While facts do not lie, they often do not tell the whole truth. Facts are facts but facts still must be evaluated as to their moral propriety. And…
Kedoshim: It's All About Man
“The majority of the essence of the Torah is dependant upon it”. So asserts Rashi as he begins his commentary to parshat kedoshim. It is because of…
Kedoshim: No Mercy Allowed
Commenting on the Torah's charge "to be holy, since I the Lord your G-d am holy" (Vayikra, 19:2) the Ramban explains that it is not enough to keep…
Kedoshim: Holiness and Happiness
Knowledge is much more than the accumulation of facts. It is the analysis and application of those facts that is crucial. Underlying factual…
Acharei-Mot, Kedoshim: Egyptian Business
Why were we taken out of Egypt? Concepts such as freedom, justice, equality, and the recognition of Divine Providence are the themes of the exodus,…
Kedoshim: Let's Talk
A number of years ago we had the pleasure of being the Toronto coordinators of the Torah Ethics Project. Its slogan was “Some of the most obvious…
Kedoshim: One is Holy
One of the features of the scientific world is classification of different species into their various groupings and subgroupings. The Torah itself…
Kedoshim: Hating Your Neighbour
One of the most powerful ways to express hatred is to refuse to speak to someone, or to just plain ignore that person. We Jews are very good at…
Kedoshim: The Path to Holiness
Our tradition asserts that there are 613 mitzvoth in the Torah. Among these 613 are such beautiful concepts as proper treatment of the stranger and…
Kedoshim: Seeking Holiness
The line between greatness and failure is so small as to be unrecognizable, often revealing itself only after many years. This is true in the world…
Kedoshim: Theory and Practice
One of the cardinal principles of Judaism is the belief in the Divine origin of our Bible. While Moshe Rabbeinu was the greatest of human beings, his…