The opposites do not wait for Pesach to begin. We will act out the contradiction of freedom and slavery on the seder night, but most of us have already begun playing out the theme of contradictions: We complain about all the cleaning we have to...
Keeps His Promise: As with the previous paragraph, this one too seems to be of very little advantage and great suffering to us, the Jewish people. Slavery does not seem worth
There were signs all around the medical lab asking: “Have you seen all the changes we made for your comfort? At _____________ the patient always comes first!” It certainly didn’t feel like I came first. I entered a complex bureaucracy. I first had to register...
Noticing What Has Changed or Why All The Opposites: "In an experiment taken straight from the pages of Candid Camera, researchers arranged for a researcher to approach pedestrians
The entire Yeshiva was buzzing with the story. A student had the great privilege to bring a hot tea to the holy rabbi each day after lunch. He did this for five years. One day, when he went to the dining room to get hot...
"There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing." Blaise Pascal “And God called to Moshe from The Tent of Meeting saying.” Rashi goes to great lengths to describe how God called to Moshe. Calling...
Many Jews don't know what their status is. “Am I really special? How? Are we Jews really chosen? In what way? Is “the garden,” the Land of Israel, really ours? If I am and we
“But if his means are insufficient for two turtledoves or for two young pigeons, then he shall bring, as his guilt-offering for having sinned, a tenth-ephah of fine flour for a sin-offering;
“He shall bring them to the Kohen, who shall offer first the one that is for a sin offering. He shall nip its head at its nape, but not separate it. (Leviticus 5:8) The Kohen may not decapitate
“You shall salt your every meal-offering with salt. You may not discontinue the salt of your Lord’s covenant from upon your meal-offering, on your every offering shall you offer salt.” (Leviticus 2:13)
“For you shall not burn up any leavening or fruit honey as a fire offering to the Lord.” (Leviticus 2:11)It is forbidden to burn yeast or honey on the Altar. (Rambam, Hilchot Issurei
“So it shall be that when he will sin and become guilty, he shall return the robbed item that he robbed, or the proceeds of his fraud, or the pledge that was left with him, or the lost item that
“If a person will sin and will commit one of all the commandments of God that may not be done, but is unaware and became guilty, and bears his iniquity. He shall bring an unblemished
“If a person commits treachery and sins unintentionally, against God’s holies, he shall bring his guilt offering to God, an unblemished ram from the flock, with a value of silver shekels, according