Parshas Emor 5786

Counting the Omer There is a mitzvah mentioned in this week’s Torah portion, that is relevant to our current time period; the days between the holidays of Passover and Shavuos. It is known as Sefiras Ha’omer, the counting of the Omer. The verses read as follows: Leviticus 23:15-17 You shall count for yourselves- from the

Show Me Your Best Awkward Silence Parshas Acharei Mos/Kedoshim 5786

Natural resources are a hot topic right now, as the earth continues to fill with more people but not more resources. In the era of technological leaps and blindingly fast innovation, humans also seek more resources than ever before. In the past, cobalt was used for nothing other than a deep rich blue dye. Now

Parshas Acharei Mos and Kedoshim 5786

Negative Surroundings ‘Do not perform the practices of the land of Egypt in which you dwelled; and do not perform the practices of the land of Canaan to which I bring you…’ (Vayikra 18:3) Before detailing the list of forbidden relationships the Torah instructs us: ‘Do not perform the practices of the land of Egypt

What would you grab is your city was burning? Parshas Tazria Metzora 5786

In the spring of 1453, the great city of Constantinople stood at the edge of collapse. For more than a thousand years it had been one of the most important cities in the world, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, a center of wealth, culture, and learning. It was a city of massive stone walls,

Parshas Tazria Metzora 5786

When Words Become Visible What Tzara’as teaches us about the reality of speech Parshiyos Tazria and Metzora are among the most puzzling sections in the Torah. The Torah spends so much time discussing discolorations on skin, changes in hair color, strange stains on clothing, and even reddish and greenish signs that appear in the walls

Geographical Slavery Parshas Tzav/ Shabbos Hagadol 5786

Pithom, Egypt 1314 BCE Shimon stomped into the house kicking up dust, and wordlessly headed straight to the back of the house to change out of his work clothes. Rachel instinctively knew that he was coming from his brother’s house. Shimon was relatively laid back; the only person who could get under his skin was