פרשת בהר / ט”ו באייר תשפ”ב – ל’ בעומר
A Jew becomes a slave due to being convicted of theft. The thief is required to repay the victim for the property stolen and pay damages for the pain and suffering that he caused. This is different from most other forms of law that do not connect the victim and perpetrator. The Torah reminds us that there is a connection.
פרשת בהר / י”ד באייר תשפ”ב – כ”ט בעומר
In this week’s portion we learn about the Jubilee year in which all Jewish slaves are to set free whether they want to be free or not. The question is who would not want to be free? The answer is that a slave has no worries about his sustenance. His master makes sure he has food, housing, etc. The goal of the Torah is that we should be free to make our own decisions.
פרשת אמור / י”ב באייר תשפ”ב – כ”ז בעומר
The Torah starts the portion by detailing the physical & moral attributes of what we expect of the Priests. It ends with an admonition against desecrating God’s name. It is important to remember that when someone identifies as a religious person he represents God. His behavior is a reflection of God.
פרשת אמור / י”א באייר תשפ”ב – כ”ו בעומר
The reason given that the man blasphemed was that he got into a fight with another Jew over a Jewish legal issue. They took the case to Moses’s court. Moses gave the ruling that he was wrong. He could not accept the verdict. That is why he went out and blasphemed God.
פרשת אמור / י’ באייר תשפ”ב – כ”ו בעומר
When the Torah states “an eye for an eye” it does not mean that guilty should lose an eye but the value of an eye. And all this is to be done through the courts. The Torah does not condone unlawful behavior no matter how justified.
פרשת אמור / ט’ באייר תשפ”ב – כ”ד בעומר
To blaspheme is to do something that disgraces God. When someone says that they are religious then they represent their religion to the world. In other words, to be an observant Jew is to be an observed Jew.
פרשת אמור / ח’ באייר תשפ”ב – כ”ג בעומר
Why does the priest in the Temple have to be in perfect physical shape? He represents God to the people and the people to God.
פרשת קדושים – כ’ בעמר / ה’ באייר תשפ”ב
In this week’s Portion we explore the Torah’s meaning of holiness. One of the interesting things is that the Torah stresses honesty in business. It ties this to loving your neighbor and that if one is dishonest the result will be sacrificing your children to the idol Moloch.
פרשת קדושים – י”ט בעומר / ד’ באייר תשפ”ב
Today we celebrate the independence of the State of Israel. Of all the countries that have come into being since WWII Israel is the only one whose achievement of Independence can be considered a miracle. It is up to us to recognized this.
פרשת קדושים – י”ח בעומר / ג’ באייר תשפ”ב
Today we remember the fallen defenders of the State of Israel. For those of us who served in combat and lost close friends it is emotional. If you think that war can be cheap and inexpensive, speak to a widow or orphan. They pay the full price.