Toward the end of this week’s parsha, we read about the “mekalel”—the person who cursed Hashem, and whom Hashem determined his punishment to be the death penalty. Interestingly, however, before the sentence is actually carried out, the Torah first seemingly goes on a tangent by teaching laws related to interactions between humans,

This week’s parshiyot, Acharei Mot and Kedoshim, teach us the power of Hashem’s forgiveness. In the beginning of the parsha, Aharon is told to bring a sin korban, and later on he is told that once a year, Yom Kippur, will be a day of atonement for the Jewish people. However, only after hearing about the day of atonement does Hashem tell

As the COVID-19 situation continues, we are charting new territory. Many are coping with loss and others are trying to heal. Some are home all alone and have difficulty accessing food and provisions they need, in addition to having feelings of loneliness. Others who are blessed to be healthy still have their challenges. While working from

Most of us have missed the weekly Torah readings since March 21 (Vayakhel-Pekudei), some even from March 7 (Tetzaveh). When the time comes to return safely to shul, do we have to make up for the missed readings?

I. Skip

This isn’t the first time in history such a question has arisen. Rav

Parshiyot Acharei Mot-Kedoshim

The Book of Vayikra revolves around “Mikdash,” i.e., both the eventual Beit Hamikdash and the already completed Mishkan, beginning with the laws of korbanot that would be offered therein and continuing (in Parshiyot Shemini, Tazria and Metzora) with the laws of tumah

There is a kibbutz just north of the Gaza strip called “Yad Mordechai.” It fought valiantly during the War of Independence, and its tenacious fighting for six days was able to significantly delay the Egyptian invasion. The kibbutz was on the main road between Cairo and Tel Aviv. If not for that delay, the Egyptian army could have

No matter where Yidden find themselves throughout the world, the coronavirus is upending their lives in unprecedented ways. The way our religious life and family life has been totally transformed has been extremely unsettling and difficult, to say the least!

This past Chol Hamoed,

I. Pesach, Prayer And Bentching

In the current phase of the coronavirus pandemic, all shuls around the world are closed and nearly every Jew globally is praying without a minyan. Even during its strictest period, the Israeli government allowed a few minyanim to continue under health department guidelines. In the U.S., I know of a

Parshiyot Tazria-Metzora

As this Shabbat marks the first day of Iyar, we read the special haftarah for Rosh Chodesh, the complete chapter 66 of sefer Yishayahu, the final perek of the sefer. Throughout the Hebrew calendar we mark 11 roshei chodesh (the month of Tishrei is not included, as it is

Rav Schachter: Equity and Compassion

In a ruling of great importance, Rav Herschel Schachter (Piskei Corona number 27) urges those whose Pesach programs were canceled to resolve payment issues in beit din in a spirit of peshara/equity and compassion. Rav Schachter’s brief ruling emerges from

Chazal make at least seven suggestions (Arachin 16a) to help us make sense of the cause of the mysterious disease of tzara’as. Presumably, if we understand the disease and its spread, then we can control it, thereby protecting ourselves. However, when multiple reasons are given for a phenomenon, it’s a good indicator that no single

In February this year, the famous refusenik, Rabbi Yosef Mendelevitch, spoke for our yeshiva at a community shiur hosted by the Agudas Yisrael Bircas Yaakov. He related how decades ago he was imprisoned in the Soviet gulag for 11 years, often in solitary confinement, for “heinous crimes” such as wearing a yarmulke or keeping Shabbos.