The jobs of the Levitic families were spelled out in last week’s Torah portion, giving us the jobs of the Kehat family; now, moving into our parsha, we view depictions of the Gershon and Merari families. more

The beginning of our new book informs us of the order of travels, and how the people encamped around the Mishkan (Tabernacle). Those most immediately around the Mishkan were the Levite families, whose jobs consisted of carrying the different parts of the Mishkan. more

The final chapter of the book of Vayikra delves into the topic of Endowments and Valuations, essentially answering the question of what value humans, animals and properties have if a person makes a pledge to the Mishkan based on the value of another human being, etc. more

It is worthy to note that one of the most famous quotations from the Torah that has been adopted as part of American history was actually originally used, in a sense, in a proper context. more

At the beginning of Parshat Emor, Moshe is instructed to inform the Kohanim of a few important rules for them to follow in order to maintain their taharah (purity) that allows them to serve the general Jewish society’s spiritual needs. more

Parshat Kedoshim begins with the charge to the children of Israel to be kedoshim, G-d is, He explains, Himself kadosh. The words kedoshim and kadosh have several possible meanings. more

Pesach always brings back images of blood — blood as a sign on the doorpost, that is. The Shakh, in his commentary on Parshat Bo, claims the blood that was placed on the doorposts was a combination of the blood of the lamb and blood gathered in a major circumcision festival that was necessary to allow people to partake of the Korban Pesach (Paschal lamb). more

My daughter and I were recently learning Metzora, and she asked me why the process of getting rid of tzaraat included a ritual of placing blood on the ear, thumb and toe of the afflicted individual, on the one hand, and why it is specifically on the right (and not the left) of all extremities. more

A simple reading of the Gemara in Arakhin 16a informs us that tzaraat, a spiritual disease with a physical manifestation that is definitely not “leprosy,” could come upon a person for one of seven sins: lashon hora (slander and gossip), murder, swearing in vain, immorality, haughtiness, theft, and stinginess. Raise your hand if you might get tzaraat if such a disease were extant today. (We can all put our hands down now.) more

The Midrash (Vayikra Rabba 11:6) records a strange narrative surrounding the appointment of Aharon and his sons as the Kohanim. more