torah commentary
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Apr 22, 2009 | 0 
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Rabbi Yisrael Salanter makes a connection between last week’s parsha, Shemini, and this week’s, Tazria-Metzora.
In Shemini, the Torah enumerates the various species of birds, animals and fish that ...
Apr 16, 2009 | 0 | 12 |
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This week, Aaron was silent. Aaron, whose sons died “at the instance of the Lord” for offering alien fire, was silent. That was how his mourning manifested itself.
Too often, however, we are sil...
Apr 13, 2009 | 0 | 19 |
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There is a song that my friends and I used to listen to at camp. In fact, it was a sort of theme song as we gathered each summer to escape the pressures of school and parents alike. I no longer r...
Apr 01, 2009 | 0 | 14 |
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The majority of this week’s parsha, Tzav, focuses on ancient rituals of the temple and priesthood. We continue to learn about the various types of sacrifices; how to do them; when to eat them; who...
Mar 25, 2009 | 0 | 13 |
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How would you like to be a passenger in a car driven by a person with no depth perception?
Depth perception is the ability to judge the distance between things. When you are driving, it is necessar...
Mar 19, 2009 | 1 | 14 |
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The Book of Exodus, which we conclude this Shabbat, features a very specific focus in the last 16 of its chapters. Having described the enslavement of our ancestors in Egypt, the miraculous plagues...
Mar 11, 2009 | 0 | 9 |
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When Moses returned from Mount Sinai with the tablets in hand to witness the idolatrous actions of the People of Israel, it is no wonder that he broke the tablets of the covenant. He was, after all...
Mar 04, 2009 | 0 | 14 |
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The description presented in the previous and next number of Torah portions is quite puzzling. It elaborates the specific items, measurements and requirements for their construction, and also gives...
Feb 25, 2009 | 0 | 12 |
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The cherubim shall spread their wings upward, sheltering the cover with their wings, and the cherubim shall face one another. Their faces shall be turned toward the cover… there I will meet with y...
Feb 18, 2009 | 0 | 13 |
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Sometimes something is too good to be true. We often find that that is the case. When something is too easy we may not value it as we should. I recall a TV show a while back that gave someone th...