Being Sorry About Having Kids

G-d's Love for Israel: Conditional?

Othello, Wikileaks, and Mildewed Walls

TAZRIA

Brit Milah: It's OK for Gentiles Not to Understand

...The Jew has always been something of a mystery to the non-Jews; they have never really understood us or what majkes us tick. This is especially true regarding the mitzvah of circumcision (brit milah) - and this does not bother us. The non-Jew is not bound by this mitzvah, and he has no need, or ability, to comprehend it...

The Plague of Evil Speech

Mila and Tumat Leida

From Siach Shaul pp. 328-330

From Siach Shaul pp. 328-330

The Special Power of Women

This week's Torah portion of Tazria tells us that when a boy is born, the schedule is as follows: The mother is in a state of Niddah – ritual impurity – for seven days; on the eighth day, the baby is circumcised, and the mother begins a period of 33 days in which she is pure despite any discharge (although she may not touch something holy or enter the sanctuary). If a girl is born, the mother is impure for 14 days and pure for 66. The question begs itself: Why is everything doubled when a girl is born?

The Source of Jewish Strength

"What is the source of Jewish strength? Let us be clear that we're not talking about military prowess, strong abilities in various fields, charisma, or even the strength to endure difficulties. Jewish power is of a totally different nature. It has a bit of all the above, but it also has an extra element, something wondrous and different – even bordering on a craziness..."

Flesh Pact

The circumcision ceremony itself is called a brit – a covenant. It is the dedication of Jews to their faith and tradition that has remained.

The Circumcision of Desire

Brit milah helps transform the male from baal to ish, from dominant partner to loving husband, just as God tells Hosea that this is what He seeks in His relationship with the people of the covenant.

Ketoret, Tzara’at, and Uziya

We will try to prove now that tzara’at is also the result of lacking between man and his fellow man. At first glance, this is almost a trivial task, as Chazal teach us that the main cause of tzara’at is lashon hara, one of the most basic interpersonal sins.

To be a Free Nation in its Land

Parashat Tazria opens with the command to do a brit mila on a baby’s eighth day. It would seem that we thereby make a bodily sign of being like slaves of Hashem, which would indicate that we left the bondage of Egypt to be slaves to Hashem. So in what way did we become free men? We will investigate this matter as we go through, in the coming weeks, the holidays of spring (Pesach, Yom Hashoah, Yom Hazikaron, Yom Ha’atzmaut, Lag Ba’omer, Yom Yerushalayim, and Shavuot).

A Skin Disorder...Only in Israel?!

Explaining why the fact that one can only get tzara'at - a biblical disease - in Israel is actually a good thing for Israelis!

Believing is Seeing

May I be mekadeish levanah now, although I am indoors, and I am also obviously looking at the moon through a window? The brocha of borei me’orei ha’eish on an electric light - could one do this when a lightbulb must be encased in glass for it to burn? What do the above questions have to do with this week’s parsha?

In Praise of Humility

Words That Heal

The Sacrifices of Childbirth

Tazria 5779

Tazria 5779

Laws of Family Purity - Avoiding Misconceptions

The laws of purity and impurity are a part of the Torah that is seemingly beyond human conception. The Torah defines these laws in Bamidbar (19:2): “This is the chok of the Torah.” Rav, the great Amora, when discussing laws relating to our parasha, states: “It is one source – the Torah made it impure, and it made it pure” (Nida 35b). Nevertheless we will try to explain a few principles and what they are meant to teach us.

Must I Keep the Mohel?

Since the beginning of parshas Tazria discusses the mitzvah of bris milah, it is certainly an appropriate week to discuss: