Parashat Devarim: Learn Well, Seek Justice!
At some obscure turning-point in the history of Jewish observance, three religious practices were chosen to become the yardstick by which one’s religiosity is measured. Beside the external appearance and Shul attendance, you can bet that when someone is defined as “very religious”, “somewhat religious”, or “not religious at all”, the speaker thinks of Shabbat, […]
Parashat Tzav: Sacrifices. Same Old Story?
Prayers and Sacrifices The sages of the Midrash argue that there is a deep relationship between sacrifices and prayers: Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Levi said: Prayers were established as a substitute for the daily sacrifices (Berakhot 26:2). Rabbi Avho said: What replaces the oxen we used to sacrifice to You? Our lips, through the prayers we […]
Parashat VaYikra: A Just Society
A Just Society The Book of Leviticus is sometimes perceived as a catalog of sacrifices with detailed lists of animals, substances, and dates. These details are misleading. The true purpose of the lists of sacrifices is to guarantee the creation of a just society. The sacrifices can be divided into two clearly distinct groups. They […]