Category: Morality & Torah

  • The Importance of Shabbat

    The Torah stresses that keeping Shabbat is more important that building the Tabernacle. That if we do not keep Shabbat then what is the Tabernacle for?

  • A Leader Must Lead

    After the incident of the Golden Calf Moses rebukes Aaron for allowing the situation to get out of control. He reminds him that a leader is responsible for the actions of his subordinates.

  • Idolatry is for Children

    When Moses seems to be delayed coming back from Mt. Sinai the Jews build an idol. It seems strange until we remember that they were only recently freed from Egyptian bondage and the only society that they knew was Egyptian.

  • A Lesson in Bad Governance

    The story of Purim tells us that the real danger to the Jewish people is not people who are evil. We can find them easily enough, but of leaders who are venal and corruptible. Without them the evil doers do not have a chance to do evil.

  • Take a Stand

    In the story of the Book of Esther all the action revolves around the fact that Mordechai refuses to bow down to Haman. What frustrated Haman was the opposition of Mordechai. That Mordechai stood against evil.

  • Why an Inherited Priesthood

    The institution of the Priesthood was an inherited position. Why? The idea was to take politics out of the service in the Tabernacle. When politics mix with religion it is usually bad for both. By making the priesthood inherited the Torah was accomplishing this goal.

  • Shabbat is Holier than the Tabernacle

    The pasha ends with an admonishment to the Jews that the observance of Shabbat overrides the building of the Tabernacle. This is to teach us that as important as the Tabernacle was, without observance of Shabbat it is meaningless.

  • Where is God?

    This was a question asked by the Kotzker Rebbe in the 19th Century. The answer is wherever you let Him in. God wants to enter the world, but we have to let Him in by our actions.

  • We Need the Tabernacle

    The purpose of the Tabernacle was not for God but for us. God does not need us to build Him a home. Just as our prayers are more for us than for God.

  • Justice Needs to be Blind

    The Torah admonishes judges not to take social status in consideration when rendering a judgement. Neither the person’s wealth nor poverty. All are equal before the Torah.