Coming in Last
This week's reading, Tazria, discusses various spiritual impurities related to a person. The end of last week's reading concerned which animals are pure (to eat) and which are not, and, says Rebbe Simlai in the Talmud, this is no coincidence: "Just like the formation...
Pigs or Camels?
For an animal to be Kosher it must chew its cud and have split hooves. The Camel is deemed non-Kosher because it only chews its cud; likewise, the pig because it only has split hooves. Rabbi Shimshon Pincus zt”l explains the symbolism: people often act in a way that...
We survived many Purims, but for what?
Happy Purim! Purim is one of only two Rabbinic holidays on our calendar. The other such holiday, Chanukah, carries with it the very obvious miracle of the single day's supply of oil that burned for eight days. Purim, on the other hand, has no such miracle -- the...
Offer Your Soul
The Temple offering of the Mincha, a simple offering of flour, oil, and spice, is the only offering when the Torah calls the donor who brings it a "Soul." The classic commentary of Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, Rashi, explains that since this inexpensive offering is...
Everyone Gave Something
This week, we read the special Torah portion of Shekalim, commemorating the annual half-Shekel donation that every person was obligated to give to support the ongoing needs of the Holy Temple. This special reading, which precedes the New Month of Adar (II), is in...
Bring the Divine Presence Among Us
When the call went out for donations to the Mishkan (Tabernacle), the response was tremendous. People donated their golden vessels, women gave up their own jewelry, and the donations kept coming until they told Moses, "The people are bringing much more than is needed...
