A Time of New Beginnings
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,...
Follow the Leader
Our Sages tell us that a person must “make” a Rav for himself [Chapters of the Fathers 1:6], to find a Rabbi and teacher who can provide advice. This is the Jewish path, a tradition given from teacher to student throughout the generations.
Humble Enough to Err — and Admit It
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 says that there...
All In This Together
This week, Rabbi Mordechai Dixler, our program director, shared with me a collection of Torah thoughts and concepts from Rav Avraham Elimelech Biderman of Bnei Brak, Israel. In a few short paragraphs Rav Biderman tied together our reading (Pikudei, the last portion in...
On His Terms
In this week's reading, G-d instructs Moses to make the anointing oil, describing its composition. He tells Moshe to anoint the holy items and vessels, and the Kohanim Gedolim (High Priests) of future generations. (Kings from the House of David were also anointed with...
Crushed to Shine
There is an interesting interruption at the beginning of this week's reading. Last week we learned about the construction of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, and this week we learn about the garments worn by the Kohanim, the Priests, when they served within it. Yet the...
