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Alone and Together – Emor 5783

“You shall take choice flour and bake of it twelve loaves, two-tenths of a measure for each loaf. Place them on the pure table before God in two rows, six to a row” (Leviticus 24:5-6).  While the instructions are clear, the purpose is unstated. Though the Talmud...

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Pesah 5783

Each year rabbis are faced with Passover questions revolving around food products that were virtually unknown to earlier authorities. Rather than peremptorily forbid the product in question – a response that is easy – rabbis with integrity engage in research and...

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Avoiding Yohara – Tzav 5783

The challenge in reading the detailed descriptions of the rituals regarding sacrifices is to find within them some meaningful insights that transcend the rituals that are no longer practiced. Those who succeed find the exercise rewarding. Those who fail, tend to...

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Still Relevant – VaYikra83

Professor Jacob Milgrom offers a surprising explanation of the purpose of the book of Leviticus. While the text centers mostly on priestly laws, the subtext is the eradication of pagan religion (Leviticus, p. 8ff). The basic premises of pagan religion, Milgrom writes,...

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Words to Live By

What lies behind you and what lies ahead of you pales in comparison to what lies inside you.

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

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