(26:3-27:34) The punishment for rejecting God’s covenant is discussed.
The Familiar and Predictable Pattern We Seem to Forget In1927, Meshech Chochma¸ one of the original Torah commentaries in the modern era was published. In this piece, the familiar cycle of Jews excelling in their host country and then the ensuing persecution is explained. It is remarkable—if not prophetic—that, years before the Holocaust, this commentary used […]
Dry Bread in Peace vs. Abundance in Pieces A blessing was bestowed on the Jewish people when they entered the Land of Israel. After mentioning how eaue to the generosity of the Land and how the people would eat in satiety, it concludes: And I will place peace in the land… (Leviticus 26:6) Four verses later there’s another […]
Two core themes of this week’s Parsha are the Jewish nation’s reward for remaining committed to their mission and also the curses that will befall them if they don’t. Every few centuries Jewish history repeats itself. It goes something like this: We are given freedom in a country or region and we prosper. We set […]
As social distance guidelines are becoming more relaxed, relief has come for many people who have been waiting to return to work and resume their regular routine. Some people are still fearful for the future and are worried about a second wave. Wherever one stands regarding policy, all agree that we all look forward to a […]
The 26th chapter of Leviticus sets out with stunning clarity the terms of Jewish life for following the Almighty’s directives. On one hand, there is an idyllic picture of the blessing of Divine favor. How? If Israel follows G-d’s decrees and keeps His commands, there will be rain, the earth will yield its fruit, there will […]
If your brother becomes impoverished and his means falter with you, you will support him…(25:35) The Midrash uses a verse from Psalms (41:2) to explain the above verse: Praiseworthy is one who contemplates the needy…But shouldn’t the verse read, Praiseworthy is one who gives to the needy? The Midrash answers its own question by saying that you should look at […]
What does an individual or society do when two virtues, both of which are necessary for a just life or society, are at odds with one another? For example, truth and kindness are both wonderful virtues but when adjudicating a case of theft, a judge would be called negligent if s/he tossed out the evidence […]
The 26th chapter of Leviticus sets out with stunning clarity the terms of Jewish life under the covenant. On the one hand, there is an idyllic picture of the blessing of Divine favor. If Israel follows G-d’s decrees and keeps His commands, there will be rain, the earth will yield its fruit, there will be […]
