Despite the fact – or perhaps precisely because – the reasons for the laws of kashrut are unclear, kashrut has long been considered one of the most…
Emor: Law and Justice
Sefer Vayikra has but two stories, that of the tragic deaths of Nadav and Avihu and the tragic death of the blasphemer, which we read this week.…
Kedoshim: A Healthy Heart
Judaism is a religion of action. There is so much to do to improve oneself, one’s community and the world around us. Each of us is tasked with…
Shemini: Counting to Eight
"And it was on the eighth day" (Vayikra 9:1). While this verse is the beginning of a new parsha, the Torah clearly links it to the previous…
Vayikra: A Book of Love
“And He called to Moshe and G-d spoke to Moshe”. Noting the redundancy of this opening verse of the central book of the Torah, Rashi explains that…
Vayikra: Come on In
Jewish etiquette – and law – teach that one should not enter one’s own home, how much more so the home of someone else, without knocking first (…