by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 29, 2022 | Purity, Repentance, Responsibility, Tazriah
Leviticus introduces the affliction of tzaraat. Commonly mistranslated as leprosy, tzaraat can afflict the body, a home, or even clothing. Tzaraat only afflicts clothing made of three materials: wool, linen, or leather. Only sheep’s wool is susceptible to...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 7, 2022 | Repentance, Vayikra
The book of Leviticus begins with a discussion of the korbanot, or sacrifices, that were brought in the Tabernacle and Temple. One of these sacrifices was called the korban chatat, or sin offering. The word chatat (sin) is derived from the word chayt, meaning...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 14, 2022 | Exodus, Repentance
In a divine tour de force, God brought the Children of Israel out of Egypt with miracles and wonders including the ten plagues and the splitting of the sea. Never before had men witnessed such direct proof of God’s actions. Nonetheless, when Moses delayed in coming...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 3, 2022 | Covenant, Repentance, Seventeenth of Tammuz, Temple, Terumah
As part of building the Tabernacle, God instructed Moses to place the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments into the Ark of the Covenant. But, as we know, there were two sets of tablets; the first, inscribed by the finger of God, was cast down and shattered when Moses...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 26, 2022 | Hebrew Language, Repentance, Responsibility, Yitro
In the Book of Exodus, directly after God presented the Ten Commandments to the Hebrews which explicitly prohibit murder, the Torah restates the rule but adds an exception: He who fatally strikes a man shall be put to death. If he did not do it by design, but it came...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 29, 2021 | Repentance
God sent Moses to demand that Pharaoh release the Hebrews from bondage, threatening that should the Egyptian king refuse, the country would suffer. So it seems incredibly unjust that God would harden Pharaoh’s heart (Exodus 9:12), seemingly taking away his free will...
