei Sichos, vol. 38, sichah 1)

Pinchas took the law into his own hands and was vindicated. When is it permissible to be a vigilante?

In the first of the “Trilogy of Tribulations,” Jeremiah describes his inauguration as prophet. Although his first prophecy is one of impending doom, it contains within it a hidden message about the power to transform mourning into joy.

Study some of the highlights of the weekly Torah portion with insights from various commentaries.

The parshah of Pinchas contains 168 verses, and the mnemonic for it is the name Lechelek and V’elipleihu. Explore the coded message in this Masoretic note and its connection to the general themes of the Parshah.

Upon divine confirmation that he wouldn’t enter the Promised Land, Moses forcefully asks G-d to assure him that the Children of Israel not be left like a “flock without a shepherd.” Our Sages highlight the unique introductory sentence, telling us that it’s a one-of-a-kind biblical verse! Rashi elucidates how it expresses the ultimate paradigm of true leadership and the selfless nature of Moses. At this fateful moment, his response was single-minded concern for his people. Yet Rashi comments on the very next verse that Moses said “it’s time to ask for my own needs, that my son should inherit my high position.” How can we reconcile this egregiously glaring inconsistency?

The Torah’s description of Pinchas’ lineage as explained in Rashi, offers insight into human psychology and how intricate our personal defence mechanisms really are.

Only by making itself vulnerable to the mortality and pitfalls of the physical state can the soul of man gain the power to make of itself more than it is.

The Torah relates that Tzelofchad left no sons to inherit his portion in the Land of Israel. Driven by their love of the Land, his five daughters overcame their sense of modesty and appeared before Moses with a claim that they should be their father’s heirs.

The Torah relates how after Tzelafchad died without leaving any sons, his daughters appeared before Moses with a claim that they should be their father’s heirs. G-d agreed and commanded Moses to write this into Jewish law.

The Land of Israel is Heaven’s perfectly suitable gift suited for the Jewish people. By the same token, it is beyond what the Jews can ever deserve.

"Pinchas...has turned My anger away from the children of Israel by his zealously avenging Me... therefore I hereby give him My covenant of peace." (Numbers 25:11-12) In this verse, the letter 'vav' of the word 'shalom' (peace) is written like two separate letters, a 'yud' above and a small 'vav' below. What does this teach us about how to make true peace?

Learn about the unusual procedure by which the Tribes of Israel were assigned to their portion in the Land. What does this teach us about providence, predetermination and fate?

The Torah mandates that the Levites not inherit a portion in the Land of Israel like the rest of the tribes, for they are to be set apart for the service of G-d and guiding the people spiritually. Will there be a change in the division of land in the times of Moshiach?

Rashi is perplexed by the Torah’s description of Moses counting the Jews after a plague decimates the population. His commentary offers a fascinating glimpse into the responsibility of leadership and a powerful reminder of the value of Jewish marriage.

Rashi explains why Moshe forgot a relatively straightforward law, and the Rebbe develops the theme with a magnificent insight. Learning Likutei Sichos vol. 13, Pinchas (sicha 1)

Key moments in the Friediker Rebbe’s life coincide with the parsha of Pinchas, and is strikingly similar to the unique dedication and Mesiras Nefesh of Pinchas.

A proper analysis of Rashi’s explanation for the census following the plague conveys Moshe's sense of responsibility to his people.

Why would the Torah feel the need to tell us that Moshe followed G-d's instructions to relate these laws to the people?

During the three weeks between the 17th of Tammuz and the 9th of Av, we mourn the loss of both Holy Temples in Jerusalem. The Torah tells us, however, that when we study the laws of the Temple’s construction, we are already rebuilding it.

The exile started with a single event, and the children have the power to end it.

Study a variety of vibrant and topical subjects with scholarly teachers. These Torah classes are from a day of learning in Montreal, Canada dedicated to help bring peace to Israel on 8/3/2008.

The Talmud’s narrative of the unfortunate episodes that led to the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and our subsequent exile.

In the first of the “Trilogy of Tribulations,” Jeremiah describes his inauguration as prophet. Although his first prophecy is one of impending doom, it contains within it a hidden message about the power to transform mourning into joy.

