The Messianic Age: Out of this World?

The Messianic Age: Out of this World?

“…And the tree of the field will give forth its fruit…” – Vayikra 26:4 וְעֵץ הַשָּׂדֶה יִתֵּן פִּרְיוֹ – ויקרא כו, ד The Torah’s reference to “the trees of the field”—as opposed to trees planted in an orchard—denotes trees that do not currently bear fruit, according to the Midrash (Toras Kohanim, cited by Rashi on Vayikra 26:4). The promise that “the […]

June 1, 2016 at 8:38 AM 0 comments

The Art of Carving

The Art of Carving

“…If you follow my statutes and observe my commandments…” – Vayikra 26:3 אִם בְּחֻקֹּתַי תֵּלֵכוּ וְאֶת מִצְוֹתַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ – ויקרא כו, ג The term chok, statute, has a number of meanings. In the context of Torah study, Rashi interprets the phrase “If you follow my statutes” as a requirement to “toil in Torah.” Generally, however, the Torah uses the term chok […]

May 30, 2016 at 9:05 AM 0 comments

Well Paid

Well Paid

“…You shall not make idols for yourselves…you shall keep my sabbaths…I am Hashem…” – Vayikra 26:1-2 לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ לָכֶם אֱלִילִם . . אֶת שַׁבְּתֹתַי תִּשְׁמֹרוּ . . אֲנִי ה’ – ויקרא כו, א-ב The final verses of Parshas Behar caution us in the observance of a number of mitzvos stated previously in the Torah. Rashi explains that the Torah directs these […]

May 27, 2016 at 9:59 AM 0 comments

The Red Line

The Red Line

“…and your brother becomes destitute with him and is sold to a resident non-jew among you or to an idol of the family of a non-jew…” – Vayikra 25:47 וּמָךְ אָחִיךָ עִמּוֹ וְנִמְכַּר לְגֵר תּוֹשָׁב עִמָּךְ אוֹ לְעֵקֶר מִשְׁפַּחַת גֵּר – ויקרא כה, מז The Talmud (Kiddushin 20a-b) views the series of laws discussed in Parshas Behar as depicting the downward […]

May 25, 2016 at 2:55 PM 0 comments

Sheepish Bread

Sheepish Bread

“…And the kohen shall wave them with the bread of the first-fruits for a wave-offering before g-d, with the two lambs…” – Vayikra 23:20 וְהֵנִיף הַכֹּהֵן אֹתָם עַל לֶחֶם הַבִּכֻּרִים תְּנוּפָה לִפְנֵי ה’ עַל שְׁנֵי כְּבָשִׂים – ויקרא כג, כ The shtei halechem is a wheat flour offering brought in the Beis Hamikdash on the holiday of Shavuos. Two loaves of bread […]

May 20, 2016 at 9:54 AM 0 comments

The Ultimate Kiddush Hashem

The Ultimate Kiddush Hashem

“…I shall be sanctified amidst the children of Israel…” – Vayikra 22:32 וְנִקְדַּשְׁתִּי בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל – ויקרא כב, לב The Torah’s directive to cause G-d to be sanctified teaches us the obligation of mesirus nefesh, meaning, that in certain situations we must sacrifice even our lives in order not to disobey G-d’s commands. For when a Jew exhibits his […]

May 18, 2016 at 12:46 PM 0 comments

Love on Demand

Love on Demand

“…You should love your fellow as yourself…” – Vayikra 19:18 וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ – ויקרא יט, יח The Torah’s command to love your fellow man—and to the same degree that you love yourself—raises a number of difficulties. How can we be “commanded” to experience an emotion, in this case, to love our fellow like ourselves? The average person can choose how […]

May 12, 2016 at 5:38 PM 0 comments

Knowing Means Doing

Knowing Means Doing

“…You shall not stand by the blood of your fellow…” – Vayikra 19:16 לֹא תַעֲמֹד עַל דַּם רֵעֶךָ – ויקרא יט, טז The Baal Shem Tov taught that from everything that a Jew sees or hears he must take a lesson in his service of G-d. This teaching finds its roots in the words of the Talmud, “Of all that […]

May 11, 2016 at 2:27 AM 0 comments

You Can Be Holy

You Can Be Holy

“…Speak to the entire congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them, “you shall be holy”…” – Vayikra 19:2 דַּבֵּר אֶל כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם קְדשִׁים תִּהְיוּ – ויקרא יט, ב In Parshas Kedoshim, G-d tells Moshe to address the entire congregation of Bnei Yisrael, and instruct them “to be holy.” The commentaries ask, what is the meaning […]

May 9, 2016 at 6:56 PM 0 comments

Bloodless

Bloodless

“…He who traps a wild animal or fowl that are permissible for consumption, when he sheds its blood, he must cover the blood with dust…” –  Vayikra 17:13 אֲשֶׁר יָצוּד צֵיד חַיָּה אוֹ עוֹף אֲשֶׁר יֵאָכֵל וְשָׁפַךְ אֶת דָּמוֹ וְכִסָּהוּ בֶּעָפָר – ויקרא יז, יג The Torah instructs us to cover the blood of any fowl or non-domesticated animals that we […]

May 6, 2016 at 11:12 AM 0 comments

Business before Pleasure

Business before Pleasure

“…And G-d spoke to Moshe after the death of Aharon’s two sons, when they drew near before G-d and they died…” – Vayikra 16:1 וַיְדַבֵּר ה’ אֶל משֶׁה אַחֲרֵי מוֹת שְׁנֵי בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן בְּקָרְבָתָם לִפְנֵי ה’ וַיָּמֻתוּ – ויקרא טז, א The above verse seems redundant. Having said that the commandments in this parsha were stated “after the death of […]

