The story of Korach’s rebellion against Moses is one of the most dramatic crises of leadership in all of Torah. It’s not simply a political challenge—it’s a spiritual mutiny. Korach and his followers rise up, not because they misunderstand Moses,…
Category: Torah Commentaries
Shelach Lecha – The Battle Belongs to HaShem
These are unsettling days. The headlines seem endless violence in the Middle East, growing instability, and a troubling resurgence of antisemitism, not just on the fringes, but in the mainstream of public discourse and politics. It can feel like we…
Beha’alotcha – Come On In, We’ll Leave the Light On
An old commercial for a budget motel chain used to end with the warm invitation: “Come on in—we’ll leave the light on for you.” Delivered in a friendly, down-home tone, it evoked a sense of welcome, hominess, and belonging—an invitation…
Bechukotai – Peace Within and Without
Listen to an audio version “…you will dwell securely in your land. I will provide peace in the land…” (Vayikra 26:5-6) After the Torah guarantees that we will dwell in our land safely if we observe the mitzvot, it states…
Emor – The Blemished and the Whole
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…
Passover Lambs and Chesed Community
Among messianic Jews much has been said concerning the parallels between the sacrifices of the paschal lamb and that of Yeshua. After all the paschal lamb was the Korban Pesach, the essential sacrifice which God commanded the children of Israel…
He Ain’t Levi, He’s My Brother
Parasha Vayikra marks the beginning of the accounting of the Levitical responsibilities within the Mishkan. Much of what follows concerns the sacrificial system of Israel. On a transactional level, these rituals may seem like ancient practices with little relevance to…
Pekudei – The Future Is Now
Listen to an audio version When I was a boy in the 60’s my two favorite cartoons were the popular Flintstones and Jetsons. While Hanna-Barbera Studios produced both, the Flintstones was “the modern stone-age family” while the Jetsons was the…