Rabbi Kaplan addresses the meaning of being holy: the text elaborates on forbidden sexual relations and sinful thoughts, many of which emphasize the male. Yet, human interactions involve multiple parties. How can we address the ancient laws regarding sexual ethics in light of contemporary values?
Rabbi Sacks considers the apparent disconnect between the different laws in Leviticus 19 – in fact, they are about limits, order, and boundaries. Reality has a structure whose integrity must be honored. When the order is violated, then chaos results.
Rabbi Barenblat writes that tum’ah means having a different spiritual frequency, rather than “unclean” vs “clean”. She cites the Talmudic teaching that in public, people should cry out “tamei, tamei”, which seems the be shaming, yet the intention is not to shame to afflicted person. Rather, it should evoke in us compassion for our fellow community members, and lead us to take helpful action.
Alan Cooper writes about the impurity of a “perceived deviation from a ’normal’ state”, requiring rituals to return the person or article from “deviant” to “normal”. As he writes, the responsibility of the kohen is to determine whether the condition causes impurity, not to identify it. Therefore, the definition of tzaarat as leprosy is not accurate.
Rabbi Sacks introduces the challenges in these parashiot: impurity that occurs because of our human physicality. He references Rambam, who wrote about the opposing lifestyles of the ascetic and the hedonist. The former denies the goodness of God’s world while the latter denies God. As Jews, we celebrate both the Creator and creation.
The iconic Shlomo Carlebach and contemporary singer Eli Levin join together in an unforgettable music video transporting viewers to the streets of Jerusalem where the eternal promise of redemption hovers tantalizingly in the air.
Rabbi Barenblat blogs about the beginning of the Holocaust. Please follow the link below to read the full article:
The parashah begins with the induction of the Kohanim, immediately followed by the dietary laws. Rabbi Sacks considers the logic of this placement. He quotes R. Elie Munk, who reiterated that the Sanctuary was a human counterpart of the cosmos. R. Munk then continues with a passage from the Creation narrative, wherein the first commandment for humans was a dietary law.
Willkommen, bienvenue, and welcome to B-List Seder, a cabaret retelling of the Passover seder that highlights and brings together the brilliant talent of Jewishly-engaged performers from all over the world. #BListSeder will entertain, enrich, and inspire, and further a HIAS tzedakah campaign to welcome the stranger. So relax, recline, and enjoy the show!
What does it mean this year to celebrate freedom?
What does it mean this year to claim we are free?
Are we free to speak – or only if we hold the “right” opinions?
Are we free to be who we are – or only if we fit a certain mold?