May 2, 2016 at 2:13 AM 0 comments

The Afterdeath

The Afterdeath

“…And g-d spoke to Moshe after the death of Aharon’s two sons, when they drew near before G-d…” – Vayikra 16:1 וַיְדַבֵּר ה’ אֶל משֶׁה אַחֲרֵי מוֹת שְׁנֵי בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן בְּקָרְבָתָם לִפְנֵי ה’ – ויקרא טז, א The first thirty-four verses of Parshas Acharei Mos speak of the holiest person, place, and time in the Jewish experience. Namely, they detail the […]

May 1, 2016 at 9:14 AM 0 comments

TORAH TALK Weekly Parsha: Acharei with Rabbi Alon Anava

TORAH TALK Weekly Parsha: Acharei with Rabbi Alon Anava

TORAH TALK: Parashat Acharei with Rabbi Alon Anava Guest Speaker Rabbi Alon Anava Parsha Acharei Leviticus 16:1–18:30 855-95-BIBLE Watch the class on www.tenaktalk.com Get more updates on future live classes on the Facebook page            

April 19, 2016 at 6:14 AM 0 comments

Ready or Not

Ready or Not

“…This shall be the law of the metzora, on the day of his purification; he shall be brought to the kohen…” – Vayikra 14:2 זֹאת תִּהְיֶה תּוֹרַת הַמְּצֹרָע בְּיוֹם טָהֳרָתוֹ וְהוּבָא אֶל הַכֹּהֵן – ויקרא יד, ב  A metzora, a person afflicted with tzora’as, must remain outside the encampment of the Jewish people until his tzora’as has healed. The metzora’s […]

April 10, 2016 at 3:38 AM 0 comments

The Costly Effects of Cheap Talk

The Costly Effects of Cheap Talk

“…A person to whom shall occur in the skin of his flesh a se’eis, or sapachas, or baheres [patches of varying degrees of whiteness], and it be in the skin of his flesh the plague of tzora’as…” – Vayikra 13:2 אָדָם כִּי יִהְיֶה בְעוֹר בְּשָׂרוֹ שְׂאֵת אוֹ סַפַּחַת אוֹ בַהֶרֶת וְהָיָה בְעוֹר בְּשָׂרוֹ לְנֶגַע צָרָעַת – ויקרא יג, ב The […]

April 5, 2016 at 5:54 PM 0 comments

The Hardest Thing to Change is Your Self

The Hardest Thing to Change is Your Self

“…If a woman conceives and gives birth to a male, she shall be unclean for seven days…” – Vayikra 12:2 אִשָּׁה כִּי תַזְרִיעַ וְיָלְדָה זָכָר וְטָמְאָה שִׁבְעַת יָמִים – ויקרא יב, ב Parshas Tazria addresses several impurities associated with the human body and teaches us their means of purification. Rashi notes that this discussion follows the discussion in the previous […]

April 4, 2016 at 6:03 PM 0 comments

Seeds of Rebirth

Seeds of Rebirth

“…If a woman conceives and gives birth…” – Vayikra 12:2 אִשָּׁה כִּי תַזְרִיעַ וְיָלְדָה – ויקרא יב, ב Parshas Tazria derives its name from the brief discussion at the start of the parsha about the laws pertaining to childbirth. The bulk of the parsha, however, deals with laws concerning tzora’as, a supernatural condition affecting one’s skin, clothing, or the walls […]

April 3, 2016 at 3:00 AM 0 comments

Fins and Scales

Fins and Scales

“…From all that are in the water, you may eat any (living creature) that has fins and scales, whether it lives in the waters, seas, or rivers; you may eat only these…” – Vayikra 11:9 אֶת זֶה תֹּאכְלוּ מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר בַּמָּיִם כֹּל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ סְנַפִּיר וְקַשְׂקֶשֶׂת בַּמַּיִם בַּיַּמִּים וּבַנְּחָלִים אֹתָם תֹּאכֵלוּ – ויקרא יא, ט Two distinctive features identify a […]

March 30, 2016 at 1:32 PM 0 comments

Precious Possessions

Precious Possessions

“…The kohen shall order that they clear out the house before the kohen comes to look at the lesion, so that everything in the house should not become unclean…” – Vayikra 14:36 וְצִוָּה הַכֹּהֵן וּפִנּוּ אֶת הַבַּיִת בְּטֶרֶם יָבֹא הַכֹּהֵן לִרְאוֹת אֶת הַנֶּגַע וְלֹא יִטְמָא כָּל אֲשֶׁר בַּבָּיִת – ויקרא יד, לו A house plagued with tzora’as remains pure and […]

April 23, 2015 at 1:30 PM 0 comments

The Mitzvos of a Bad Jew

The Mitzvos of a Bad Jew

“…But on the day that live flesh is seen in it, he shall become unclean…” – Vayikra 13:14 וּבְיוֹם הֵרָאוֹת בּוֹ בָּשָׂר חַי יִטְמָא – ויקרא יג, יד A person afflicted with tzora’as must be examined by a kohen to determine if his lesions indeed bear the signs of impurity. The Talmud notes that only certain days are valid for […]

April 21, 2015 at 2:47 AM 0 comments