In the Torah, did God require that His people obey Him perfectly at all times or else He struck them down? In other words, did the "Law" require perfect obedience? Does God give us impossible tasks so He can show us we can't live up to His standard? Many believe this to be the case. But is this really what the Torah teaches? Learn more in this week's 5 Minute Torah commentary on Parashat Va'etchanan (Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11).
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 Posted April 5, 2019 - 8:33am
Parashat Tazria (Leviticus 12:1-13:59)In Parashat Tazria we are introduced to a skin disease of biblical proportions called tzara’at. Most people know it as biblical leprosy. However, as we mentioned in our previous commentary on this portion, it is completely unrelated to what we now know as leprosy. Tzara’at is a malady that affects not only the skin, but can also affect clothing, and the walls of a person’s home. It could begin as a moldy looking spot on a person’s house and end up as scab-looking blotches on his skin. As we discovered, the primary way tzara’at was contracted was through lashon hara (evil speech). A person who continually gossiped and spoke destructive words about others would eventually become afflicted with this disease. With this in mind, studying the laws of tzara’at is an opportunity to remind ourselves of the damages of speaking ill of other people and how important it is for us to guard our tongues. Too often we forget about destructive nature and the severe damages lashon hara can inflict. The Talmud says that lashon hara kills three people: the speaker, the listener, and the one who is spoken of (Arachin 15b). How so? It kills the person speaking because it damages their reputation. They become known as someone who is malicious and uses information to harm others. It kills the listener because it alters the way they perceive other people. It kills the one spoken of because it damages their reputation. |
 Posted March 29, 2019 - 9:31am
This week’s Torah reading is not only the source for the Torah’s dietary laws, but it also records the very first service of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. It was a time unprecedented in human history when the very presence of the LORD rested upon a physical structure created by the labor of man. But unfortunately, there was a horrible tragedy that took place immediately after this event. Two of Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, enjoyed the presence of the LORD so much that they wanted to recreate it. They entered the the sanctuary with incense and “unauthorized fire” in order to experience this exhilarating event a second time. Rather than being enrapturing, however, the results were disastrous:
Because of this incident Aaron lost two of his four sons. Many people read through this account without any empathy for this great man who was bereaved of two of his children. However, without empathy we cannot realize the incredible strength and maturity of Aaron in this situation. Several translations say that Aaron “held his peace.” This conveys the basic concept, but the Hebrew is much more straightforward. It says that he was silent (vayidom). For a man who just experienced such a devastation as Aaron, this shows an incredible amount of self-restraint. |
 Posted March 22, 2019 - 4:12pm
Parashat Tzav (Leviticus 6:1[8]-8:36)Sometimes, to our modern minds, the Torah’s instructions can seem irrelevant, primitive, or even savage. Take this week’s Torah reading for example. The first few chapters continue on about the various ritual sacrifices that our previous portion began describing. In chapter seven we learn that the meat from certain sacrifices may not be leftover after a certain amount of time. The meat of some sacrifices must be eaten before the next morning, but others may be extended until the following evening. The consequence for eating this meat after the prescribed time is that the person will be sinning:
Seriously? Someone could be sinning by simply eating meat after a specified time period? This seems unreasonable to most people today. It isn’t logical. But neither is the prohibitions against eating certain other things. The consequences of eating these certain other things, however, seem even more extreme:
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 Posted March 15, 2019 - 8:24am
Parashat Vayikra (Leviticus 1:1-5:26[6:7])Parashat Vayikra is the first reading in the book of Leviticus. It is a natural continuation of what we have concluded in the book of Shemot, Exodus. The Mishkan (Tabernacle) has just been completed and is now “open for business.” Thus, the book of Leviticus begins by spelling out the operational procedures for the Tabernacle, describing what kinds of offerings may be brought, the parameters for these offerings, and how they are to be offered. Within these descriptions there are various kinds of offerings, all of which require the blood of animals with the exception of a handful of offerings that are from the produce of the field. When most people think of the sacrificial system they immediately see the sole function of these animals as a means of dealing with sin. However, as we begin learning about these offerings the topic of sin doesn’t come into the picture until much later. In the list of various sacrifices described in the book of Leviticus, the olah, the “whole burnt offering,” is the very first on the list. It is typically described as a whole burnt offering because it is entirely burnt up:
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The Magerman Edition
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Year: 2014
The Koren Ani Tefilla Siddur is one of the latest in Koren’s growing collection of siddurim (prayer books) geared towards a specific demographic. Koren describes Ani Tefilla as “an engaging and thought-provoking siddur for the inquiring high school student and thoughtful adult.” Koren says that Ani Tefillah has been developed in order “to help the user create their own meaning and connection during the Tefilla [prayer] experience.” The name of the siddur is connected with its objective. Ani Tefilla means “I pray.”
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