Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on March 27, 2014 by Hirsch Fishman
Parshat Tazria presents the laws of zara’at (leprosy). This lengthy exposition that continues into next week’s portion highlights the difficulties in learning (and teaching) the Book of Vayikra (Leviticus). The detailed laws of kosher animals from last week’s portion are complicated enough. But over one hundred and fifty verses about lepers and bodily discharges overwhelmingly stretch our Continue Reading »
Posted on August 18, 2013 by Naomi Bilmes
From my blog: In preparation for Elul, returning to Israel, and because Torah is awesome, I presented this d’var Torah at my synagogue tonight during seudat shlishit. I thought some of you might enjoy reading it. Shabbat Ki Tetzeh Seudat Shlishit D’var Torah By Naomi Bilmes Shabbat Shalom. This week’s parsha, Ki Tetzeh, is full Continue Reading »
Posted on April 25, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
This week, Rav Meir Schweiger discusses Parashat Emor in “Laws for the Priests.” emor ’73 Shabbat shalom!
Posted on April 11, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
This week, Neima Novetsky discusses Parashat Tazria-Metzora in “The Woman who has Given Birth.” T-M ’73 Shabbat shalom!
Posted on April 8, 2013 by Jeff Amshalem
From my blog: Excerpts from R. Ze’ev Wolf of Zhitomir’s teachings on Counting the Omer, from Or haMeir. וּסְפַרְתֶּם לָכֶם מִמָּחֳרַת הַשַּׁבָּת מִיּוֹם הֲבִיאֲכֶם אֶת עֹמֶר הַתְּנוּפָה שֶׁבַע שַׁבָּתוֹת Count for yourselves, from the morrow of the rest day from the day you bring the omer as a wave offering, seven weeks. Leviticus 23:16 The essence of Continue Reading »
Posted on April 20, 2012 by Barer
In this week’s podcast, we travel back to 2006 to hear Rav Meir speak about ritual impurity and the host of laws described in the doube-parsha in connection to it. Tazria-Metzora 5766
Posted on May 25, 2011 by Avi Strausberg
i was scared to begin the book of vayikra. for that matter, others were scared for me. sefer vayikra, which primarily deals with laws surrounding ritual purity, sacrificial offerings, as well as other priestly business, is often written-off as that dry middle section of the Torah necessary to skim through in order to get back on Continue Reading »
Posted on May 5, 2011 by Barer
I would hesitantly posit, without verification, that this week’s parsha is the parsha that is read from the most in a Jewish yearly cycle, due to the inclusion of a summary of the major Jewish holidays in the middle. However, upon reading through the parsha closely, what struck me was exactly how little the holidays Continue Reading »
Posted on May 4, 2011 by Avi Strausberg
in parshat emor, God instructs moshe regarding all the rules and regulations that distinguish the life of a cohen from that of an ordinary bnei israel. and these rules are not to be taken lightly. the cohen gadol (high priest), in order to maintain his ritual purity, is unable to be around the deceased bodies Continue Reading »
Posted on April 15, 2011 by Barer
Rashi, in his first comment on the parsha (16:1), asks the perennial question: Why, after two parshiyot talking about the details of ritual impurity, does the text remind us so clearly that Aaron has recently lost his two eldest sons? Rashi quotes the book Torat Kohanim (The Book of Priests, 16:3), the main collection of Continue Reading »
