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.
Food For Thought
When we are tired and hungry, we are anxious to revive and sustain ourselves. This anxiety can cause us to lose sight of our life’s bigger picture and purpose, and eat like animals rather than human beings.
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.
Is There Wisdom Outside Of Torah?
It is an interesting question whether, from the Torah’s perspective, there exists wisdom outside the Torah. Logically speaking, there is no theological need for the Torah to encompass all wisdom, so long as what it commands, as pertinent to us, is wise.
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).
What Compels Us To Speak Lashon Hara?
Another equally problematic motivation for speaking lashon hara is the desire to feel good about oneself. We all desire to feel important, significant, and worthy of respect.
Love Is Not Enough
There is an order to the universe, part moral, part political, part ecological. When that order is violated, eventually there is chaos.
Scruffy
It is not coincidental that both national periods of mourning are connected with deficiencies in interpersonal relationships.
Daf Yomi
Leprosy?
‘… Any Kohen Who Is Not Expert …’
(Shavuos 6a)
Stepping Up
While our primary obligation is to ourselves, Hillel reminds us of our obligation to the broader community and the world.
Fruit Basket
He recalled that a week earlier, a thug had robbed the laden shopping cart that his wife was using in the supermarket, with all its contents. Rabbi Dayan had explained why his wife was not liable for the shopping cart, but did not address the question of the groceries.
Q&A: A Sefirah Dilemma (Part I)
Question: On occasion it has happened that a recent bar mitzvah boy was the one to do so. I’ve also had an occasion when a recent ger (convert) led the service. In both those events, how would they be allowed to lead in the counting of the sefirah if they did not start doing so at the outset?
No Name
Via E-mail
The Challenges Of Getting Older
One of the central themes in Jewish thought regarding aging is the concept of generational continuity. The Torah often emphasizes the importance of passing down wisdom from one generation to the next.
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 Ultimate (Heartfelt) Improbable Tale
According to the information that he was given, his good friend from Auschwitz, Yozo Weiss, was now a taxi driver in Tel Aviv! Lonely Latzi just had to find Yozo.
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 Hope Of Our Nation
As we find ourselves immersed in the agony of a war that has left so many chairs empty at the seder, still shocked from the greatest massacre of our people since the Holocaust, we must also plug into the koach of Rabbi Akiva. The power of resilience. The spirit of our nation.
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.
Cutting Through Grief: A Torah Perspective On Self-Harm
We see that cutting oneself out of overwhelming pain is a basic human response, not a new phenomenon. However, in different eras and cultures, mental illness manifests differently based on perceptions, beliefs, and ego defenses.
Lashon Hara:The Ultimate Corruption Of Speech
Do you ever wonder what people really think about you? Whether they think you’re brilliant, caring, and fun; or lazy, self-centered, and boring? The truth is that you’ll never know; people only talk about you openly when you’re not in the room.
Hang On
There is always going to be times of maror in our lives. But we have to continue to wait and daven for the incredible seudah that is to follow.
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.
Shopping Cart
Although the cart was stolen, when the renter is present and unable to save the item, she is not liable – certainly if she tried unsuccessfully to do so (C.M. 303:2,5).
Daf Yomi
A Threat To Life And Limb
‘How Many Lashes Are Given Him? Forty Save One’
(Makkos 22a-b)
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