Parshas Naso. Birkas Kohanim. The ancient words of Priestly Blessings resonate strongly still today. May G-d bless you and guard you; May He shine the light of His countenance upon you and endow you with grace; May Hashem lift His countenance to you, וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ...
As we finish our count of Sefiras Ha’Omer, the seven-week journey from Pesach to Shavuos, we find ourselves poised to receive the Torah once again. The Torah reading for Shavuos begins in Parshas Yisro: בַּחֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֔י לְצֵ֥את בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם בַּיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה בָּ֖אוּ מִדְבַּ֥ר סִינָֽי...
This week’s parsha, Parshas Bamidbar, is always read the Shabbos before Shavuos. Many reasons have been given to explain the connection between Bamidbar and Shavuos. R’ Dr. Abraham J. Twerski writes, “The first portion of Bamidbar is generally read before Shavuos, the holiday which commemorates the...
The first of this week’s double parshios (Behar-Bechukosai), Parshas Behar, begins with the words: וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר ה’ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה בְּהַ֥ר סִינַ֖י לֵאמֹֽר, and Hashem spoke to Moshe at Har Sinai, saying: דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם כִּ֤י תָבֹ֙אוּ֙ אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲנִ֖י נֹתֵ֣ן לָכֶ֑ם וְשָׁבְתָ֣ה הָאָ֔רֶץ שַׁבָּ֖ת לַה -...
In chapter 23 of this week’s parsha, Parshas Emor, the Torah outlines the festivals on the Jewish calendar year. And G-d spoke to Moshe saying, Speak to the Children of Israel and say to them: מוֹעֲדֵי ה’, אֲשֶׁר-תִּקְרְאוּ אֹתָם מִקְרָאֵי קֹדֶשׁ אֵלֶּה הֵם, מוֹעֲדָי -...
In this second of this week’s parshios, Parshas Kedoshim, the pasuk tells us: לֹא תַעֲמֹד עַל-דַּם רֵעֶךָ, do not stand idly by while your brother’s blood is being shed, I am Hashem (Vayikra 19:16). Perhaps this statement can also be understood as: do not stand...
In this week’s double parshios, Tazria-Metzora, we once again read of the affliction of tzara’as, which perhaps is aptly defined as a spiritual malady with a physical manifestation. According to his sin, and the degree of sin, a person may notice an eruption of tzara’as...
In this week’s parsha, Parshas Shemini, we read of permitted and forbidden animals - those which we may consume, and those which we may not consume. The Torah sums up these directives by instructing us to be holy: וְהִתְקַדִּשְׁתֶּם וִהְיִיתֶם קְדֹשִׁים, כִּי קָדוֹשׁ אָנִי -...
Nissan is here, Pesach is upon us, and in one week’s time we will sit down on layl Ha’Seder and celebrate the yomtov of Pesach, zman cheiroseinu - the time of our freedom. Mah nishtanah - though this year, admittedly, is very different than every other...
This coming Shabbos we open Sefer Vayikra, the third of the Five Books of Torah. Vayikra is also known by its appellation, Toras Kohanim - the Law Book for Priests, because of the myriad laws related to priestly rituals. While on the surface, Sefer Vayikra seems...