T he beginning of our parasha , Shelach, offered the possibility of the immediate implementation of Judaism’s ultimate goals: Moshe would have been the Mashiach who led our people into Eretz … more

The Menorah is one of the most ubiquitous symbols of Judaism. Therefore, nearly every synagogue in the world contains some form or representation of this sacred object. It seems that the Menorah of … more

This week’s haftarah portion contains two of the most celebrated pasukim of Sefer Hosea: “And I will betroth (v’arastich) you to Me forever, and I will betroth you to Me with … more

Parshat Behar begins with the following two pasukim: “And the L-rd spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel and you shall say to them: When you come to the … more

The beginning of our parasha, Emor, focuses on a variety of laws that pertain solely to the kohanim. From a purely juridical perspective, they have little to do with the majority of the Jewish … more

The phrase in parashat Kedoshim, “and you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Sefer Vayikra 19:18), is one of the most often-quoted verses in the Torah. Unfortunately, its popularity … more

Our parish contains a pasuk (verse) that references the mitzvah of brit milah: “And on the eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.” (Vayikra 12:3) … more

The untimely and supernatural death of Aharon’s sons, Nadav and Avihu, is one of the focal points of Shemini, this week’s parasha. Following this narrative passage, we are met with two … more

According to the Rambam’s list of Taryag Mitzvot (613 Commandments) found in his Sefer HaMitzvot, there are four distinct commandments that focus on the prohibition of chametz. The first two … more

At the beginning of each book of the Torah, the Ramban (Nachmanides), in his Commentary on the Torah, suggests a name that represents the essence of the work. In our case, he calls Sefer Vayikra, … more