The Torah portions this week and next are devoted mostly to the spiritual disease of Tzara'as. Tzara'as is a physical blemish found on the body, clothing, or the walls of the house, that is diagnosed by a member of the Jewish priestly class, a Kohein. It is said to...

Is it just me, or does the world seem to become more volatile every day? We used to say that last year, we could never imagine where we would be today. Now we say the same thing about last week. The renowned Rabbi Berel Wein, who I was privileged to have as a teacher...

This week we welcome in the Jewish month of Adar—in actuality, Adar II, as a leap year on the Jewish calendar involves a full extra month, to keep the holidays in their seasons on the solar calendar while marking months by the cycle of the moon. The Talmud says, "When...

The Mishkan (Tabernacle) was like a movable forerunner of the Holy Temple. As the Jewish People traveled through the desert for forty years, they assembled it at each of their encampments, and took it down when it was time to move on. But despite its portability, the...

After Moshe (Moses) witnessed the sin of the golden calf, and he delivered the justice and retribution due to those who sinned, he then went back and ascended Mount Sinai once again, to appeal to G-d for forgiveness on behalf of the Jewish nation. He said what appears...

The first half of this week's Torah portion is devoted to the details of the vestments worn by the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) while serving in the Mishkan (Tabernacle) in the Desert, and eventually in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Each of the eight articles of clothing...