Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11
Moshe recounts the giving of the Ten Commandments and the experience of divine revelation at Sinai. He pleads to enter the land, but is reminded that leadership sometimes requires painful limits. The portion centers on love of God, expressed in the Shema, as the heart of Jewish life.
The Cities of Refuge are not only for the involuntary man-slayer. They are also for society. They prevent cycles of revenge. They restrain rage and introduce time into tragedy — time to cool, to grieve, to reflect.
In Education, Halacha, Parashat Eikev and Parashat Va'etchanan by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
Jewish education has only one goal, and that is to inspire students to reach for Heaven—to transform them into outstanding human beings, who demonstrate concern for their fellowmen.
There is little meaning in living by Halacha if one does not hear its grace. It is not a life of Halachic observance that we need, but a life of experiencing Halacha as a daily living music recital. Observance alone does not propel man to a level of existence where he realizes that there is more to life than the mind can grasp.
In Franz Rosenzweig, Parashat Va'etchanan and Shavuot by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
When a person learns Torah as a religious experience and hears its revelation, the gap of several thousand years—from the Revelation until now—no longer exists. Accordingly, Torah is given today
In Halacha and Parashat Va'etchanan by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
Various commentators disagree on why the Torah was so adamant about prohibiting idol worship. This debate exposes some a profound idea behind Jewish monotheism.