


What is so bad about slandering a land?
Imagine you walk into a room full of people and as soon as you step in, everybody stops talking and looks directly at you. How does that make you feel, knowing that they were obviously talking about you, saying things they knew you wouldn’t want to hear? Sure,...
What Samson and a Modern-Day Nazirite Have to do with Redemption
It is not common for someone to take a Nazirite vow in modern times. The most notable exception was Rabbi David Cohen who, like Samson, became a Nazirite for life. And both of these Nazirites have a role in redemption. Every week, the reading of the Torah portion in...
Bitter Waters: Erasing God’s Name for the Sake of Domestic Tranquility
The Book of Numbers (Chapter 5:11-31) describes the ritual of bitter water, given to a woman who acts in a way that causes her to be suspected of adultery. A woman is forced to drink the waters if she was warned by her husband regarding her relations with another...
The Nazirite: Saint or Sinner?
The Book of Numbers describes the vow of the Nazir (Nazirite). The Nazir is not allowed to drink wine, cut his hair, or come into close contact with the dead. The meaning of the Hebrew word nazir is a bit ambiguous. It literally means ‘to separate’. Rashi explains...