Vayikra

The new social media have brought about a return to an ancient phenomenon, public shaming. Tthis gives us a way of understanding the otherwise bewildering phenomenon of tsara’at.

Lashon hara is an expression of evil. An evil eye (ayin hara) looks for something or someone who is above it, and upon finding it, poisons the person’s tranquility and does not allow him to enjoy things he could have enjoyed.

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?

"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..."

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

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.

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.

The holy is that segment of time and space God has reserved for His Presence. Creation involves concealment. About Nadav and Avihus death.

Most human beings know that they eat to survive, but there are many, especially in Western society today, that survive to be able to eat. It becomes almost logical that the Torah, would suggest and ordain for us a list of foods that somehow would prove harmful to our spiritual health.

The “8th day” was the day when the Mishkan was permanently erected, the day that the Kohanim started their service of bringing the offerings, the 1st of Nisan. With so many amazing events happening all at once, why does the Torah cryptically choose to refer to this day as “the 8th day?”