Sacrifices and Offerings
Where Did Balaam Go Wrong?

Where Did Balaam Go Wrong?

“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...

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The Nazirite: Saint or Sinner?

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...

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Can We Bring Sacrifices Without a Temple?

Can We Bring Sacrifices Without a Temple?

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...

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The Counting of the Omer

The Counting of the Omer

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...

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The Omer Wave Offering

The Omer Wave Offering

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...

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The Peace Offering in the City of Peace

The Peace Offering in the City of Peace

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,...

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