Why does Rosh Hashana precede Yom Kippur? Every mitzvah we do calls for preparation. On Yom Kippur we say “sorry” and seek forgiveness. What prepares us for this humbling experience? Rosh Hashana. It reminds us of God’s Kingdom and His Infinite mercy in sustaining the world. On Rosh Hashana we remember that God created the
It is not in the heavens, to say, ‘Who will go up for us to the heavens and take it for us and let us hear it, that we may do it? What is not in the heavens? The Talmud offers a few interpretations. One is that Torah must be decided on earth – it
What’s the surest way to get a message to God? The answer is found in this week’s parasha, where we read about the requirement to bring the first fruits up to Jerusalem. “…you shall take from the first yield of all the fruit…you shall put it in a basket…you shall come to the priest…say to him “I have
You shall not have in your house different ‘ephah’ measures, a big one and a small one. A whole and honest weight-stone you shall have… (Devarim 24:14-15) These different measures were used to cheat in buying and selling. Not only are we forbidden to use tools of trickery, we are also banned from owning them.
