Why does the Pasuk say both “Emor – Speak” and “V’Amarta – And you should say”. What’s the double word doing here?
Category: Sefer Vayikra
And Aharon was Silent
As I was driving home today, watching the sun set on Yom HaShoah, I was thinking about the siren earlier today, and what two minutes of silent contemplation can accomplish. In shul this past week, we read וידום אהרון which we usually translate as “And Aharon was silent.” Aharon’s two oldest sons, Nadav and Avihu,… Continue reading And Aharon was Silent
Why We Drink
In Parshat Shemini, after Nadav and Avihu are killed, Aharon is instructed by Hashem not to drink wine when serving in the Beit HaMikdash. Some commentators even say that Nadav and Avihu’s sin was that they were inebriated while bringing their sacrifice. When that commandment is given to Aharon, a reason is also provided: .וַיְדַבֵּר… Continue reading Why We Drink
Nothing to fear…
וְנָתַתִּי שָׁלוֹם בָּאָרֶץ, וּשְׁכַבְתֶּם וְאֵין מַחֲרִיד. וְהִשְׁבַּתִּי חַיָּה רָעָה, מִן-הָאָרֶץ, וְחֶרֶב, לא-תַעֲבר בְּאַרְצְכֶם “And I will place peace in the land, you shall repose there; there will be nothing to scare you. I will restrain any dangerous animal from the land, a sword will not cross your land.” (Vayikra 26:6) This פסוק comes amidst the… Continue reading Nothing to fear…
Behar/Bechukosai- What is The Secret of His Immortality?
CONCERNING THE JEWS … “If the statistics are right, the Jews constitute but one percent of the human race. It suggests a nebulous dim puff of star dust lost in the blaze of the Milky Way. Properly the Jew ought hardly to be heard of, but he is heard of, has always been heard of.… Continue reading Behar/Bechukosai- What is The Secret of His Immortality?
Emor- A Smack of Love
A child comes home from school and tells his father that his Rebbi hit him for misbehaving. The father called up the Rebbi and asked him if that was indeed what had happened. The Rebbi confirmed the reports and mentioned that because he was a Rebbi and like a father to his students, he had… Continue reading Emor- A Smack of Love
Some Thoughts from Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch on Parshas Emor
Dibur and Emor differ as “speaking” and “informing.” Speaking is the expression of thought in words, without any consideration of its being accepted by the hearer, but informing is always “telling somebody.” One can speak to oneself, but not inform. Dibur is the concise expression of a thought, Emor is addressing the same to the… Continue reading Some Thoughts from Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch on Parshas Emor
Taking Responsibility
At the end of this week’s Parsha we come across an interesting story. A man, born to a Jewish mother (from the Tribe of Dan) and an Egyptian father, gets into an argument with one of the other Jews. In the course of the disagreement he pronounces the name of Hashem and curses Him. The… Continue reading Taking Responsibility
Stark Contrast
Acharei Mot is notable for a startling contrast: Opening with the laws describing the office of the Kohen Gadol, as he stands before the holy of holies, seeking the atonement of the Jewish people on the most important day of the year – the parsha than turns its attention to our most primal appetites. In… Continue reading Stark Contrast
Acharei Mos/Kedoshim- A True Acquisition
You shall rise in the presence of an old person and you shall honor the presence of an elder and you shall fear your God – I am God (19:32) The Talmud (Kedsuhin 32b) teaches that the Hebrew word for an older person (zaken) can actually be a conjugation of the word ze kana chachma/… Continue reading Acharei Mos/Kedoshim- A True Acquisition