Torah from the Heart
Sixteen years ago, my husband and I–with our two toddlers–attended a beautiful Shabbat dinner with a rabbi and his family. Though I was born Jewish, I was brought up secular and had little connection to Judaism until then. At that meal I literally fell in...
Conversations with God
I grew up secular: American first, Jewish by birth. No one in my circle of family or friends talked about God. Life as I knew it was about work, food and intellect. My extended family includes medical directors, college deans, lawyers, judges, scientists and...
My Unconventional Hebrew Name
My great-grandparents, Moshe and Kayla (Morris and Katy) Tanenbaum, for whom I am named, came from religious families in Ukraine and tried to preserve their Jewish life even in the U.S. Katy’s father, Fishel Rubin, was a rabbi and sent his daughter far away from the...
Return to Yourself
On the Jewish calendar, the Hebrew month of Elul begins tonight. This will be my second month of Elul in Israel. My family and I made Aliyah last September, two weeks before the High Holiday season. I was so excited and overwhelmed by the newness of our...
The Portion of Metzorah (Leviticus 14:1-15:33)
This week’s Torah portion describes the purification of a recovered metzora, or leper, by the priest through a specific procedure involving two birds, spring water stored in an earthen vessel, a piece of cedar wood, a scarlet thread, and a bundle of hyssop. Tzaraat,...Related Content
Understanding the Healing Process for a "Leper"
Why Was Moses' Arm Stricken With "Leprosy"?
The Ritual Bath: A Spiritual Rebirth
Eager for life? Guard Your Tongue
The Status of the Menstruant Woman
Tzaraat of the Home: A Punishment and a Blessing
Tzaraat: The Messiah’s Affliction?
Meaning Of Ritual Impurity In Judaism: TUMAT HAMET
![Only a priest can diagnose Tzaraat, a skin affliction with spiritual roots. [Image: THE HISTORY OF COSTUME By Braun & Schneider via Wiki Commons]](https://theisraelbible.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Kohen-Gadol.jpg)
