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...
Ready for the Super Bowl
When I saw the headline for the article on Torah.org, "Murder and the Super Bowl," I knew I had to have a look. The article is by Rabbi Yisroel Ciner, whom I've known for many years, long before he became Rabbi of Beth Jacob Congregation in Irvine, CA. And with such a...
And Yisro Heard
If everyone heard, what was unique about Yisro? Why does the Torah say that he heard, implying everyone else did not?
