The Torah portion of Korach ends with an extensive discussion of the various tithes (agricultural taxes) that the Torah requires. The basic idea is that the Land of Israel and its agricultural products are considered holy, therefore there are special laws that apply to them. The most well known is the obligation in Biblical and…
Rabbi Becher asks “Can you slander an object?” View this post directly on Vimeo
In this week’s Torah portion, we are commanded to tie fringes, called tzitzit, to the corners of every four-cornered garment: G-d said to Moses, saying, “Speak to the Children of Israel and say to them that they shall make themselves fringes [tzitzit, in Hebrew] on the corners of their garments, throughout their generations. And they…
Rabbi Becher looks at eating dairy foods and being independent on Shavuot. View this video directly on Vimeo
Rabbi Becher examines the Priestly Blessings which are introduced in this week’s parsha. View this video directly on Vimeo.
It is customary to eat dairy foods on Shavuot. Some explain this as one component in re-enacting Sinai. Having just received the laws about kosher food, the Jewish people had no choice but to limit themselves to easily prepared dairy or plant based foods, as opposed to meat that would require kosher slaughter, salting and…
The people of the United States of American have just observed Memorial Day, which commemorates the sacrifices of the many brave soldiers who died in defense of the United States and its values. I think that it is, therefore, appropriate to reflect briefly on the blessings of the USA. Abraham’s relationship with God was rooted…
Rabbi Becher discuses Counting Jews – Because Every Jew Counts View this video directly on Vimeo
The Hebrew word Shechinah means “Divine Presence.” Although in reality, God permeates all of time and space equally, we are not able to perceive His presence equally in all times and all places. Venice Beach, California, (as a purely random example) is a place where the Divine Presence is well concealed, and Super Bowl Sunday…
For the Jewish people who came out of Egypt, the period between the Exodus and the Revelation at Mt. Sinai was one of continuous spiritual awakening. Their relationship with God grew stronger and closer. Miraculous events occurred daily. For the Jewish people in subsequent generations, this period continues to be one of the greatest of…