The Kohanic family is the most prestigious and sanctified family in our nation. Direct descendants of the legendary Aaron, this family was consecrated as the priests of our nation. They oversee the temple and its operations, they do the service of the Temple, they process the sacrifices - they are the spiritual leaders of our people. Given their stature, they are bound by laws that apply to no other people. Our Parsha begins with two of those laws, namely the laws governing who they can and cann...
May 14, 2024•1 hr 4 min
The Torah is effectively infinite. It is longer than the land and broader than the seas. God is infinite and unfathomable; He gave us His Torah in order for us to connect with Him. Torah is, in fact, accessible to us, but we never arrive at the end point of Torah. It's infinite. Moreover, the deeper someone immerses themselves into the vast seas of Torah, the deeper they discover it to be. In this very special podcast, we explore some striking examples of the infinity of the Torah. – – – – – – –...
May 13, 2024•1 hr 11 min
Parshas Emor contains a staggering 56 mitzvos, nearly all of them relating to either to the Kohanim, the priests, or to the Festivals, and the parsha ends with a very unusual episode that happened at Sinai. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php . Thank you! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Email me with que...
May 12, 2024•1 hr 3 min
Some people are easy to love. They are good people. They have a good character. They are righteous and noble and pleasant. People like that are very lovable. But there are other people. The second group of people are very hard to love. They may have a very execrable character. They may have very unlikable traits. These people can only be loved with great effort. Our Parsha contains a mitzvah to love even the unlovables. How can we do that? This very interesting Parsha Podcast - recorded from a s...
May 09, 2024•52 min
No one likes criticism. To receive criticism is painful. To be told what we did wrong stings. We bristle at the notion that we are flawed and imperfect. The mere knowledge of the existence of our shortcomings causes us discomfort. But receiving criticism is actually highly productive. It's a good thing. It is very beneficial for someone who wants to use their life and the opportunities afforded to them to improve and to elevate and to transform. It is also a way unlock Divine wisdom. – – – – – –...
May 08, 2024•35 min
Our Parsha begins with an unusual ceremony: Moshe gathers the entire Jewish Nation, men, women, and children, to convey to them the mitzvos of our Parsha. Unlike the rest of the Torah where the nation is conveyed the Law in shifts, in this week's Parsha everyone has to be together. When we examine the reasons why, things get interesting. In this edition of the podcast, we suggest an approach that in our Parsha a new class of Mitzvos are unveiled. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – DONAT...
May 07, 2024•46 min
This week’s parsha has the highest mitzvah density of any parsha: In its 64 verses we learn 51 separate mitzvos covering many different areas of Jewish practice, including arguably the most famous mitzvah in the whole Torah. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php . Thank you! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –...
May 05, 2024•57 min
The first verse of our Parsha revisits a tragic event from the past. The Torah tells us that after the death of Aaron's sons Nadav and Avihu, Moshe was instructed to command Aaron about the prohibition against entering the Holy of Holies unauthorized. What is the significance of the tragic demise of Aaron's two sons to the the instruction governing when and how Aaron may enter the Holy of Holies? This question is addressed by the commentators, and in this very special edition of the Parsha Podca...
May 02, 2024•56 min
The verse in our Parsha makes a big promise: if you adhere to the Mitzvos and statutes and laws of the Torah you will be granted life. Life is what we all so deeply covet. Torah and Mitzvos are the ways to get it. But it doesn't seem to bear out in the real world. There seems to be no life expectancy differentiation between those who adhere to the Torah's laws and those who neglect them. How do we reconcile this replication crisis? In this edition of the Parsha Podcast we share three answers to ...
May 01, 2024•55 min
The three chapters of our parsha cover three general categories. First we read about the Yom Kippur sacrifices and procedures; then we learn about the prohibitions against consumption of blood among other ritualistic and sacrificial laws; and the final chapter is oriented around the many prohibited sexual relationships. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts...
