The first portion of the Sidra of Behar continues with the theme relating to sacred times. It speaks of the Jewish calendar being divided into seven cycles each consisting of seven years, with the fiftieth year being observed as a Jubilee year. The seventh and the 50th years of the cycle are holy. The Torah […]
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 […]
The first few sections of the Sidra contain the various laws which apply specifically to the Kohanim. The Kohanim have to observe a higher degree of sanctity than ordinary Israelites but they also enjoy certain privileges. Kohanim are only allowed to defile themselves, and are indeed duty-bound to come into contact with the dead body […]
The name of this week’s Sidra means ‘After the Death’. It is an unusual name and it refers to the Sidra of Shemini where the dramatic and sudden deaths of two of Aaron’s sons, Nadav and Avihu are described in detail. That event took place on the first of Nissan in the second year […]
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 […]
The Sidrot of Tazria and Metzora, which we read this and next Shabbat, form the basis of the final, sixth order of the Mishnah, called Taharot, which means ’Purities’. They concentrate on all of them the intricate laws regarding purity and defilement. The Sidra of Tazria begins with the laws appertaining to the defilement and […]
The Sidra of Shemini begins where the previous Sidra ends. The previous Sidra describes the ceremony of the ordination of Aaron and his sons as priests. That ceremony lasted for seven days. During those seven days the new priests had to remain next to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. They were forbidden to […]
The Sidra of Behar is a relatively short Sidra and is devoted to holy periods of times which come only rarely. It speaks about the year of release, called Sh’mittah, which occurs every seven years and the Jubilee year, which comes every 50 years. During the Sh’mittah years all agricultural activities have to cease. […]
COMMENTARY ON THE SIDROT OF ACHAREI MOT AND KEDOSHIM 5773 BY RABBI YAAKOV GRUNEWALD The Book of Vayika is devoted primarily to two distinct themes; PURITY AND HOLINESS, which are called in Hebrew by the terms of TOHARAH and KEDUSHAH. The first six Sidrot deal with the concept of purity and the last 4, beginning […]
Both the Sidrot of Tazria and Mezora are devoted to the laws of purity and defilement in the Jewish Religion. The name Tazria comes from the Hebrew root ZRA, which means ‘seed’. Therefore, the name refers either to a woman who has conceived a child or has given birth. Metzora refers to a person has […]