Judaism

"Making a Reckoning"

How does the Torah regard the rights and property of non-Jews? In parashat Behar we learn of a remarkable law that protects the rights of a non-Jew even in a situation where the welfare and security of a Jew might be thought to override those rights.

"Striving For Perfection"

Much of parashat Emor speaks of holiness, faultlessness, striving for perfection and the proper observance of the holy days. Have we lost the desire to reach perfection in the modern world?

"Loving Thy Neighbor"

The Torah's statement bidding the Jewish people to love one's neighbor as oneself is universally regarded as one of the greatest pronouncements of human morality. Nevertheless, it has been the subject of much vitriolic criticism.

"The Show Must Go On"

Moses and Aaron disagree over whether the Rosh Chodesh sin offering should have been brought on the heels of the great tragedy that befell Aaron with the loss of his two sons. The debate has to do with whether the "show" must always go on, and under what circumstances should it go on. What are the key differences between the positions of Moses and Aaron on this issue?

"The Human Animal"

The rabbis are perplexed as to why the laws of childbirth follow the laws of kosher and non-kosher animals. Shouldn’t laws pertaining to humans come first?

"The Festival of Liberation"

The care, some would say, obsessive concern, with which Jews try to avoid chometz is widely acknowledged. If that is the case, why has matzoh not been prohibited, since it embodies the exact ingredients found in chometz?