by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Apr 17, 2026 | Lifeline
This week we read about the Metzorah, who was afflicted with a spiritual type of leprosy. Our Sages teach that a person got this disease because of the sin of lashon hora, gossiping. What is so harmful about a bit of gossip, that a person got a punishment requiring...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Mar 31, 2026 | Lifeline
In the Passover Haggadah, we read the Ten Plagues, and Rebbe Yehudah’s acronym, and then learn that in reality, the Egyptians experienced much more than “only” ten plagues. Rebbe Yossi teaches that there were ten plagues in Egypt, but 50 at the sea. Rebbe Eliezer says...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Mar 27, 2026 | Lifeline
Along with Elevation Offerings, Guilt Offerings, Flour Offerings and others, this week Aharon and his sons, the Kohanim, learn how to offer the Sin Offering. Last week we discussed, with regards to this offering, an exception to the rule: when one gave an offering for...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Mar 20, 2026 | Lifeline
In this week’s reading, we learn about sin and guilt offerings in the Temple. One was called the “higher or lower” offering, as this offering depended upon a person’s financial situation. If a person entered the Temple without being in a pure state, or swore falsely...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Mar 13, 2026 | Lifeline
After returning from atop Mt. Sinai, after Yom Kippur, Moshe calls the people to congregate. He is about to tell them to collect donations: gold, silver, and copper, colored cloths and skins, oil and spices. They were all to be used to construct the Tabernacle for...