In the second haftorah of the “Trilogy of Tribulations” we learn how the prophet Jeremiah’s rebuke of his contemporaries can teach us today how to turn criticism into a powerful catalyst for change.

In the third haftorah of the “Trilogy of Tribulations,” we learn how Isaiah’s prophecy contains a hidden lesson about our power to visualize and manifest our greatest hopes and dreams.

A precise textual analysis of ch. 4, halacha 1 of Rambam's "Laws of the Chosen House" (Hilchos Beis HaBechira) considers the historical role of the Ark in the Temple as well as its location today. (Based on Likutei Sichos vol. 21)

The Sages teach that the Holy Temple was destroyed on account of unwarranted hatred, and will be rebuilt through unwarranted love. Rabbi Pinchas Weberman recalls a private audience in 1973 where the Rebbe explained just how literal this teaching is.

Why it is illogical to say that the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, and the subsequent exile, came about as a punishment for the Jewish people.

This class begins with a history of the three-week period of mourning for the Destruction of the Holy Temple and continues with an analysis of a prophecy of Jeremiah that hints to the future transformation of "bitterness into sweetness."

A look at the three Haftorah portions read during the "Three Weeks" commemorating the destruction of the Holy Temple.

The Third Temple to be built by Moshiach corresponds to the third phase in a relationship in which opposites are harmonized and ultimate peace is achieved.

Before the siege of Jerusalem, G-d commanded the prophet Ezekiel to place an iron pot around a brick symbolizing the city's siege. (Ezekiel 4:3) Iron can be a metaphor for the grave character defect of rigidity or for the deep inner strength of the Jewish people that leads to Redemption.

Why building a Temple on the Temple Mount is by necessity the first stage in making the world a G-dly place. (A Tisha B'Av study, based on the Rebbe's discourse Gadol Yihyeh K'vod Habayis Hazeh, 5722.)

The mystical secrets hinted at by the numbers in the dates associated with the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem—the 17th day of Tammuz, the 9th day of Av, and the three weeks or twenty-one days between them.

Says the prophet Jeremiah in Lamentations, “For these things I weep.” Where were the rest of the Jewish people when Jeremiah was mourning the destruction of the Holy Temple?

"Pinchas...has turned My anger away from the children of Israel by his zealously avenging Me... therefore I hereby give him My covenant of peace." (Numbers 25:11-12) In this verse, the letter 'vav' of the word 'shalom' (peace) is written like two separate letters, a 'yud' above and a small 'vav' below. What does this teach us about how to make true peace?

G-d tells Moses, “A thousand for each tribe, a thousand from each tribe, from all the tribes of Israel you shall send into the army [to battle the Midianites].” (Numbers 31:4) The Hebrew word for thousand is “elef,” which is spelled the same as “alef.” What is the connection between the battle against Midian, the letter alef, and the Three Weeks of mourning over the destruction of the Temple?

This class continues to describe the reign of the Herodian kings and the events leading to the fall of the Holy Temple to the Roman Emperor, Titus.

The Torah prohibits constructing the Temple with wood; only stone and brick are admissible. Yet the high priest's chamber, located in the Temple proper, was made of wood. This class will present an analysis of the subject from both halachic and spiritual viewpoints. (Likutei Sichos vol 28, Parshas Massei)

The Midrash relates that at the beginning of the Babylonian exile, seventy years before the Jews’ return to Jerusalem, G-d instructed Ezekiel to teach them the dimensions of the Holy Temple, because when they engage in its study, G-d considers it as though they built it.

In the book of Eicha – authored by Jeremiah the prophet – the letter Lamed in the verse “Let it not befall you...” is written small. This symbolizes Jeremiah's role, and by extension every Jew, to be a light unto the nations.

In analyzing Maimonides' description of the future transformation of the current fast days into days of celebration in the Messianic era, this class sheds new light on the nature of things to come. (Likutei Sichos volume 15, p. 412)

The Book of Lamentations is a sad song which contains the most heartrending prophecies of Jeremiah about the destruction of the Holy Temple and the ensuing exile. Join us for an informative and uplifting text-based study of this Biblical book, which is traditionally read on Tisha B’av.

