Listen to an audio version The kohen shall look at the affliction on the skin of the flesh: If the hair in the affliction has changed to white, and the affliction’s appearance is deeper than the skin of the flesh—it…
Priests and Protocol
In Parashat Shemini, we are confronted with the sobering story of Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, who bring what the Torah calls esh zarah, strange or unauthorized fire, before the Lord. While the exact nature of their offense…
Passover Lambs and Chesed Community
Among messianic Jews much has been said concerning the parallels between the sacrifices of the paschal lamb and that of Yeshua. After all the paschal lamb was the Korban Pesach, the essential sacrifice which God commanded the children of Israel…
Tzav – Ear, Thumbs and Toes
The book of Vayikra is often referred to as the Torat Kohanim, The Teachings of the Priests. It contains the exact prescriptions for the kohanim to minister in the Mishkan and later in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Its topics…
He Ain’t Levi, He’s My Brother
Parasha Vayikra marks the beginning of the accounting of the Levitical responsibilities within the Mishkan. Much of what follows concerns the sacrificial system of Israel. On a transactional level, these rituals may seem like ancient practices with little relevance to…
Pekudei – The Future Is Now
Listen to an audio version When I was a boy in the 60’s my two favorite cartoons were the popular Flintstones and Jetsons. While Hanna-Barbera Studios produced both, the Flintstones was “the modern stone-age family” while the Jetsons was the…