One of the topics featured in this week’s parshah is that of nezirus, the body of law that pertains to the nazir – the individual who has taken the nazarite vow. This vow obligates him, among other things, to refrain from cutting his hair for the duration of his nezirus period. With the culmination of this period, he is obligated to shave off his head of hair. The Purest Nazir Now, the Gemara (Nedarim 9b) relates a [...]
Shavuos is familiar to us as the festival celebrating the giving of the Torah – “Zman Matan Toraseinu.” At the same time, however, there are certain aspects of this yom tov – many of them actually quite basic, it would seem – that may have escaped our consciousness. The Countdown One of these issues relates to the very title of this yom tov. Normally, and quite sensibly, the title that is [...]
As believing Jews, we know, of course, that there is a lot more to the world than just what meets the physical eye. As such, some of the basic tenets of our faith touch upon the notions of the arrival of the Messianic Era and the attainment of ultimate reward in Olam Haba (the World to Come). At the same time, our ability to know the particulars [...]
Is there a particular mitzvah that could be considered a litmus test to determine who is truly a Jew? If so, which would it be? The answer, as we shall see, emerges from Chazal’s account of the great Day of Judgment. Fair-Weather “Jews” The Gemara (Avodah Zarah 2a) recounts at some length the proceedings to take place when Hashem reveals Himself to dispense reward and punishment at [...]
In a parshah replete with numerous mitzvos, one of the key themes underlying some of these laws is the care one must exhibit in interpersonal relations. Emblematic of this notion is the well-known directive of “V’ahavta l’rei’acha kamocha – You shall love your fellow as yourself” (Vayikra 19:18). Evading Embarrassment Another manifestation in the parshah of the premium the Torah places on preserving one’s dignity comes in the form of a prohibition, which states: [...]
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From Rabbi Yissocher Frand
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