Bamidbar – Are We Just a Number or Do We Count? — By Ben
The fourth book of the Torah is most popularly known as the Book of Numbers. As I became observant, I started referring to it by its Hebrew name, Bamidbar. However, […]
Bechukosai – When the Torah puts a Price Tag on Life — By Ben
How much is a human life worth? It is a question with no ethical or moral answer. Sure you could calculate the value of various organs on the black market. […]
Emor: When Right Feels Wrong: A Chillul Hashem in Our Eyes, a Kiddush Hashem in God’s — By Ben
One morning at my Sunday school, the teacher said to us, “I’m going to leave the room and you can write whatever you want on the blackboard. Well, not anything. […]
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 — By Ben
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 […]
Pesach – Did the Oppression have to be so Bad? — By Ben
I couldn’t get a full post out this week, however I did have a thought I wanted to share. We focus so much on the story aspect of this holiday. […]
Getting Passed Over: Is Pesach a Misnomer or Have we Missed the Point? — By Ben
The name Passover has always bothered me. God passed over the Israelite houses as He wrathfully slaughtered the firstborn of Egypt. Sure, the Egyptians deserved it and it’s a moment […]
Total Solar Eclipses only happen on Earth. The Reason Why is the Secret of Passover — By Ben
There’s a story in the Midrash that when God created the celestial bodies, He made the sun and the moon equal in size. But the moon complained saying, “It is […]
Why Shabbat Changes its Gender Pronouns — By Ben
I have been attending Shabbat services for almost a decade and it turns out I may have been praying it wrong this whole time. When you recite the Shabbat Amidah […]
Six Degrees Of Kosher Bacon 