Emor
In Pursuit of HAPPYness
If He is truly capable of anything, then why can't He provide good without the bad?
The moral from Job: Only G-d is perfect. When mere human beings go through pain - as we all do – we can be overwhelmed. G-d understands. read more »
You Can't Say It Enough
The Torah’s economy of words is legendary. Entire laws are derived at times from one extra letter. Unnecessary repetitions are thus suspect, and usually lead to volumes of commentary and interpretation. In this week’s Biblical reading, one need not look too far to experience this phenomenon. “Hashem said to Moshe: Say to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: To a dead person he shall not become impure.” read more »
Blood, Worms & Holiness
A commitment to education stems from the recognition that perfection of self is insufficient. For the Jew, this means enlightening other Jews with the divine wisdom of Torah and prevailing upon him to implement its precepts in his daily life. On three separate occasions, the Torah emphasizes that, “The great are to be charged regarding the small” obligating the older generation to pass on their knowledge and experience. read more »
You Are Not Always A Rabbi
The third Book of Leviticus, like all of its Biblical partners, possesses more than one name. Since time immemorial, Rabbinic tradition has referred to this book as Toras Kohanim, the Laws of the Priests. The reason for this is obvious. A great part of this work deals with the service in the Sanctuary; the sacrifices and various Temple ritual all attended to by the Kohanim. Indeed, the very law that distinguishes the priests from the rest of the nation is enshrined in this Book of Va-yikrah. read more »
The “Holy” Truth
To the Kohanim: “Each of you shall not contaminate himself...They shall be holy to their G-d.” To the Children of Israel: “Hashem’s appointed festivals that you are to designate as holy.” The two dominant themes of this week’s reading repeatedly refer to a particular class of people and specific days as holy. What exactly is holy? What makes one group of individuals or dates holier than others? read more »
By Day and by Night
In recounting the travels of the Jewish people across the Sinai desert, the Torah clearly states that, "They went by day and by night.” However, according to the Midrash, their travels could be more accurately characterized as being "Borne on the wings of eagles.” In fact, some of our Sages have no problem asserting that their journey was indeed nothing short of miraculous, in that they covered a distance of 120 mil in the brief span of one hour. Which of course leaves us with the question, what need was there then for nocturnal travel? read more »
Every Day Counts
The Jewish calendar is a wonderful thing. Sometimes, before you've even finished one holiday, the calendar reminds you to prepare for the next. Such is our case. With the taste of matzah still fresh on our palate, we begin counting 49 days in anticipation of Shavuot and the Giving of the Torah. read more »
A Mitzvah, a Map
The human body consists of 100 trillion cells. Within each is a nucleus containing a personalized genetic code, the blueprint of our entire body. In simple words, the microcosm is a map of the macrocosm. Does this apply to Judaism? Can one mitzvah, a single fragment of a highly complex structure, reveal the totality of Judaism? If so, we might view the Bible as more than a series of unconnected laws, but as a unified spiritual response to a very un-spiritual world. read more »
Don’t Be a Jewish Humpty Dumpty
Counting can be the most boring, exciting, or worrying activity I can think of. Boring, if you’re counting sheep; exciting, if it is the lottery prize money you’ve just taken home; and worrying, if you’re tallying your bills. One aspect shared by all counting is that they inform you of movement. Sometimes the count broadcasts your progress, other times it sadly reports your regression. read more »
By Day and by Night
In recounting the travels of the Jewish people across the Sinai desert, the Torah clearly states that, "They went by day and by night.” However, according to the Midrash, their travels could be more accurately characterized as being "Borne on the wings of eagles.” In fact, some of our Sages have no problem asserting that their journey was indeed nothing short of miraculous, in that they covered a distance of 120 mil in the brief span of one hour. Which of course leaves us with the question, what need was there then for nocturnal travel? read more »
