For decades, Western society has been making concerted efforts to be more accepting and inclusive of those who have physical and mental disabilities. This means that accommodations must be made for impediments that have historically restricted people from living fully…
Kedoshim – A Call to Holiness in a Cynical Age
It’s no surprise that many Americans are increasingly skeptical of organized religion. For years, rumors of abuse circulated within Catholic parishes, and when the truth emerged, few were truly shocked. What did shock—and appall—many was the extent of the cover-up…
Tazria – Doctors of the Soul
Listen to an audio version The kohen shall look at the affliction on the skin of the flesh: If the hair in the affliction has changed to white, and the affliction’s appearance is deeper than the skin of the flesh—it…
Priests and Protocol
In Parashat Shemini, we are confronted with the sobering story of Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, who bring what the Torah calls esh zarah, strange or unauthorized fire, before the Lord. While the exact nature of their offense…
Tzav – Ear, Thumbs and Toes
The book of Vayikra is often referred to as the Torat Kohanim, The Teachings of the Priests. It contains the exact prescriptions for the kohanim to minister in the Mishkan and later in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Its topics…