Hurdles that Heal
The Torah describes a Metzora, one afflicted with a disease on his skin called Tzaraas. This was a spiritual impurity with obvious physical symptoms. A Kohein (a member of the priestly Jewish tribe) would examine a lesion on a person and declare him or her to be a...
Do You Feel Blessed?
The Passover Haggadah, which we read at the Seder, tells us about the many miracles that were done on behalf of the Jewish nation during their exodus from Egypt. It tells us that Hashem is watching over our nation and protecting us in every generation. And it also...
Altar-ing the Flavor
A great deal of the Book of Leviticus, which we begin reading this week, discusses the animal and flour offerings brought in the Tabernacle and the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. The Hebrew word for offering, "Korban," literally means a tool to bring us closer to G-d. The...
The Shadow Knows
Betzalel was appointed to manage the construction of the Mishkan (The Holy Tabernacle), both the building and its vessels. When Moshe (Moses) related the instructions from G-d on how to build the Mishkan, he began by describing the Holy Ark, continued with the other...
Looking Forward to Purim
When the Rabbis instituted the Mitzvah of reading the Megillah (Megillas Esther, the Scroll of Esther) on Purim, they included a number of strict laws regarding the reading and writing of the scroll. One such law is to not read the Megillah backwards, meaning that...
The Lofty Labor of Life
This and the upcoming Torah portions explain the construction of the holy Mishkan (Tabernacle) in great detail. One key reason to discuss these details, the Talmud explains (Shabbos 49b), is to learn the 39 types of work done to construct the Mishkan—because these are...
Not Our Own Rules
The Torah's 613 Mitzvos, Commandments, are divided into three basic categories: testimonies, statutes, and judgements. The last of these are civil laws which any society needs to survive—but these, too, are part of Torah. Our reading this week begins, "These are the...
Winners Don’t Go Out of Bounds
It's a hot, humid day in the middle of summer. Out from the ice cream parlor walks a fellow with a waffle cone, briefly escaping the oppressive temperatures as he enjoys his frosty delicacy. Of course, you are inspired to want one for yourself. You check for your...
Blind to the Obvious
Did you ever ponder how blind we can be? This week's reading gives us a lesson in how we can become caught up in events, unable to see outside the narrow scope of our own goals. And as a result, we miss out on something so crucial. As the Jews journeyed out of Egypt,...
Losing His Head
In this week's reading, Moshe calls upon Pharoah to release the Jewish nation to worship in the desert, but "G-d said to Moshe, the heart of Pharoah is heavy, to release the people." [Ex. 7:14] The Medrash explains Pharoah's behavior with a parable. A lion and the...
Driven to Givin’
The Torah tells the story of Moshe's rise to prophecy, and to leadership over the Jewish people. Although raised in the house of the mighty Pharoah, Moshe left the palace to observe first-hand the suffering of the Jewish slaves. Ultimately, Moshe's empathy and defense...
Their Eyes and Hearts Were Closed
The Chumash (Five Books of Moses) is divided into various sections. We are most familiar with the division of the books by "Parsha," referring to the portions commonly read each week in synagogues. This week, for example, is Parshas Vayechi. But in reality, this usage...
