The English name of the Book of Devarim, Deuteronomy, is derived from the Greek translation of the rabbinic name for the book – משנה תורה – the repetition, or recap, of the Torah. It seems appropriate to have this recap as the month of Elul is approaching, followed by Rosh…
אִ֣ישׁ… אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִהְיֶ֥ה בוֹ֙ מ֔וּם, לֹ֣א יִקְרַ֔ב לְהַקְרִ֖יב לֶ֥חֶם אֱלֹהָֽיו – This statement of the Torah, that a man who is not physically wholesome is not allowed to serve at the temple and offer sacrifices, has always been for me a pet peeve, and the attempts of the commentators to…
Rosh HaShana “Seder” and symbolic actions On both nights of Rosh HaShana, it is customary to bring to the table special foods, known as Simanim or symbols. These foods include apple and honey, pomegranate, and dates, among others. There is no need to eat them, and they are rather meant…
דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־כָּל־עֲדַ֧ת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל וְאָמַרְתָּ֥ אֲלֵהֶ֖ם קְדֹשִׁ֣ים תִּהְי֑וּ כִּ֣י קָד֔וֹשׁ אֲנִ֖י יְיָ אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them: You shall be holy; for I YHWH your God, am holy. The word קדוש is traditionally translated as holy. The more meticulous commentators explain…
From the Bible to MaimonidesBy Rabbi Haim Ovadia A young and very brilliant woman, a doctoral candidate who was also studying with me for her conversion, asked me once what are the parameters of modest clothes according to the Torah. Now, had she asked what are these parameters according to…
About a year ago I was approached by Moment Magazine with the request to contribute my opinion, as a Sephardic rabbi, to an “Ask the Rabbi” column featuring rabbis of many denominations. I am sharing here three of these segments. Q: What guidance, if any, does Judaism offer transgender people,…
The Torah describes the song of the Israelites, after crossing the Sea of Reeds, in the future tense: אז ישיר משה ובני ישראל את השירה הזאת Moshe and the Israelites will then sing that song… The Midrash comments that this refers to the song which will be chanted at the…
At first sight the laws of Nazir, detailed in Parashat Nasso, seem to suggest that the Torah encourages people to take upon themselves vows of abstinence. A closer, contextual reading, makes it clear that the life of a hermit, away from society and from the world’s bounty, is not the…
Noah, the man of the land, started [rebuilding after the flood] by planting a vineyard. He drank of the wine, became inebriated, and exposed himself naked in his tent. Ham, Canaan’s father, saw his father’s nakedness and told his two brothers outside the tent. Shem and Yephet took the robe…
Why the Book of Numbers is not about numbers What’s in a name? The book of BeMidbar suffers of somewhat of an identity crisis. It is easy to determine the identity of the other books of the Torah. Genesis is about the creation and the life of the forefathers, Exodus…