by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Apr 21, 2016 | Lifeline
Last week, we spoke about the recurring themes of Passover in every generation: freedom from slavery under G-d, those who would hate us, and Divine Protection. There is another aspect to the concept of “In Every Generation,” also found in abundance in the...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Apr 15, 2016 | Lifeline
The development of the new Torah.org enables us to provide a range of new content, especially introductory material. The Sabbath prior to Pesach is called Shabbos HaGadol, the Great Sabbath, because the Jews were shown that their redemption had begun — they were...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Apr 7, 2016 | Lifeline
Our Torah reading begins this week with laws regarding purity after giving birth, after a woman brings a new life into the world. We will also celebrate Rosh Chodesh, the beginning of a new Jewish month. The word for month itself, Chodesh, shares the root of Chadash,...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Mar 31, 2016 | Lifeline
In this week’s reading, we learn of the deaths of the two eldest sons of Aharon HaKohen, the High Priest. “And Nadav and Avihu, the sons of Aharon, each took his censer, and put fire in them, and put incense on each, and brought before G-d a strange fire,...
by Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Mar 18, 2016 | Lifeline
This week’s reading begins the third book of the Torah, VaYikra, or Leviticus. The word VaYikra means “called,” as in G-d Calling to Moshe. Looking at the text, we find that the aleph, the letter at the end of VaYikra, is written in small text. Rashi...
