Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on March 31, 2011 by Barer
Inspired by Avi’s haiku project, I began writing weekly haiku’s for each parsha, which I will now share here as well as at my own blog: This week’s parsha, and next, talk in detail about the laws surrounding leprosy after briefly explaining the ritual days of impurity and purity a woman goes through immediately following Continue Reading »
Posted on March 29, 2011 by Avi Strausberg
this week’s parsha, parshat תזריע, focuses on the nitty gritty details of how the cohen diagnoses someone as unclean, either as result of some scaly infection, inflammation, or good ol’ leprosy. after analyzing the tell-tale signs on the skin, more than not, the confirmed or even suspected leprous person is sent out of the camp Continue Reading »
Posted on March 27, 2011 by Tamara Frankel
Dear Friends, This past week’s parsha includes one of the few narratives in the book of Vayikra, namely the divinely ordained death of Aaron’s sons, Nadav and Avihu, upon presenting their voluntary fire offering. But the telling of the acts of Nadav and Avihu and their subsequent deaths are brief and perplexing. We do not Continue Reading »
Posted on March 27, 2011 by David Bogomolny
Pardes Alum Ben Barer has followed Avi Strausberg‘s lead, and written a poem for the ‘Haiku Torah Project’. Check it out below: After secluding Aharon and his sons for seven days, this week’s parsha begins with the first official atoning sacrifices. Rashi, bolstered by the Re”em (sp?) note that it is not by accident that Aharon Continue Reading »
Posted on March 24, 2011 by Avi Strausberg
following the priestly induction ceremony, the cohanim are required to camp out in the tent of meeting for seven full days. they are warned to remain inside day and night, lest they come out and die. what an incredibly high-pressure, terrifying way to start a new job. this week’s parsha shmini marks the eight day Continue Reading »
Posted on March 19, 2011 by Tamara Frankel
Dear Friends, Hard as it is to believe, yesterday marked the end of my first week of student-teaching in New York. The high school I’m interning at is really an unbelievable place and I’m learning a lot– not only about teaching and learning, but what kinds of things I can buy in Columbus Circle and Continue Reading »
Posted on March 18, 2011 by Avi Strausberg
in this week’s parsha צו (tsav), moshe, following God’s instructions, performs the ritual sacrifices and ceremony necessary to induct aharon and his sons into the priesthood. the Torah uses the same word להקריב both meaning “to induct” when referring to the cohanim (priests) as well “to offer” when referring to the animal sacrifices. strikingly, this Continue Reading »
Posted on March 14, 2011 by Tamara Frankel
Dear Friends, I must tell you that it feels a little strange to write this email to you from the other side of the ocean. Thank God, I arrived safe and sound in New York on Wednesday (even though I had to wait for almost an hour in the INTERNATIONAL customs line!) But, once I Continue Reading »
Posted on March 10, 2011 by Avi Strausberg
parshat vayikra is basically consumed with the bloody details of offering korbanot (sacrifices) and sin-offerings to God. throughout all the different variations of how we may sin and what we need to do to be forgiven, over and over, we’re instructed to lay our hands upon the animal to be sacrificed directly before its Continue Reading »
Posted on March 8, 2011 by Avi Strausberg
in the beginning of sefer shmot, בני ישראל did not yet know their God. when God recruits moshe to make the initial introduction between He and the people, God first must tell moshe by what name He can be called before moshe is even willing to make this giant leap. sefer shmot is the book Continue Reading »
