Lessons on Tazria
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?
Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu | Adar II 29 5782
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..."
Rabbi Yechezkel Frenkel | Adar II 29 5782
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.
Rabbi Berel Wein | Adar II 28 5782
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.
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks | Adar II 28 5782
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.
Rabbi Yossef Carmel | Adar II 25 5782
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).
Rabbi Yossef Carmel | iyar 4 5781
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!
Baruch Gordon | Iyar 4 5781
