בס”ד Rabbi Ishmael would say: Be yielding to a leader, affable to the black-haired, and receive every man with joy. (Avot 3:12) This mishna has two seemingly contradictory themes in it: on the one hand, a sense of hierarchy and authority, and on the other hand, a notion of… Read More »Parshat Shelach – New Every Day
בס”ד ‘Speak to Aaron, and say to him: When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the candlestick.’ (Bamidbar 8:2) There are differing opinions on whether the lights of the menorah must face the center of the menorah, which essentially means that the wicks… Read More »Parshat Beha’alotcha – Light
בס”ד He would also say: Make that His will should be your will, so that He should make your will to be as His will. Nullify your will before His will, so that He should nullify the will of others before your will. (Avot 2:4) There is a film which… Read More »Parshat Naso – The Triumph of His Will
בס”ד Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male, by their polls (Numbers 1:2) The Zohar HaKadosh (Parshas Bamidbar) relates that when G-d created man, He created a being that would… Read More »Parshat Bamidbar – Unity Within Diversity
בס”ד And the land shall not be sold in perpetuity; for the land is Mine; for you are strangers and settlers with Me. (Leviticus 25:23) Rabbi Elazar of Bartota said: Render unto Him that which is his, for you and all that you have are His, as King David said… Read More »Parshat Behar-Bechukotai: Gifs from G-d
בס”ד Ben Zoma says, “who is wise? He who learns from each person, as it says, ‘from all of my teachers, I have learned’ (Psalms 119:99). Who is mighty? He who subdues his urge, as it says, “better is one who is slow to anger than a man of physical… Read More »Parshat Emor – Healthy, Wealthy and Wise
בס”ד You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against members of your people. Love your fellow as yourself: I am the L-rd. (Leviticus 19:18) There is probably no one on Planet Earth who has not heard the phrase, “you shall love your neighbor as yourself”. Although in rabbinic… Read More »Parshat Acharei Mot – Kedoshim: More Golden Than any “Golden Rule”.
בס”ד Rebbi (Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi) said, “which is the path that a person should select for himself? Anything that is tiferet for the one who does it, and tiferet for him from others” (Avot 2:1) All of the days that the blemish is upon him he shall be in a… Read More »Parshat Tazria-Metzora: Walking the Middle Path
בס”ד This week’s parsha begins, “and it was, on the eighth day…” (Leviticus 9:1). It was the first day of the operation of the Mishkan (Tabernacle), on the first day of Nissan, after a period of seven days during which the kohanim (priests) were trained in the Divine Service (Rashi,… Read More »Parshat Shemini – When Seven Becomes Eight
בס”ד Leviticus 6:1-2 1 And the L-RD spoke unto Moses, saying: 2 Command Aaron and his sons, saying: This is the torah of the burnt-offering: it is that which goes up on its firewood upon the altar all night unto the morning; and the fire of the altar shall be… Read More »Parshat Tzav – Holy Fire