This text-based class on Megillat Eicha provides a general overview and analyzes the first two verses.

This text-based class on Megillat Eicha focuses on verses 3-4 of the first chapter.

Rabbi Binyomin Scheiman shares about how he sees the good in every person and every circumstance and built a community of ex-criminals.

Why would a tzadik make a bracha that implies he doesn't deserve Hashem's blessings?

Why every Parah Adumah must link back to Moshe.

Though the Parah Adumah (the red heifer) is prepared by the Kohen, it’s very much associated with Moshe. Learn why is this mitzvah linked to Moses, and what is its spiritual application today?

The Talmud is a repository of Jewish learning, tradition, and law, written in a blend of Hebrew and Aramaic.

Mendel was just seven years old when his father suddenly passed away, leaving behind four orphans. The Rebbe took a unique interest in the Scharf children, showering them with attention, love, and paternal concern – which we can all learn from. Watch Rabb

The individual who chopped wood in the desert and desecrated the Shabbos, ironically, was out to prove a point about keeping Shabbos. He demonstrated how though good intentions are wonderful, but action is the key.

The spies were deeply spiritual people with high ideals, yet they were misguided and missed the point. This leads to fascinating dive into the Rambam’s definition of attaining the ultimate level of love of Hashem. A lesson from the spies: The goal of Juda

When Moshe sent the spies, were they kosher? If not, why send them. If yes, why did Moshe pray that Yehoshua be save from their plans?

Rambam states that one of the core values of Judaism is the belief that Hashem empowers humans with prophetic ability. Then he details the qualities needed to access prophecy, which tells us what we need to believe about Nevuah.

Is the celebration of Yom Tov all about meat? Is the mitzvah of Simcha on Yom Tov spiritual or physical enjoyment? Is there a mitzvah of Simcha on Shabbos?

The Second Passover offering is brought by those who didn’t bring the Korban Pesach a month earlier in its proper time. Is Pesach Sheni relevant if one didn't miss Pesach? And what is its value today without the Korban?

Phil Rosenberg describes the role of the Board of Deputies of British Jews. He also describes several outlines of what the community should be focusing on to ensure a brighter future.

Shavuos is when we connect with the essence of Hashem, which allows us to fundamentally transform the weekdays that follow. This we see in the days of ‘Tashlumin’, the make-up period for the Shavuos pilgrim offerings.

The way the Leviim needed to transport the holy Aron containing the Luchos, shows the degree to which we need to respect the Torah, and conveys how Torah builds a forward-facing, personal relationship with Hashem.

How we created a Yom Tov out of the day after Shavuos. Analyzing Talmudic sources for the Alter Rebbe’s description of Isru Chag.

What is the essential change from before Sinai to after Sinai with the giving of the Torah?

Marcus Roberts discusses the little known and highly controversial details of the German occupation and Holocaust on the Channel Islands, with an emphasis on Alderney. He describes the attempts to ignore or minimize the atrocities committed there, and his

Watch this cute short on the very basics of the holiday of Shavuot.

Did you know that just before the Torah was given, they experienced their first taste of the revolution the Torah would bring? This we see in Moshe building an altar to bring a sacrifice—the day prior to Shavuuos.

What's the maximum amount of charity you can give? Not all charity is created equal.

Shemitah is a real test of faith, to leave the field fallow the entire year. Yet the words in the verse: "What will we eat during Shemiitah?" is not a question driven by lack of faith.

Choose your neighbors wisely because they’re influence is greater than you imagine.

An incredible insight into the power of the Omer, gleaned from the three layers of the census of the Jewish nation. All from analyzing a Rashi on not counting the Levites in the census.

The positive impact of “great is the righteous and great is his neighbor” is not proportionate to the negative effect of “woe is the wicked and woe is his neighbor”.

Miri and Meni embark on an after-bedtime journey through the universe to discover that there is only G-d.

Watch this cute short on the basics of Lag B’Omer.