Tazria: The Shame of Asking for Help
What if the biblical ritual of shouting “impure” wasn’t about stigma, but about forcing arrogant people to finally ask for help?
Category Archives: Leviticus/Vayikra
Tzav – When the Eternal Flame Goes Out
I grew up staring at an “eternal flame.” One day, it was gone.
It took me years to realize the lesson wasn’t that the flame failed, it’s that someone has to keep it alive.
For Choices That Break You Open, The Torah Sings a Special Note. But It Is Rare.
Why does Eliezer receive the shalshelet—a trope reserved for moments of profound ambivalence—when praying for a wife for Yitzchak? Through the stories of Lot, Yosef, and Moshe, the shalshelet signals intense inner conflict. Eliezer’s struggle reveals a deeper truth about prayer: not changing God, but confronting what we truly want. In an age of distraction, this ancient trope has a surprising message for us.
Acharei Mos – Does Judaism believe in Satan? (Updated) — By Ben
This article was originally posted 4/26/2018 – A new ending has been added. This week’s parsha details a bizarre ritual the Jews were to perform on Yom Kippur. Basically they […]
Tazria Metzora – Niddah and the Paradox of Purity — By Ben
Unclean. Contaminated. Filth. Shameful. Corrupt. Defiled. Profane. Desecrated. These are what we think of when we hear the word impure. So when the Torah labels a woman as “impure” during […]
Shemini – Aharon’s Surviving Sons: Humility in the Face of Fire
Parsha Shimini is known for the deaths of Aharon’s oldest sons, Nadav and Avihu. With the inauguration of the Mishkan (the portable Temple also known as the Tabernacle) Aharon and […]
Acharei/Omer – The Line Between Fear and Reverence — By Ben
The Torah portion Acharei Mos, begins with reminding us of the death of Nadav and Avihu, Aharon’s two oldest sons who died in parshas Shimini. It is probably not a […]
Stumbling Blocks, the Blind, and Political Correctness — By Ben
This week’s Torah portion has concepts that are real winners. Some of its verses are so popular other religions and even the secular world can be found quoting them. Among […]
Hitler Could Have Saved Six Million Jews — By Ben
As I have pointed out previously, I find it fascinating that almost all of the Torah portion of Balak follows the perspective of the wicked prophet Bilam. I get that […]
Don’t Cut Corners – By Ben
Have you ever noticed the Torah has some strange notions about corners? For example let me refer to two verses from this week’s Torah portion, Kedoshim. When you reap your […]
Six Degrees Of Kosher Bacon 