Letter and Spirit
The words of the Torah are absolute and literally binding. Even if we think we understand their purpose we must never deviate from their literal observance. At the beginning of the Parasha, Korach and his co-conspirators…
Resources
Parasha material, reference tools and study aids.
15 pieces
Productive Punishment
The Torah teaches us about Eve's sin in disregarding God's order not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge. Eve was swayed by the Serpent and not only ate of the Tree herself but also fed it to Adam her husband. The punishment…
God-Mentor
Our moral and ethical standing on Earth determines our standing in the cosmic realm. What is more is that God's personal involvement in mentoring the Jewish People reflects the unique closeness between God and His People…
Nature Obeys Israel
The Torah states: "These are the Lord's Times, Holy Occasions, which you shall designate in their designated time" (Lev. 23:4). God does not merely teach the Jewish People how to reckon the Holy Occasions, but gives them…
Yannai
Yannai was the first of Israel's classic poets which flourished somewhere in the 6th century, just a couple hundred years after the closing of the Talmud of the Land of Israel. Rabbi Gershon known as the Illumination of …
God is our Caretaker
God warns the People of Israel that one who slaughters an animal outside of the Tent of Meeting and not before the Mishkan in the Presence of God will bear the punishment of being cut off from the Jewish People. (Lev. 17…
"I Don’t Know"
We lay great stress on off-hand knowledge. Who hasn't been impressed by the breadth of knowledge of a great scholar especially one who is proficient in the subjects of the Torah? We may even find that we tend to dismiss …
Stringency and Leniency
The Torah introduces the code of law that the Priest was to use in order to determine the ritual status of objects stricken with Leprosy, “to pronounce it pure, or to pronounce it impure” (Lev. 13:59). Invariably, cases …
Wisdom of Women
The Wisdom of Women One of the special services that the women were able to provide in the construction of the Mishkan was in weaving materials. This was a task which required a special wisdom which only the women posses…
Communal Responsibilities
Our Synagogues and communities abound with opportunities for the individual to step up and offer his or her services for the needs of the many. But many communal tasks are often menial and bothersome bearing little prest…
Teachings of Israel
The teachings of the Land of Israel are inexorably connected with the Jewish People and its Land. These native teachings imprinted by the Land of Israel are at the core of our Jewish Consciousnesses and are crucial instr…
Customs of the Land of Israel
Customs of the Land of Israel למען תזכרו_עברית The widespread practice of stretching the letter zayin in the Shema ' has its origins in the tradition of the Land of Israel מיעוט דיבור בשבת טועמיהו…
Moses Priest Yoma 4
“All of the seven days of the milluim Moshe served as the Kohen Gadol but the Shekhinah did not come to rest on the Mishkan because of his actions. However, when Aharon wore the garments of the Kohen Gadol and performed …
Daf Yomi Recordings
Daf Yomi Recordings & Content Click below to listen and read the Daf in our exclusive Modern Elucidated Talmud for the broader Audience. Listen to Rabbi Y.G. Bechhofer's Talmud Yerushalmi Daf Yomi recordings on the entir…
Chumra and Prohibiting the Permissible
Chumra and Prohibiting the Permissible (החומרא ואסירת המותר). The Ta lmud Yerushalmi cautions about taking unnecessary stringencies, both in their positive sense of taking upon oneself what is not required and the negati…