COUNT DOWN OR COUNT UP? This Shabbat is the 39th day of the Omer. Nearly six of the seven weeks from Pesach to Shavuot have passed. The Sefer HaChinuch (Spain 13th cent.) poses an obvious question. If the Omer count represents the time that the Israelites, having left Egypt, anticipated receiving the Torah on Mt...
IT’S THE ECONOMY, STUPID This phrase, from Bill Clinton’s successful 1992 US Presidential election campaign is likely to be heard often over the coming weeks as the starting gun has been shot for our own general election. The challenge of constructing an economic system that will both protect the poor and incentivize the rich is...
HONOURING G-D AND HONOURING WOMEN Two commands in this week’s parasha go to the core of what it means to be a Jew: “Do not profane My holy name – that I may be sanctified in the midst of the Israelites.” (Vayikra 22:23) What does it mean to sanctify or desecrate G-d’s name? The late...
SELF HELP Tzedaka or Charity is a cornerstone of Judaism. But equally important is how it is administered. In this week’s parasha we learn that when a farmer harvested his crop, he was obliged to leave a corner of the field (known as pe’ah) for the poor. When he came to reap the grain, if...
HIGH STANDARDS To be a Kohen Gadol or High Priest was one of the most challenging roles in all of the Jewish religion. There were demands made of him that did not apply to anyone else in the community. Whereas a regular priest could not marry a woman who had been divorced, a High Priest...
