“See that big guy over there? Aren’t you glad I saved you from him?” “What are you talking about? He never touched me.” “Yeah, but what he wanted to do to you was really awful.” “You mean he wanted to beat me up?” “No. What he wanted to...
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...
Pesach Sheini (second Passover), which occurs on the 14th of Iyar, one month after the Passover offering is offered, embodies the concept of a “second chance” more than any other holiday. In the days of the Temple service, Pesach Sheini...
The Torah goes to great lengths to mandate that all Jews must only bring sacrifices to the same place; the Tabernacle (wherever it stands), and, later, the Temple in Jerusalem. Speak to Aharon and his sons and to all B'nei Yisrael and...
On the night after the Passover Seder, the second night of Passover (the 16th of Nisan), Jews begin to perform the commandment of counting the seven complete weeks of the Omer which culminates in the pilgrimage festival of Shavuot on the...
The Omer, a biblical measurement of approximately 43 ounces, refers to the wave offering of barley that was brought to the Temple along with a sacrifice of a lamb. Before Passover, emissaries of the Sanhedrin would go out to the field of...
On the Shabbat that falls out on or before the first day of the month of Nissan, a section of the Torah is read in addition to the regular Torah reading. This Torah reading is called Parshat HaChodesh (Exodus 12:1–20), and relates what...
The korban todah (thanksgiving offering) was brought by anyone who survived a hazardous situation, such as a life-threatening illness, perilous journey or other hardship. The Talmud (Berachot 54b) lists the classic examples of people who...
The Torah states explicitly that the mitzvoth (commandments) are eternal, to be performed by all generations of Jews after the revelation at Mount Sinai. This was clearly stated in several places: Concealed acts concern Hashem our God;...
People who are unfamiliar with the Bible think that a sacrifice is an unspecified animal that is slaughtered haphazardly and thrown into a blazing fire to be burnt entirely. But the book of Vayikra (Leviticus) is incredibly specific,...
