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
Forbidden Relationships
This Shabbat is the 25th day of the Omer. We are exactly half way from Pesach to Shavuot. Acharei Mot, the first part of today’s double feature, is a “bloody” Parsha. It instructs Aaron on the use of blood in the sacrificial rituals, as a pathway to purity and atonement. At the same time it… Continue reading Forbidden Relationships
Tazria/Metzora- Taste the Cuisine
This shall be the law of the leprous person for the day of his cleansing. He shall be brought to the priest… (Vayikra 14:2) A Metzora is one who has contracted tzara’as (on his body in this case), a spiritual affliction with physical symptoms, stemming from various sins one may have committed. A well-known sin… Continue reading Tazria/Metzora- Taste the Cuisine
The Significance of a Bris
This Dvar Torah is in honor of my beautiful son, Azariah Simcha, who had is bris yesterday. This is a very auspicious week to have a Bris, as the third pasuk in the Parsha is: וּבַיּוֹם, הַשְּׁמִינִי, יִמּוֹל, בְּשַׂר עָרְלָתו And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised I would… Continue reading The Significance of a Bris
Marriage to G-d
In the Hagadah, we quote the Pasuk in Shemos 12:12– “Viavarti beeretz Mitrayim balaylah hazeh, vihakisi kol bachor beeretz Mitrayim, maadam viad behama, vechol Elok-ay Mitzrayim eeseh shephatim ani Hashem.” “And I passed over Egypt and killed every firstborn in Egypt, from animal to person and to all of the Egyptian G-d’s I did justice,… Continue reading Marriage to G-d
הקדמה לליל הסדר
When a Jew sits down at the table on the night of the Passover Seder, he engages in an endeavor to answer key questions about his life: Who is he, and why is his life lived as it is? This is primarily an exercise in memory—his own and that of his people—as he must ask… Continue reading הקדמה לליל הסדר
Pesach- Eat Right!
A thought from Rav Shimshon Pincus, Tz”l on pesach. Rav Pincus explains that our eating on Pesach is unique. It is the only holiday in the Torah, besides for eating karbanos/sacrifices in general, in which the commandment to eat something is focused on the particular food that you are supposed to eat. There are many times… Continue reading Pesach- Eat Right!
Thinking of Sacrifice
In this week’s Parsha we come across the interesting halacha of Piggul. This halacha basically says that when bringing a Korban, if the Kohen or person bringing the sacrifice had a thought about eating the Korban at an invalid time or in an invalid place, the entire sacrifice must be discarded and if someone proceeds… Continue reading Thinking of Sacrifice
Is Honey Chametz?
As Sefer Vayikra begins, we are all keenly aware that Pesach is approaching and the smell of cleaning products is in the air. We have just completed Sefer Shmot with a month of Torah readings describing the construction of the Mishkan and now we begin to read about all the different Korbanot offered therein. One… Continue reading Is Honey Chametz?
Vayikra- Hashem Understands Us
5:7 “‘If he cannot afford an animal from the flock,18 he must bring his penalty for guilt for his sin that he has committed,19 two turtledoves or two young pigeons,20 to the Lord, one for a sin offering and one for a burnt offering. 5:8 He must bring them to the priest and present first… Continue reading Vayikra- Hashem Understands Us