Sympathy Before Ideology
A nazir is an enigma. By adopting additional stringencies, he exhibits extraordinary dedication to an intensely religious lifestyle. Concerned about overindulgence in material pleasure, he
A nazir is an enigma. By adopting additional stringencies, he exhibits extraordinary dedication to an intensely religious lifestyle. Concerned about overindulgence in material pleasure, he
Right after Shavuos last year, I took my son on a hike called Stairway to Heaven, in Vernon, New Jersey. At the top of the
In Sefer Bamidbar, all communication between God and Moshe seems to occur in the Mishkan (see Rashbam, Ibn Ezra and Chizkuni on Bamidbar 1:1). However,
Parshat Naso This week’s haftarah relates the miraculous birth of Shimshon—Samson—who, even before his birth, was marked for exceptional accomplishments and for leadership in Israel.
דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם אִישׁ אוֹ אִשָּׁה כִּי יַפְלִא לִנְדֹּר נֶדֶר נָזִיר לְהַזִּיר לַידֹוָד (במדבר ו:ב) The halachos of Nazir are written in
אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי… וְהַלֻּחֹת מַעֲשֵׂה אֱלֹקים הֵמָּה וְהַמִּכְתָּב מִכְתַּב אֱלֹקים הוּא חָרוּת עַל הַלֻּחֹת (שמות לב), אַל תִּקְרָא חָרוּת אֶלָּא חֵרוּת, שֶׁאֵין לְךָ
Parshat Naso describes the option to become a nazir, prohibiting oneself from drinking wine (and even eating grapes!), cutting one’s hair and participating in the
There is nothing like buying flowers for Shabbos. And there is nothing like buying those flowers from one of our own brethren. In this particular
In Bava Metzia 107a, Abaye explains Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel’s position in the preceding Mishna: “It is like Mar. For Mar said that if one
A primary role of the Levi’im—the one that we most readily associate with them—is that of musicians, meshorerim, who enhanced the Temple offerings with their
Our parsha contains the Birkat Kohanim. Rav Binyamin Luban notes that the first stanza which states, “May Hashem bless you and safeguard you,” refers to
לעילוי נשמת יואל אפרים בן אברהם עוזיאל זלצמן ז”ל Question: My son had a baby boy today (Thursday). He will be staying with his wife