Barriers to Entry

Before the Kohen Gadol could come into G-d’s chamber with the blood of the sacrifice, there was a barrier to entry. That barrier is called lashon hara, slander. G-d cannot abide the presence of slanderers (Arachin 15b).

Torah Without Flour

Flour is the most basic ingredient needed to feed the body, but once it is made into bread, it becomes more associated with physical urges and pleasures and thus potentially detrimental to spiritual growth.

Torah Shorts: Jewish Demonology: Parshat Acharei Mot – Kedoshim

I don’t believe in ghosts. But I’m afraid of them.— Edith Wharton

Positive Reinforcement

The Talmud states that when a tzaddik does not pray for another person who needs to do teshuva, then the tzaddik becomes partially responsible for the sinner’s actions and liable for punishment.

Don’t Delay

Sometimes, the yetzer hara pushes us off until the summer – and then in the summer, he tells us that we need to rest in order to recharge our batteries before the coming winter.

The Secret of 33

The Ramban says that the word se'ir (goat) is also reminiscent of Eisav, who Yaakov describes as sa'ir (hairy).

Too Big For One’s Boots

Because one imagines oneself superior to others, one feels entitled to misappropriate their belongings or relationships, to withdraw any assistance from them, to lie under oath when it gives one a leg up, or if all else fails, to push people out of one’s way.

Sefirat Ha’Omer: The Transition From Animal To Human

Through the counting of the Omer, Rav Kook explains, we don’t so much transition from the animal barley to the human bread; rather, we unite these elements in ourselves. We connect Pesach with Shavuot – liberation from bondage followed by receiving the Torah.

The Heart Of The Matter

When one performs gemilus chesed he is really doing chesed for himself. The merit of helping another protects the individual himself as well as his entire family.

The Great Treasure Of Pirkei Avos

It is a shame that many do not open up a Pirkei Avos with a sense of thirst and exhilaration. Perhaps, if we would keep it in a glass case, and charge ten dollars per minute for a peek inside, people would better appreciate its value.

G-d’s Traffic Light

G-d does not immediately punish us or strike us down with a bolt of lightning if we speak lashon hara. He warns us in stages.

Focusing On The Pesach In Our Relationships

We ate matzah – boom! We received an injection of faith for the entire year. This dose of faith is absorbed into our bodies and souls. It doesn’t matter how we felt. Consciously or unconsciously, we have been transformed by this experience.

Glory In The Greatness Of The Great

Aharon was silent out of pride in his sons.

No Excuses

Why was it preferable, then, for Hashem to penalize Nadav and Avihu for their wrongdoing on this very special day during the chanukas hamishkan when it certainly detracted from the happiness of all the people gathered?

A Mikdash Menagerie

According to one opinion, the second keruv on the parochet was not a lion but had the face of an eagle! This eagle was present in both the first and second Batei Mikdash, until they were destroyed.

What The Maidservant Saw Upon The Sea

When Hashem judges us and confers upon us the things we deserve in this world, our Sages teach, He responds to us middah keneged middah, in a manner befitting the conduct we have exhibited.

The Miracle At The Red Sea

It is interesting to note that while everyone assumes that the drowning of the Egyptians in the Red Sea was punishment middah k’neged middah for drowning our children in the Nile, this is really not such a simple explanation.

What Makes This Shabbat Great

On the Shabbat before Pesach, Israel risked everything to begin offering the Korban Pesach, and in doing so we made ourselves great, making G-d that much greater in proportion. This manifestation of the Divine light of redemption – in just the moment we most needed to see it – was the greatest thing Hashem could do for us.

There But for the Grace of G-d Go I

Unlike the Olah which was entirely burned on the altar, only a handful of the flour, called the kometz, was burned on the altar (Vayikra 6:5).

Making Pesach with Our Hands

Involving our bodies in the holiness of looking for chametz or preparing for Shabbat is something that can become a habit. That is not to say that we shouldn’t use our minds to superimpose even greater meaning on these actions while we perform them. But it does mean that accustoming our bodies to do good things has value unto itself

Amen!

We are all believers. We believe in Hashem and all the Thirteen Principles of Faith. However, we are a work in progress, growing our emunah every moment of every day.

Being An Educator At The Seder

It is no coincidence that the seder night was when Yitzchak gave the blessings both to Yaakov and to Eisav, thus demonstrating his love for Eisav too!

Fire

Fire is something that belongs in Heaven, that is its place. It is therefore not difficult to understand that fire came down from Heaven onto the mizbe'ach. What is difficult to understand is the mitzvah for us to add our own fire.

The Purpose Of Korbanot

Sometimes, because of the low spiritual state of Israel going out of bondage, there are intermediate steps in order for growth to be achieved. The Rambam understands the sacrificial rite in this spirit. He sees the korbanot as serving a practical purpose in weaning Israel off of the idolatrous customs of primitive civilizations.

Self Made Men

When we perform a mitzvat aseh, like davening, putting on tefillin, sitting in the sukkah, keeping Shabbat, with full concentration, while putting aside all other thoughts and preoccupations, it pleases G-d no end, because it justifies His experiment in creating mankind.

Cultivating Wholesome Eyes

The Gemara teaches us that one who has three traits can consider himself a true talmid, a disciple, of Avraham Avinu. One of these traits is ayin tova, a good eye, which means the characteristic of seeing the good in everyone.

Not A Trace

Hashem told Avraham Avinu: You are the root of the Jewish nation. If there is a black spot – a small lack of emunah – then the fruit that you bear will be bitter, that is to say, there will eventually be no emunah at all among the people.

Salted Matzos

The Rambam (Sefer HaMitzvot, negative commandment 99) says that it is not permitted to bring a Korban that has no taste, it has to have an intrinsic taste and flavor that is not just palatable, but an honor to the King to Whom it is sacrificed, it has to be delicious.

Why Do People So Dislike Tachanun

More than one scholar has noted the absence of self-critique in ancient literature of all peoples except the Jews.

Nothing Wasted

Etching the Torah in our hearts and minds takes an enormous investment of effort and time. We may fear that the long hours we spend on it displaces the time we need to meet our surrounding responsibilities, our commitment to work, to family etc. Miraculously, however, nothing gets displaced.

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