From the Desk of Rabbi Alter

And you shall take of the first of every fruit of the ground… (Deut. 26:2) The Parsha begins with the commandment of Bikkurim, the first fruits. The farmer is to take his first ripened fruits to the temple and present them to the Cohen. The Midrash teaches

Every person has one thing that he is living for. Let’s call it a “personal bottom line.” For some it is money, for others prestige, for others pursuit of pleasure. Now let’s imagine that you’re faced with a situation where you are about to lose everything –

Parshat Ekev tells of the special mitzvah to love converts. Converts hold a special status in Jewish life, since they did the heroic deed of leaving their familiar surroundings, and casting their destiny with the Jewish people. Many of our greatest ancestors – Abraham, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel

In the Shema, we say, “You shall love God with all your heart, with all your life and with all your possessions.” This is a commandment to be willing to give up even our lives and our possessions in the pursuit of meaning. The Sages explain that

The Sages tell us that Moses did not rebuke the Jewish people until right before he died. They cite other examples of people who only gave rebuke right before their passing from this world – Jacob to his sons, Samuel to the Jewish people, and a few

“You will be clean in God’s eyes and in the eyes of the nation” (Numbers 32:22). The Jewish nation is about to enter the Land of Israel and two of the 12 tribes seem to want to avoid their responsibility to join their brethren in the battle

Kol Colchester Parshat Pinchas tells of the heroic deed of Pinchas, who jumped up with spear in his hand to save the Jewish people from a plague of immorality. When the moment called for bold action, Pinchas was ready and willing to step forward. Later in the

In this week’s Torah portion, Bilaam’s great praise for the Jewish people is found  in the famous words that begin our daily prayers and that every Bar/Bat Mitzvah child knows by heart: Ma tovu ohalecha Yaakov – “How goodly are your tents, O Jacob” (Numbers 24:5). The Sages explain

Korach is a classic example of a person with great potential, who made wrong decisions. The Sages tell us that Korach was a wise man. He was chosen to be one of the select few who were spiritually fitting to carry the Ark of the Covenant. The

“I can’t succeed.” At first glance, the statement of “I can’t” sounds more accurate. Because “I” can’t do anything independently at all. It’s only because of God that I’m even able to wake up in the morning and tie my shoes! But on a deeper level, the