Judaism

“The Essential Ingredient for Repentance and Prayer--Humility”

The highly symbolic ritual of purification of the person stricken with the Tzaraat disease has much to teach us about achieving proper Teshuva (repentance) and the art of offering exalted prayer.

"The Efficacy of the Oral Code"

In parashat Shemini we encounter one of many verses in the Torah that seems to indicate that Torah clearly does not make sense without an Oral Code. Although every verse of the Biblical text has a definite literal meaning, virtually every verse has its own particular interpretation in the Oral Code to facilitate our understanding of the Biblical text.

“G-d Shall Do Battle for You, and You Shall Remain Silent”

On the seventh day of Passover, we celebrate the salvation of the people of Israel from the hands of the Egyptians by the splitting of the Red Sea. Faith is what worked for the people at the shores of the Red Sea, and faith is what still works for the Jewish people today.

“Optimism and Faithfulness”

The message of Passover is the message of Springtime, of optimism and redemption. While we celebrate our salvation by the Al-mighty, we must remember the challenges that our people endured and continue to endure today. We must step forward to show our own personal goodness and, by extension, the extraordinary goodness of our faith and our tradition.