Bamidbar – High Security
The census of the Levi’im differs from that of the other shevatim, in that the latter counted only males 20 years of age or older while the former included even 30-day-old babies. The inclusion...
Bechukosai – Embracing Simplicity
While there are various Midrashic comments on what “chukos” – the embrace of which leads to the overflowing blessings described at the start of the parsha – refers to, the simple meaning of the...
Response to Rav Feldman
Quite literally, Rav Aharon Feldman, shlit”a, is a gentleman and a scholar. I know the former from personal experience. Despite the fact that ani hakatan have taken issue with things he’s said or written...
International Commemoration of the 100th Yahrzeit of R Avraham Eliyahu Kaplan zt”l Thur. May 25
[Editor’s Note: With trepidation and pleasure, we bring news of the commemoration of the 100th yahrzeit of one of the most incredible Torah figures of the early 20th century. The commemoration will emanate from...
Behar – The Torah’s Take on a Stitch in Time
Folk maxims reflect truths, which is why the Talmud often invokes such aphorisms with the introduction“kidi’amri inshi” – “as people are wont to say.” One valuable truth is the subject of two English sayings...
Emor – Living in Our Own Worlds
Any “blemish” on a list of congenital or acquired conditions prevents service in the Mishkan or Beis Hamikdash (Vayikra 21:17-24). And there are dozens of other non-listed disqualifying blemishes (see Rashi, ibid 21, and...
Kedoshim – Looking Out for #1… and #2… and #3…
“Love your fellow like yourself” (Vayikra 19:18) cannot be meant literally. Ultimate concern for oneself is ingrained in our essences. There is a striking Midrash on the pasuk “For my father and mother have...
These Are A Few of My Unfavorite Things
[with apologies to Julie Andrews] Reasonable people ought to be able to debate the central issues around the charedi draft. Agree with them or not, there are indeed arguments that can be made for...
Metzora – Miserly Mindset
We instinctively think of nega’im as born of lashon hora, “evil speech,” and we’re not wrong. But there is another birther of the condition, one that is evident in the very word metzora: tzarus...
Tazria – Speech Pathology
Tum’ah, or “ritual defilement,” is invisible but consequential in many contexts, especially, though not exclusively, with regard to kodoshim, material holding holy status. And, in most cases of tum’ah impartation, the defilement happens as...