This week’s Torah portion discusses the law of “removing the ashes” from the mizbeach/altar. A kohen (priest) would remove a scoopful of ashes from the altar every morning. The priests would wear their holy vestments while performing this service. They would also compete to do the job. The mishna (Yoma 2:2) describes how the priests […]
I try not to venture into the kitchen too often, in the spirit of “knowing my place.” Inevitably, however, I occasionally find myself drawn to the spice cabinet, opening it up and reaching for…that’s right, you guessed it – the salt. Have you ever stopped to consider why the salt container is usually significantly larger […]
Let me begin with a confession. Putting together this article has been a truly humbling experience. You see, I decided to research the concept of humility online and was shocked at how little I knew about how this trait is perceived in the popular culture. Here is just a sample of what I discovered about […]
“Come on everyone, today’s the big day!” “But Daddy, are you sure? Are you really sure we’ll be safe and nothing will happen to us? I’m still so scared that once the Egyptians see us tying their sheep – which they worship and revere – to our bedposts, they’ll react so violently and they’ll beat […]
When a person is afflicted with tzora’as, his life turns upside down. Aside from the physical affliction on his skin, he is quarantined: he must leave his home and stay on the outskirts of town. There he stays alone; no one may come in contact with him. He must warn people who wish to come […]
If you were to venture into the kitchen and start exploring the contents of each cabinet, you would most likely chance upon a cabinet whose contents contain numerous containers of spices. You may ask yourself, “What is the point of all this? Food can be cooked and served as is, why the need for spice? […]
In the summer of 2005 I had the privilege of serving as a Rabbi in a sleepaway camp in the Pocono Mountains. My job entailed giving classes to a group of young, energetic teenagers who worked as the camp’s waiters. One day, the head waiter approached me with a request. Being a Torah-observant camp, the […]
There is nothing more “treif” (non-kosher) than a pig. Pig has always represented the prototype of impurity, the quintessential “treif” (non-kosher) item. In Hebrew, the very word for pig has become a common epithet used to refer to all repulsive, unwanted items or behaviors – even those having nothing to do with food. Something really […]
The arduous journey was finally nearing its conclusion. The Jewish people had wandered through the desert for forty long years. Years filled with ups and downs, complaints and miracles, awesome accomplishments and tragic disappointments (much like life itself). Through all their tribulations the Jewish people were not alone; G-d provided them with the greatest leaders […]
Lep’er n. One suffering from leprosy; outcast. (Webster’s Dictionary) Webster has it right. Indeed, as our Torah portion tells us (Numbers 4:2), a leper is both one who is suffering from leprosy and an outcast. Unique among other forms of impurity, leprosy causes a person to be sent completely outside the camp[i], all alone and […]