A WEEKLY TORAH THOUGHT BY RABBI MORDY Two peanuts were walking down the street. One was assaulted. Wait, what? This week we begin the third book of the Torah, Vayikra, also known as Leviticus. The Parsha, as well as much of the entire book, surrounds the sacrifices that the Kohanim, the priests, would bring in the Temple in Jerusalem. Seemingly… Read More

A WEEKLY TORAH THOUGHT FROM RABBI MORDY This week’s Parsha (Bechukotai) contains some difficult content. In it is something described as, “The Rebuke,” where Moses conveys what terrible events can transpire if the Jewish people do not follow in G-d’s ways. Suffice it to say that there are some pretty rough examples. So much so that we do not call… Read More

A WEEKLY TORAH THOUGHT FROM RABBI MORDY This week’s Parsha, Behar, contains various laws including that of the Sabbatical and Jubilee years. What I would like to focus on, however, is the name of the Parsha. These laws were communicated to Moses on Mt. Sinai, the spot famous for being where the Torah was given. The Parsha’s name is “Behar,”… Read More

A WEEKLY TORAH THOUGHT FROM RABBI MORDY The world is an ever more confusing place. It seems that chaos and craziness abound; war, famine and strife are literally everywhere. And yet, we must search for the good. There has to be something out there to zero in on and from which we can take inspiration, right? This week’s Parsha (Emor)… Read More

A WEEKLY TORAH THOUGHT FROM RABBI MORDY This week’s Parsha gives us a host of ethical and practical laws. It tells of laws relating to Shabbat, to acting in fairness in business, to honoring one’s parents, to, famously, the cardinal law to “love one’s fellow as oneself,” which is referred to by our sages as the great principle of the… Read More