Understanding Animal Sacrifice in Spiritual Practices
In the first parasha of the third book of the Torah, Vayikra, there is a long discussion of the obligations and methods of animal sacrifice. The animal is killed and consumed by fire. The physical remains cease to exist. Those who partake in and observe this ritual are vicariously experiencing the transition to death. Despite…
PARASHA TETZAVEH – CLOTHING
This is the parasha in which every word is God speaking. A main topic is describing the garments of the priests. This highlights the importance of the clothes we wear. Clothing is intimately associated with our holiness. In the Torah, God commands us to be Holy. We distinguish ourselves from all other lifeforms on the…
JACOB, JOSEPH, DREAMS, VISIONS
Jacob and his family’s epic move to Egypt in the first book of the Torah is foreshadowed by and guided by dreams and visions.
AZAZEL
The Torah reading on Yom Kippur is from the Book of Leviticus, chapter 16. This Parasha describes the ritual of apologizing for and redressing sins on the Day of Atonement. The ritual involves two similar appearing goats. One goat is sacrificed at the altar in the Tabernacle. The second goat is sent into the desert,…
The Spiritual Significance of Lifting the Head in the Torah: A Health Perspective
In the ninth section (parashah) of Exodus, the second book of the Torah, the text discusses a census of the people of Israel. They had recently left the slavery of Egypt. The usual translation of the beginning of this Parashah reads: “God said to Moses: When you take a census of the Children of Israel…
TORAH AND HEALTH
The primary focus of living beings in both the plant and animal kingdoms is providing for their health. This includes safety concerns and the well-being of progeny. For most creatures, this is a constant struggle, leaving little time for recreation. Survival of the individual and the species are the evolutionary imperatives. In the animal world,…
CHILDBIRTH AND PURIFICATION – TAZRIA
The Torah describes ritual contamination after a woman gives birth to a child. When the child is male, the mother is impure for 7 days and separated from participating in marital relations. She then remains in a partial state of contamination for another 33 days. During this period, she may not touch sacrificial meat. Thus,…
THE PAIN OF ARTHIRITS IN THE LARGE TOE
Four of the five toes have three bones, connected by two joints. These are the proximal, middle, and distal phalanges of each toe. The large toe is comprised of only two bones and one connecting joint. The in the large toe are wider and heavier than the bones of the other toes. This anatomy…
BUILDING THE SANCTUARY IN THE DESERT
The English title of the second book of the Torah is “Exodus,” because this is the book wherein the children of Israel leave Egypt. It is also the book that contains the giving of the Ten Commandments. Significant happenings. This book consists of eleven chapters. The last five chapters are dedicated to the building of…
The 10 C0MMANDMENTS Are Really 10 INSIGHTS
What makes the well-known and oft-repeated 10 commandments so special? They named an enduring and popular movie after it. The famous ten commandments of the Bible are not commandments at all. The initial consideration is: Are these 10 of the 613 Commandments special in any way? Surely, all of the rules given by God are…
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Health and Spirit by Dr. Jack Zoldan 