By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant This week’s Torah parsha, Kedoshim, begins with the momentous call: “You shall be holy because I, the Lord, your God am holy”(1). This statement is followed by repetition of dozens of ‘Divine’ commandments, which would enable the Israelites to consecrate their holy relationship with God. This parsha is […]
Posts with the Torah tag
A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: ACHAREI MOT (LEVITICUS 16:1-18:30)
By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant This week’s parsha, Acharei Mot, has a primary focus on the ancient rituals of Yom Kippur, the ‘Day of Atonement’. During the period of the Mishnah (i.e. the first major redaction of the Oral Torah) in the second century, the Jewish calendar was altered so that the New […]
A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: TAZRIA-METZORA (LEVITICUS 12:1-15:33)
By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant This week, we read a double parshiot: Tazria, followed by Metzora. Each of these parshiot describe in punctilious detail the bewildering phenomenon of ‘tzaraat’. In effect, this is a physical manifestation of a spiritual malaise, frequently mistranslated as ‘leprosy’. An individual afflicted with ‘tzaraat’ would be referred to […]
A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: SHEMINI (LEVITICUS 9:1-11:47)
By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant For several weeks and many chapters – the longest prelude in the Torah – we have read of the preparations for the moment at which God would bring His Presence to rest amid the people. Five Torah parshiot (Teruma, Tetzaveh, Ki Tisa, Vayakhel, and Pekudi) all describe the […]
A ‘Bissel’ of Torah: TZAV (LEVITICUS 6:1-8:36)
By Joy Scott, Am Haskalah Congregant The primary theme of last week’s Torah parsha, Vayikra, pertained to the five diverse sacrifices which the Israelites presented at the Sanctuary. On the surface, this week’s parsha, Tzav, appears to be merely an extension of Vayikra, differentiated solely by the focus shifting to the kohanim, who were […]