In a quote: " The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world. Many of those people deserve to be in prison; however, some of them do not" - Rand Paul This week's parsha opens with the counting of the Leviim and Kohanim, both of whom have specific roles in the service of God. Their numbers are calculated and their specific jobs are allocated. We are exposed to a strange ritual in which an accused unfaithful woman is forced to drink the "bitter waters" in ord

In a quote: "“We've begun to raise daughters more like sons... but few have the courage to raise our sons more like our daughters.” ― Gloria Steinem Last week we concluded the book of Vayikra, Leviticus, which contains many laws about purity, sacrificial processes and dedication to God. We now embark on the next book, the next journey - Bamidbar (lit. in the desert), Numbers. The story begins with a census of the people, a story which we already encountered earlier in the yea

In a quote: "Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation" - Oscar Wilde This week's double parsha moves away from purity related laws to general laws and Israel's adherence to these laws. Let us examine two contrasting verses אִם־בְּחֻקֹּתַ֖י תֵּלֵ֑כוּ וְאֶת־מִצְוֺתַ֣י תִּשְׁמְר֔וּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָֽם׃ If you follow My laws and faithfully observe My commandments..... וְאִם־בְּחֻקֹּתַ֣י תִּמְאָ֔סוּ

In last week's Dvar Torah, I suggested that impurities uniquely define us. We should embrace that which makes us impure. According to Parshat Emor, this is not the case: In reference to Kohanim: כִּ֥י כָל־אִ֛ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־בּ֥וֹ מ֖וּם לֹ֣א יִקְרָ֑ב אִ֤ישׁ עִוֵּר֙ א֣וֹ פִסֵּ֔חַ א֥וֹ חָרֻ֖ם א֥וֹ שָׂרֽוּעַ׃ א֣וֹ אִ֔ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־יִהְיֶ֥ה ב֖וֹ שֶׁ֣בֶר רָ֑גֶל א֖וֹ שֶׁ֥בֶר יָֽד׃ אֽוֹ־גִבֵּ֣ן אוֹ־דַ֔ק א֖וֹ תְּבַלֻּ֣ל בְּעֵינ֑וֹ א֤וֹ גָרָב֙ א֣וֹ יַלֶּ֔פֶת א֖וֹ מְר֥וֹחַ אָֽשֶׁךְ׃ כָּל־אִ֞ישׁ

Salutations all! As we meander our way through the book of Vayikra (Leviticus in English) we encounter another double parsha. Like the portions which precede it these portions continue to explore ideas of purity and the ways in which the community of Israel should behave. Last week we grappled with the notion of impurity as a result of bodily functions. A particularly difficult area of Jewish law to reconcile (if one feels the need to do so) with the modern and progressive wo