Thoughts on parashat Bechukotai [perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””] If you follow My laws and faithfully observe My commandments, I will grant your rains in their season, so that the earth shall yield its produce and the trees of the field their fruit. (Lev 26:3-4)   [/perfectpullquote] Until the discoveries of Copernicus, […]

In this week’s Torah portion Emor Moses announces to Aaron’s descendants the Eternal’s commandments with regard to carrying out priestly duties. These instructions include among others the following words: [perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“The [Eternal] spoke further to Moses: Speak to Aaron and say: ‘No man of your offspring throughout the ages […]

This week we are reading two Torah portions, Acharei-Mot and Kedoshim. The opening verses of the former one, Acharei-Mot, discuss the appropriate way in which Aaron should comport himself as he enters the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle. After the Temple in Jerusalem was built, these verses served as an instruction describing how the […]

Thoughts on Parashat Tzariah-Metzorah In this week’s Torah portion we find an extensive overview of the issue of leprosy, including detailed instructions on how to deal with people suffering from this disease, how long such persons should be isolated from the community and what role is to be played in all these by the spiritual […]

Thoughts on Parashat Shemini This week’s Torah portion dedicates much attention to the sacrificial offerings offered to the Eternal in the Tabernacle in the desert. There were essentially six categories of sacrificial offerings made to God, but we are not going to analyze them here. Instead, we will focus on the different roles which the […]