Naso: Rabbi Gedalia Meyer’s Weekly Torah Study We humans run hot and cold; we’re up and we’re down, inspired and disillusioned, filled with holy fervor one moment and sinning the next. The case of the nazir, discussed in this week’s parashat Naso, takes all this into consideration.
Parashat Beha’alotcha General Overview: In this week’s Torah reading, Beha’alotecha, G‑d instructs Aaron concerning the Tabernacle Menorah lighting. The Levites are initiated into the Tabernacle service. The “Second Passover” is instituted. At G‑d’s behest, Moses makes two trumpets, and is instructed how and when to use them. The Israelites leave Mount Sinai, and proceed towards …
Bamidbar: Rabbi Gedalia Meyer’s Weekly Torah Study It is the mystery inherent in life, the inexplicable and unexplainable, that affords us a glimpse into a world that modern science cannot even admit to. The desert Tabernacle and its sacred vessels, made by man, are invested by G-d with a parallel dimension beyond our ability to …
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Art by Sefira Lightstone Parashat Nasso General Overview: This week’s reading, Naso, is the longest single portion in the Torah, containing 176 verses. The reading starts with a continuation of the Levite census and a discussion regarding their Tabernacle duties. The laws of the sotah woman and the Nazirite follow. The portion concludes with the Priestly Blessing and the offerings which the Tribal leaders brought …
Behar-Bechukotai: Rabbi Gedalia Meyer’s Weekly Torah Study Acts of kindness express an intrinsic desire within the human soul to infuse one’s life with meaning. The Torah mandates laws intended to encourage this noble inclination, to bring out the best in mankind.
Parashat Bamidbar General Overview: This week’s reading, Bamidbar, begins the Book of Numbers, the fourth of the Five Books of Moses. This book of the Torah opens on the first of Iyar, one month after the inauguration of the Tabernacle, and several weeks before the Jews will depart from Mount Sinai and begin their journey to the Holy Land. In this week’s …
Emor: Rabbi Gedalia Meyer’s Weekly Torah Study Rav Gedaliah focuses on the popular holiday of Lag B’Omer, which occurs this coming week on Monday evening – Tuesday. Lag B’Omer is a holiday whose origins are shrouded in mystery, and celebrates the life and passing of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, to whom the Zohar, Judaism’s most …
By publishers of the 1890 Holman Bible. Public Domain, Wikimedia. Parashat Behar-Bechukotai General Overview: This week’s double reading, Behar-Bechukotai, speaks about the Sabbatical and Jubilee years, laws regulating commerce and the redemption of slaves. It also contains a vivid description of the rewards for observing G‑d’s commandments and the series of punishments that will befall us if we choose to …
Acharei-Mot Kedoshim: Rabbi Gedalia Meyer’s Weekly Torah Study The double Torah reading of Acharei-Mot Kedoshim contains two lists of sexual prohibitions. For thousands of years these prohibitions were universally accepted as being both moral and grounded in basic biology. Today, of course, people pushing progressive agendas are throwing out all the rules, and “follow the …
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Parashat Emor General Overview: This week’s reading, Emor, discusses the laws which pertain to Kohanim (priests), and various laws which relate to sacrifices. These are followed by a lengthy discussion of the festivals. The portion concludes with the story of a blasphemer who was put to death. First Aliyah: The aliyah discusses the Kohen’s obligation to maintain a high level of …
Tazria-Metzora: Rabbi Gedalia Meyer’s Weekly Torah Study Our popular Root Source teacher, Rabbi Gedalia Meyer has been giving short weekly teachings on the Weekly Portion for the Temple Institute. We are grateful to our friends at the Temple Institute, who have allowed us to provide Rabbi Meyer’s teachings here too. If you’ve never been to …
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Parashat Achrei Mot-Kedoshim General Overview: This week’s reading, Acharei-Kedoshim, begins with a detailed description of the service of the High Priest on Yom Kippur. Dozens of commandments are then discussed in this week’s reading. Among them: the prohibitions against offering sacrifices outside the Temple; consuming blood; incestuous, adulterous, or other forbidden relationships; various mandatory gifts for the poor; love for …
Shemini: Rabbi Gedalia Meyer’s Weekly Torah Study Our popular Root Source teacher, Rabbi Gedalia Meyer has been giving short weekly teachings on the Weekly Portion for the Temple Institute. We are grateful to our friends at the Temple Institute, who have allowed us to provide Rabbi Meyer’s teachings here too. If you’ve never been to …
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Are we the lepers of Israel? Parashat Tazria-Metzora General Overview: The bulk of this week’s portion, Tazria-Metzora, discusses various forms of tzara’at, skin maladies which are contracted as a result of engaging in forbidden gossip. Also discussed are garment discolorations which constitute “clothing tzara’at,” and the symptoms and laws of “house tzara’at,” indicated by certain stone discolorations. Following is …
