…of the book of Exodus. Why so long? Why such detail? The Tabernacle was, after all, only a temporary home for the Divine Presence, eventually superseded by the Temple in Jerusalem. Besides which, why is the making of the Mishkan in the book of Exodus at all? Its natural place seems to be in the book of Vayikra, which is…
…achieve forgiveness? Why didn’t He tell Abraham, why didn’t He tell Noah to pray for them? Why is there no selichah, no mechilah, no kapparah, in Bereishit? It is there in Shemot, in Vayikra, Bamidbar, but not in Bereishit. And I asked myself, why? And here, I believe, is the answer. If you read the book of Bereishit, you will…
Transcript One of the things that’s so extraordinary about Torah is that it is so ancient, but it is so contemporary. So for instance, the major programme of international debt relief was actually called Jubilee 2000, because it’s based on the biblical concept of Yovel which is in the 25th chapter of the book of Vayikra, which is all debts…
…count the Omer (Vayikra 23:15). And it is clear from the Torah itself what this command was. It was the act of gratitude, of a people in its own land thanking God for its barley harvest, a time of thanksgiving and joy. There’s not a word, not a hint, about the Omer being a period of mourning, a grief observed….
…to Respect Parents Shemot 20:12 Devarim 5:16 Vayikra 19:1-3 Talmud Bavli, Kiddushin 31a Core Questions Why is it important to respect parents? How can this be achieved? How do you respect your parents Talmudic parental responsibilities Talmud Bavli, Kiddushin 29a Core Questions What responsibilities does this text say parents have? What do these have in common? Do these still apply…
…do we fulfil it today? Jewish peoplehood Esther 3:8 Ruth 1:16-17 Talmud Bavli, Yevamot 47a Vayikra Rabbah, 4:6 A man in a boat began to bore a hole under his seat. His fellow passengers protested. ‘What concern is it of yours?’ he responded. ‘I am making a hole under my seat, not yours.’ They replied, ‘That is so, but when…
…11:19 Core Questions What are these texts also known from and when do read them? Why do you think educating children is central to them? Why is it a parent’s responsibility to educate their children? The Mitzvah to respect parents Shemot 20:12 Devarim 5:16 Vayikra 19:1-3 Talmud Bavli, Kiddushin 31a Core Questions Why is it important to respect parents? How…
…our needs rather than upward to our source. The Hebrew word for universe, olam, is connected to the verb meaning “to hide” (see Vayikra 4:13; Devarim 22:1). The physical world is a place in which the presence of God is real, yet hidden. Our horizon of consciousness is foreshortened. We focus on our own devices and desires. We walk in…
…give them the chance to show they are capable of great things, and then they must celebrate their achievements. Pekudei: Celebrate Leadership demands two kinds of courage: the strength to take a risk, and the humility to admit when a risk fails. Vayikra: The Sins of a Leader A leader should never try to be all things to all people….
…the Torah (that more than any other represents Torat Kohanim, “the law of the Priests,”) begins with the word Vayikra, “and He called.” It is also why Shabbat is, uniquely here, included in the days “which you shall proclaim (tikre’u) as sacred convocations (mikra’ei kodesh),” with the double emphasis on the verb k-r-a, “to call, proclaim, convoke.” Shabbat is the…