The festival of Pesach is intrinsically connected to the mitzvah of circumcision, more so than any other Jewish holiday. It is highlighted in the Torah reading on the first day and resonates within the thematic fabric of the Haftarah. In ancient times, participation in Pesach’s celebratory rituals, particularly eating the Paschal Lamb, was exclusive to […]
As we delve into the passages of the Sidra of Vayera, we discover the genesis of the concept of divine selection when God discloses His intentions for Sodom to Abraham, saying, “Should I withhold from Abraham what I plan to do? After all, Abraham will become a great, populous nation, and all the nations of […]
The Book of Vayikra consists of 10 Sidrot which deal with the concept of holiness in all its manifestations. The first five deal with purification from various sins and diseases. They describe in detail the sacrifices which accompanied the process of purification. It also includes the list of pure animals, the meat of which was […]
This entire Sidra deals with a person who has, unfortunately, been afflicted with the serious disease of Tzara’at. In the second opening verse, the Torah says that the patient must be brought to the priest for examination. In the following verse, it says that the priest went outside the camp to examine the symptoms of […]
In his introduction, Nachmanides describes the Book of Exodus as the Book of Exile and Redemption. The Exile began when Jacob’s family went to Egypt and the moment of the Redemption was reached when the erection of the Tabernacle was completed and the glory of the Lord rested within its precincts. The first paragraph in […]