See Me, Feel Me, Touch Me, Heal Me
“Magic mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?”1
With these few words, I can evoke a familiar image within you—the evil queen of the “Snow White” story, who is immensely concerned with being the most beautiful woman in the land.
Who Is Required? Who Is Entitled? Who Is Excluded?
The third Book of the Torah, Leviticus (Vayikra), begins with a description of the olah (the burnt offering) brought by an individual Israelite.
Learning from a Sandwich
This week's parashah, Sh'mini, consists of three distinct parts that do not appear, on the surface, to relate directly to one to another. Let's begin by looking at a summary of each of these parts.
Annoying “Un-Understanding”
What a difficult portion Tazria is! It looks at issues of purity; birth; and illness of men and women, fabric and skin. Even without touching on leprosy (or whatever skin disease it is) there's plenty to discuss in this parashah!
Maybe We’re Really Not Talking About Skin Diseases
M'tzora, the name of this week's parashah, refers to a person or a house afflicted with a skin condition called tzaraat. Often mistranslated as "leprosy," tzaraat is something totally different than what we, today, call leprosy.
Stretching to Make Sense (And Not Fully Succeeding)
This week's Torah portion, Acharei Mot, "After the death" [of two of Aaron's sons], continues the focus on ritual purity that began earlier in Leviticus, and begins the section of the book known as the Holiness Code.
A New Look at the Seder
As someone who has spent over forty years as a Jewish educator, I have always been fascinated by the Pesach seder. In fact, I have often said that it is the most perfect "lesson plan" ever created. The seder, when planned and done well, is truly "experiential education" at its best.
The Spiritual Climax of Now
As we near the end of Deuteronomy, prepare to begin the yearly Torah cycle anew, and celebrate the finale of the fall holidays, we are poised for a remarkable spiritual climax. This week’s Torah portion, Haazinu, includes Moses’ dramatic theological poem – a powerful cry of the heart because he wants to ensure that the community understands the core principles of what it means to be an Israelite.
The Climax of Sukkot and the Profound Joy of the Journey
More than any other Jewish holiday or ritual, I love the audacity of Sukkot. After the many profound words and seemingly endless prayers of the High Holidays, Sukkot offers a very different holiday mode. The main theme and ultimate goal of the holiday is to achieve climactic joy throughout the holiday, including the intermediate days, which are known as Chol HaMo-eid Sukkot.
Did God Create a World Before This One?
Is it possible that there were other worlds in existence before this one? Some of the Rabbis say yes!