Shomron: the City that Pretended to be Yerushalayim
This week’s Haftorah retells the dramatic story of Aram’s siege of Shomron during the reign of King Yehoram. Yerhoram, son of Achav, was a wicked king of Malchut Yisrael. As Aram tightened its grip around the capital, the people experienced devastating famine. Elisha HaNavi reassured Yehoram that salvation would arrive in an instant: food prices […]
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Dayeinu: When “Enough” Isn’t Enough
Of all the favorite songs recited over seder night, Dayeinu is perhaps the most beloved. With each stanza, we recount another Divine kindness of Yetziat Mitzrayim and beyond, declaring each time דיינו – this alone would have been enough. Beautiful. But as many commentators note, the song is quite puzzling. A mentor of mine compared […]
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An Eternal Fire in a Destroyed World
Without the Beit HaMikdash, the parshiyot of Sefer Vayikra feel distant and irrelevant. But Chazal hint that the avodah in the Mikdash is immortal and constant. Rashi notes that the language of tzav – used in the opening command of our parshah – demands alacrity for all generations. The mitzvah of the korban olah never […]
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The Pauper with Flour Rivals the Bull
As Sefer Vayikra begins, the Mikdash becomes the dominant center of almost every mitzvah introduced by the Torah. Our parshah begins by introducing the various types of animals that can be brought as a korban olah. A Jew could bring a bull, goat, or sheep entirely on to the mizbeach as a fire offering to […]
Explore moreParashat Vayikra:The Pauper with Flour Rivals the Bull
As Sefer Vayikra begins, the Mikdash becomes the dominant center of almost every mitzvah introduced by the Torah. Our parshah begins by introducing the various types of animals that can be brought as a korban olah. A Jew could bring a bull, goat, or sheep entirely on to the mizbeach as a fire offering to […]
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Guarding the Fire: Shabbat, the Mikdash, and the Redemption of Yerushalayim
Before reiterating the command to collect materials and build the Mishkan, Moshe Rabbeinu deliberately repeats the mitzvah of guarding the sanctity of Shabbat. This crucial juxtaposition reflects the inseparable bond between kedushat Shabbat and kedushat Mikdash. What the Beit HaMikdash is in space, Shabbat is in time. This is why the Gemara Shabbat (118b) associates […]
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The Al-Aqsa Flood, Crusaders in Costume, and the Great Purim Shpiel
As Purim approached, we took our children to buy costumes. Two of my sons immediately gravitated toward the “Yehudah HaMakabi” set, complete with armor, shield, and sword. Upon closer inspection, the costume looked suspiciously like a medieval Crusader knight, kashered with Jewish branding to make it palatable to an Israeli audience. Despite initial misgivings, my […]
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With Great Revelation Comes Great Responsibility
Hashem promises intimate closeness with His people, and yet in the very same breath, hints at death. At the culmination of this week’s parshah, Moshe Rabbeinu is commanded regarding the inaugural korbanot that would draw the Shechinah into the newly constructed Mishkan. The Torah then introduces the daily tamid offering, brought twice each day for […]
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A Sanctuary in Transit
The construction of the Mishkan was a glorious undertaking. Klal Yisrael successfully built a structure that served as the “resting” place of the Shechinah, a place where Hashem’s Presence was revealed within the physical world. Its construction required incredible expertise and penetrating spiritual wisdom. And yet, upon close inspection, the Mishkan pales in comparison to […]
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What We Bring to Yerushalayim, And What We Take Home
When describing the Shalosh Regalim – the festivals on which we ascend to Yerushalayim – the Torah introduces a new obligation: ולא יראו פני ריקם – do not be seen before Me empty-handed. Chazal explain (Chagigah 7a) that this refers to the obligation to bring an Olat Re’iyah when appearing before Hashem in the Mikdash […]
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