The Torah section of Bechukotai begins with an account of the blessings that await the people of Israel if they fulfill their covenant with G-d. We then read the tokhocha (admonition), a sobering report of punishments, frustrations and curses that G-d promises those who undermine His covenant. The main thrust in G-d’s admonition to His…
We find towards the end of the Torah section of Emor: “And a man who strikes mortally any human life shall be put to death. And a man who strikes mortally an animal life shall make restitution… And if a man inflicts a wound upon his fellow, as he did, so shall be done to…
The Torah portion of Kedoshim begins, “G-d spoke to Moses saying: Speak to the entire assembly of the children of Israel and say to them: you shall be holy, for holy am I, the L-rd your G-d” (Vayikra 19: 1-2). G-d exhorts us to be holy. Being holy, however, is not quite clear. To offer…
Towards the end of the Torah section of Acharei, we find the prohibition of giving one’s children over to the pagan worship of Molekh, a form of idolatry that involved handing one’s child to the priest of Molekh who in turn would pass the child through fire – in some cases actually burning the child…
In Chafetz Chaim al ha’Torah, R. Yisrael Meir Kagan, the late 19th century and early 20th century Torah great popularly known as the Chafetz Chaim, offers an intriguing comment on a verse in the Torah portion of Metzora. We read, “If he [one seeking atonement after being afflicted with tzara’at] is poor and his means…
Towards the end of the Torah section Tazriah, after a series of instructions concerning the contraction of tzara’at (loosely translated as leprosy), we learn of a case in which someone comes to the kohen (priest) with a nega (affliction of tzara’at) comprising a white patch of skin. The kohen is not certain about the status of the nega and places the individual into isolation. A week…
The Torah informs us in the Torah section of Tzav (Vayikra 6:23), “And any sin-offering from which some blood has been brought to the Tent of Meeting, to effect atonement within the Holy, shall not be eaten; it shall be burned in fire.” With regard to this verse, the Torah great R. Meir Simcha HaKohen of…
The Torah section of Vayikra, which begins the third of the five books of Moses by the same name, begins, “And He called to Moses and G-d spoke to him.” With regards to this verse and the rest of this section, commentaries talk of the custom of beginning the introduction of Jewish children to Torah…
The Torah section of Pekudei begins (Sh’mot 38:21): “These are the accountings of the Tabernacle … which were counted at the behest of Moses.” This verse is then followed by a detailed listing of the amounts of gold, silver and copper which were contributed towards the construction of the Mishkan (Tabernacle). An accounting was made for each and every…
The Torah section of Vayakhel begins, “And Moses assembled the entire assembly of the children of Israel and said to them, ‘These are the things that G-d commanded ’” (Sh’mot 35:1). Moses then goes on to describe what the Israelites are enjoined to do for the construction of the holy Mishkan (Tabernacle) and its inauguration…