Apr 28, 2024•1 hr 3 min
The Metzora (one stricken with tzaraas ) is unwelcome in polite society. Even impolite society doesn't want anything to do with him. They must leave the camp. They must be alone, in seclusion, in isolation outside of the camp. They may not have close interaction with others. Others don't even want to have any interaction with them. They are afflicted with an illness no one wants to contract. A Metzora is an outcast, a pariah, ostracized from society. In this very special and topical Parsha podca...
Apr 18, 2024•1 hr 1 min
How involved is God in the day-to-day lives of humanity? What is the nature of divine communication to humanity? The central subject of our Parsha offers a fascinating window into this question. In antiquity - when our people were very close to the Almighty and very elevated spiritually - every sin would register as a splotch transgressor's skin, garments, or house. That served as a form of divine communication. God was signaling to the transgressor that their sin has caused a rift between them ...
Apr 16, 2024•1 hr 7 min
Straightness is a virtue. Straightness means to be proper and upstanding in all of your conduct. It means doing what's proper and just and good. It also references thinking. Straight, sensible, logical, clear, cogent thinking is better than crooked thinking. Way number 33 to wisdom is about this virtue. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.t...
Apr 15, 2024•25 min
A metzora is someone who is stricken with the tangible illness of tzaraas caused by a variety of sins, most notably the sin of lashon hara, evil talk and slander. Last week we read about two varieties of this illness: when it strikes a person’s garment or body; the bulk of our parsha orients around tzaraas remediation and a third type of tzaraas that afflicts the sinners house. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donati...
Apr 14, 2024•51 min
Like much of Leviticus hitherto, tzaraas - the skin malady that is a physical manifestation of a spiritual flaw - is a concept distant from our consciousness. The Torah tells us that when a person commits one of several sins, they can be stricken with a wide range of skin afflictions that qualify as tzaraas . Our Parsha is largely dedicated to its laws. What can we learn from tzaraas ? How can we glean valuable and transformative lessons from this concept that does not seem to exist today? In th...
Apr 11, 2024•41 min
The bulk of our Parsha deals with the inapplicable laws of purity and impurity, but we also told about a Mitzvah that is very much applicable today: circumcision. When a baby boy is 8 days old, they are circumcised and thereby entered into the Covenant of Abraham. What is the meaning behind this Mitzvah? Why, in fact, are we altering the product given to us by God? In this Very special edition of the Parsha Podcast, I share what I said (two years ago) at the Bris (circumcision ceremony) of my so...
Apr 09, 2024•53 min
A very large percentage of Torah is dedicated to the laws of purity and impurity. Parshas Tazria deals exclusively with these laws, first with respect to the impurity of a new mother, and second with the impurity of tzaraas a skin disease that comes as a result of sin. What is purity and impurity and how can we make these difficult concepts more relevant to modern life. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to he...
Apr 07, 2024•50 min
Kosher food is good for you. Non-kosher food is bad. That much we learned in our parsha. But why? Why is kosher food good? In this exquisite podcast, we Go deep and deeper in trying to understand. We discover how non kosher food serves as a form of spiritual cholesterol that creates blockages imperiling our spiritual life. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational effo...
Apr 04, 2024•53 min
Many (most?) people believe in God. Believers accept the reality that the world, the universe, finite existence is the handiwork of an infinite God. Why do people believe? What evidence do believers have? These are some of the questions that my dear friends, Ron Kardos and Bruce Licht, sought to have answered. They conceived of an incredibly powerful and novel concept: what if people were given the opportunity to hear an elevator pitch for God? What if we asked a large collection of talented, ac...
Apr 03, 2024•54 min
In our Parsha Aaron is promoted to become the high priest. Previously, Moshe served as high priest in an interim role, henceforth Aaron and his descendants will serve as the nation's emissaries before God. Why was Aaron chosen? What were his qualifications? What were the events in his life that rendered him worthy of such a lofty role? In this very special episode, we examine our Sages' very interesting teachings on Aaron's qualifications. We learn how Aaron was initially diffident - he was bash...
Apr 02, 2024•46 min
Charity is a big element of religious life. Our Sages tell us that the mitzvah of charity equals all the mitzvos of the Torah combined. But monetary charity is only one type of charity. There are many different types of charity, in the love of charities is a means to acquire higher levels of wisdom. How? In this Ethics podcast you will learn. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach ...