The Secret of Passover: Rabbi Gedalia Meyer’s Weekly Torah Study Our popular Root Source teacher, Rabbi Gedalia Meyer has been giving short weekly teachings on the Weekly Portion for the Temple Institute. We are grateful to our friends at the Temple Institute, who have allowed us to provide Rabbi Meyer’s teachings here too. If you’ve …
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Tissot The Two Priests Are Destroyed Parashat Shmini General Overview: This week’s reading, Shemini, is a continuation of the previous week’s reading, Tzav, where we learned about the Tabernacle’s seven-day inaugural ceremony. This week’s reading opens on the eighth day, when G‑d’s presence descends upon the Tabernacle. On that day, Aaron’s sons Nadab and Avihu …
Vayikra: Rabbi Gedalia Meyer’s Weekly Torah Study Our popular Root Source teacher, Rabbi Gedalia Meyer has been giving short weekly teachings on the Weekly Portion for the Temple Institute. We are grateful to our friends at the Temple Institute, who have allowed us to provide Rabbi Meyer’s teachings here too. If you’ve never been to …
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Noah’s Sacrifice (1984 illustration by Jim Padgett, courtesy of Distant Shores Media/Sweet Publishing) Parashat Tzav General Overview: This week’s Torah reading, Tzav, continues describing the various sacrifices offered in the Tabernacle and Temple — a topic started in last week’s reading. This is followed by an account of the seven-day inaugural of the Tabernacle. First Aliyah: The Torah describes the mandatory daily removal of ashes from the …
Vayakhel-Pekudei: Rabbi Gedalia Meyer’s Weekly Torah Study Our popular Root Source teacher, Rabbi Gedalia Meyer has been giving short weekly teachings on the Weekly Portion for the Temple Institute. We are grateful to our friends at the Temple Institute, who have allowed us to provide Rabbi Meyer’s teachings here too. If you’ve never been to …
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Parashat Vayikra General Overview: This week’s Torah reading, Vayikra, begins the third book of the Torah, Leviticus. Last week we completed the reading of the book of Exodus, which concluded with a description of the construction of the Tabernacle. This week’s portion will provide a description of the various sacrifices – animal, fowl, and meal-offerings – offered by the priests in this newly constructed …
Ki Tisa: Rabbi Gedalia Meyer’s Weekly Torah Study Our popular Root Source teacher, Rabbi Gedalia Meyer has been giving short weekly teachings on the Weekly Portion for the Temple Institute. We are grateful to our friends at the Temple Institute, who have allowed us to provide Rabbi Meyer’s teachings here too. If you’ve never been …
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Parashat Vayakhel General Overview: In this week’s portion, Vayakhel, Moses gathers the Jews and relays to them all the details regarding the construction of the Tabernacle and its vessels. The actual construction is also described. This portion repeats many of the details described in the portion of Terumah, wherein G‑d instructed Moses how the Tabernacle …
The Holiday of Purim: Rabbi Gedalia Meyer’s Weekly Torah Study Our popular Root Source teacher, Rabbi Gedalia Meyer has been giving short weekly teachings on the Weekly Portion for the Temple Institute. We are grateful to our friends at the Temple Institute, who have allowed us to provide Rabbi Meyer’s teachings here too. If you’ve …
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Parashat Ki Tisa General Overview: The portion discusses the census of the Israelites, the washbasin of the Tabernacle, the anointing oils for the priests and kings, the incense offering, and the Sabbath. The Torah then relates the story of the Golden Calf, G‑d’s anger at the Jewish nation, Moses successfully arguing for Divine forgiveness for the sin, the subsequent breaking of the tablets, and …
Terumah: Rabbi Gedalia Meyer’s Weekly Torah Study Our popular Root Source teacher, Rabbi Gedalia Meyer has been giving short weekly teachings on the Weekly Portion for the Temple Institute. We are grateful to our friends at the Temple Institute, who have allowed us to provide Rabbi Meyer’s teachings here too. If you’ve never been to …
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Parashat Tetzaveh General Overview: In last week’s Torah reading, Terumah, we read the details of the construction of the Tabernacle, the sanctuary in the desert. In this week’s Parshah, Tetzaveh, we discover the special garments worn by the priests and high priest when serving in the Tabernacle. Following that, we read G‑d’s instructions to Moses regarding the seven-day inauguration for the Tabernacle. The portion concludes with a …
Mishpatim: Rabbi Gedalia Meyer’s Weekly Torah Study Our popular Root Source teacher, Rabbi Gedalia Meyer has been giving short weekly teachings on the Weekly Portion for the Temple Institute. We are grateful to our friends at the Temple Institute, who have allowed us to provide Rabbi Meyer’s teachings here too. If you’ve never been to …
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