Parsha Vayikra: Am I Guilty Torah?

This week we start the third of the five books of haShem’s (god) words as scribed by Moshe (Moses).  The book, and the parsha (weekly Torah portion) that we read are called vayikra which means, “And he called,” as in, “And he called to Moshe and haShem spoke to him,” which is how our parsha starts. God is calling to Moshe to tell the people about offerings or sacrifices.  First we read that the acceptable animals that a person can … Continue reading

Parsha Vayikra: How to Come Close to HaShem (God)

This week, we start the 3rd book of the Torah: Vayikra (Leviticus). This week’s parsha (Torah portion) gets into the blood and guts of sacrifices.  It is not one of the prettier parshas, but it is an important one nevertheless because it tells us how we can redeem ourselves when we sin, not just as a person, but also as a community or a community leader, including the high priest and the king.  One of the things I like about … Continue reading