by Rabbi Josh Pernick
Posted on May 18, 2023
There’s something remarkable about flags. A simple wooden pole, with a designed fabric attached, can immediately inspire within us intense feelings of camaraderie or revulsion. Friend or foe is often decided based on what is depicted in that design. While flags carry such strong associative connections for us today, their connective capabilities were clear even in the times of our ancestors in the wilderness.…
by Rabbi Dov Linzer
Posted on May 18, 2023
Republished from August 2009 When we move from sefer Vayikra to sefer Bamidbar, we are finally moving away from Har Sinai, where Bnei Yisrael have been for almost a year. From the middle of Shemot through the end of Vayikra, they have been encamped at the foot of Har Sinai, having received the Torah, mitzvot and laws, and then all the laws of the Kohanim, through Kedoshim and Behar Bechukotai.…
by Rabbi Josh Pernick
Posted on May 10, 2023
From the very beginning, the Torah directs us to sanctify time. The first day in the Torah concludes “וַיְהִי־עֶרֶב וַיְהִי־בֹקֶר יוֹם אֶחָד—there was evening, there was morning, one day” (Gen 1:5). We are commanded in the first mitzvah given to our people as a nation “הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם רֹאשׁ חֳדָשִׁים” (Ex.…
by Rabbi Dov Linzer
Posted on May 10, 2023
Republished from May 2014 In the blessings to be bestowed on the people if they follow God’s commandments and observe God’s laws—the rains will come in their appointed season, the land will bring forth its fruit, there will be peace in the land, and the people will be fruitful and multiply—it finishes with a bizarre verse “I will place my Tabernacle (mishkani) in your midst, and My soul will not abhor you” (Vayikra 26:11).…
by Rabbi Eitan Cooper
Posted on May 3, 2023
In the midst of describing all the holidays, Parsha Emor has a one pasuk break, in which we are commanded: וּֽבְקֻצְרְכֶ֞ם אֶת־קְצִ֣יר אַרְצְכֶ֗ם לֹֽא־תְכַלֶּ֞ה פְּאַ֤ת שָֽׂדְךָ֙ בְּקֻצְרֶ֔ךָ וְלֶ֥קֶט קְצִירְךָ֖ לֹ֣א תְלַקֵּ֑ט לֶֽעָנִ֤י וְלַגֵּר֙ תַּעֲזֹ֣ב אֹתָ֔ם אֲנִ֖י יְקֹוָ֥ק אֱלֹקֵיכֶֽם׃ And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap all the way to the edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I יקוק am your God (Lev.…
by Rabbi Eitan Cooper
Posted on April 27, 2023
We’ve all heard the phrase—Israel is the “Land Flowing with Milk and Honey.” But what exactly does this mean? And can this phrase teach us anything in particular, as we reflect on Israel turning 75 this past week? The end of this week’s Torah Portion (Achrei Mot-Kedoshim) contains one of the several instances of this famous description of Israel (though it is the only time in the book of Leviticus that it appears).…
by Rabbi Eitan Cooper
Posted on April 20, 2023
About ten years ago, on a trip to Vienna, Austria, shortly after getting married, I had the opportunity to visit Heldenplatz (“Heroes Square”). Anyone who visits Vienna probably encounters this massive space at the center of the city—it’s hard to miss. …
by Rabbi Eitan Cooper
Posted on March 30, 2023
You’re sitting down at your seder and everyone is enjoying each other’s company, when all of a sudden, you hear a knock at the door. Someone gets up to answer and finds a person who is clearly in need standing at the door.…
by Rabbi Dr. Eli Yoggev
Posted on March 23, 2023
Parsha Vayikra opens up with Hashem calling out to Moshe: “Vayikra el Moshe” (Vayikra 1:1). In the word vayikra there is a small letter aleph. This is a unique occurrence because we only find small letters in eight other places in the Torah.…
by Rabbi Dr. Eli Yoggev
Posted on March 16, 2023
When I initially became more religiously observant, twenty five years ago, the laws of Shabbat felt overwhelming for me. There were so many things I was not allowed to do! I vividly recall sitting in yeshivah with a chavruta (study partner) learning from Shemirat Shabbat Kehilchatah that we cannot bite our nails on Shabbat.…
by Rabbi Dr. Eli Yoggev
Posted on March 9, 2023
Parsha Ki Tisa opens up mandating a contribution of machatzit hashekel, a half-shekel, toward the construction of the Mishkan (Ex. 30:13). Our commentators ask why the Torah demands a half-shekel and no more. Doesn’t Hashem want our full commitment, our whole contribution? …
by Rabbi Dr. Eli Yoggev
Posted on March 2, 2023
We are in the month of Adar and Purim is just around the corner. What spiritual work should we be focusing on during these special days? The Shem Mishmuel (Pikudei 5) teaches us that the month of Adar is parallel to another month on the Jewish calendar, the month of Elul.…
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