Apr 01, 2024•22 min
After months of preparation and building, and a week of inauguration, the nation was anticipating the climax of the Tabernacle experience: When God finally rested His Presence upon the people’s handiwork. On the eighth day the Tabernacle was erected for good, and a Heavenly fire consumed the various sacrifices offered upon the Altar and the nation experienced the euphoria and intense trepidation of having God in their midst. But a second divine fire marred the joy when Aaron’s two sons were cons...
Mar 31, 2024•54 min
The subject matter of Parshas Tzav is - like Parshas Vayikra - sacrifices. Before today you may have thought that sacrifices are a boring snooze fest. In this Parsha Podcast your perception of Parshas Tzav and sacrifices will be permanently transformed. In the podcast we share three deep and powerful insights: How to sheath the brain; the three unexpected times for transcendental growth; and how marriage qualifies as liberation from incarceration. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – This...
Mar 28, 2024•54 min
A lot of things are needed for the Temple and the Tabernacle to function properly. There are all kinds of prerequisites, protocols, procedures, and rituals that must be followed. One of the most surprising ones is the requirement to always have a fire atop the altar. Although the fire is needed for the processing of sacrifices, there is a requirement to continuously have a fire ready even when there are no sacrifices to process. In this special edition of the Parsha Podcast, we explore the quest...
Mar 26, 2024•45 min
In continuation of the themes of last week, Parshas Tzav details the procedures of processing many of the sacrifices enumerated in Parshas Vayikra, teaches us about new sacrifices, and we read about the seven days of inauguration of the Tabernacle. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php . Thank you! – – – – – – – – – –...
Mar 24, 2024•59 min
TORCH Fundraiser — support the Mitzvah Podcast Our organization, TORCH, does only one fundraiser a year, and that is happening right now at giveTORCH.org . This is a matching campaign and every donation will be DOUBLED. Please support the Mitzvah Podcast right now at giveTORCH.org The website for the Fundraiser is giveTORCH.org Click and donate to support the Mitzvah Podcast in 2024 We need your help! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Forbidden fats - even Kosher animals can have parts that are ...
Mar 22, 2024•38 min
TORCH Annual Fundraiser Our organization, TORCH, does only one fundraiser a year, and that is happening right now at giveTORCH.org . This is a matching campaign and every donation will be DOUBLED. Please support the Jewish History Podcast right now at giveTORCH.org The website for the Fundraiser is giveTORCH.org Click and donate to support the Jewish History Podcast in 2024 We need your help! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Purim is a holiday celebrated by Jews worldwide on the 14th ...
Mar 21, 2024•1 hr 39 min
TORCH Fundraiser — support the This Jewish Life Podcast Our organization, TORCH, does only one fundraiser a year, and that is happening right now at giveTORCH.org . This is a matching campaign and every donation will be DOUBLED. Please support the This Jewish Life Podcast right now at giveTORCH.org The website for the Fundraiser is giveTORCH.org Click and donate to support the This Jewish Life Podcast in 2024 We need your help! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – The Kabbalists revealed to us that...
Mar 21, 2024•1 hr 3 min
TORCH Fundraiser Our organization, TORCH, does only one fundraiser a year, and that is happening right now at giveTORCH.org . This is a matching campaign and every donation will be DOUBLED. Please support the Parsha Podcast right now at giveTORCH.org The website for the Fundraiser is giveTORCH.org Click and donate to support the Parsha Podcast in 2024 We need your help! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – This Parsha Podcast is dedicated in loving memory and leilui nishmas Amy Bas Shlomo Zalman . ...
Mar 21, 2024•43 min
TORCH Fundraiser — support the TORAH 101 Podcast Our organization, TORCH, does only one fundraiser a year, and that is happening right now at giveTORCH.org . This is a matching campaign and every donation will be DOUBLED. Please support the TORAH 101 Podcast right now at giveTORCH.org The website for the Fundraiser is giveTORCH.org Click and donate to support the TORAH 101 Podcast in 2024 We need your help! – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – In the previous episode, we established that resurrecti...
Mar 20, 2024•47 min
