Torah Portion

Our portion lists four animals that lack one of the two signs of purity. The midrash associates these four animals with the four exiles the Jewish people have experienced over the generations.

Someone who sins is meant to bring something of himself – his heart and emotions – and to experience a sense of closeness to God and love for Him through the offering.

We know who we are. They cannot fathom it. Our tireless efforts to explain may fall on deaf ears – but we hear, and we know.

Nothing in the Torah is superfluous. From every word – and even from each letter – our sages derived halachic rulings or ethical teachings.

look at the beauty of the Temple, built in harmony and generosity, and let this be the foundation of your own home – built on love and overflowing kindness.

A person can build, act, create, contribute, and make the world a better place. Just as easily, however, the same person can wither, stagnate, and waste his or her life in idleness.

An exploration into the meaning and significance of the cherubim (angels) that sat upon the Ark of the Covenant in the Tabernacle.

There are a number of midrashim (non-literal interpretations) that reflect the relationship between God and Israel as manifested in the Tabernacle.

You must assist him even at the expense of helping a righteous person who also needs aid – so that you may overcome the inclination to hate that person within your heart.

Good character traits – especially those expressed in accepting those who are different and understanding their pain and feelings – are a prerequisite for receiving the Torah.