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March 16, 2024 – 11:20 pm | Comments Off on Purim: A Nation United41 views

The die was cast. King Achashverosh granted Haman a genocidal license against the Jewish nation. Mordechai was one of the first to learn of the plot and he appealed to Queen Esther for help. Esther explained that it was dangerous even for her to enter the king’s chambers unbidden. Mordechai …

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Articles in Tazria

Tazria: When Will Mashiach Come

March 27, 2022 – 12:09 am | Comments Off on Tazria: When Will Mashiach Come895 views
Mashiach-innerstream.ca

We are entering the month of Nisan, a month of overarching growth. I call it overarching because the growth exceeds any effort that we might invest. When our ancestors were in Egypt, they didn’t work to secure their liberation from bondage. It was handed to them freely by G-d. Nothing …

Tazria Metzora: The Pivotal Moment

April 10, 2021 – 10:49 pm | Comments Off on Tazria Metzora: The Pivotal Moment997 views
moment

This week we will learn about the power of a moment. A metzora is one who contracted a skin condition called Tzaraas in biblical times. This condition is often confused with leprosy because the metzora was quarantined, but this was not a medical condition. These lesions appeared when a Jew …

Tazria Metzora: It Is Not About You

April 19, 2020 – 10:18 pm | Comments Off on Tazria Metzora: It Is Not About You1,543 views
not-about-you-innerstream.ca

The Torah tells us that a Jewish man who contracted skin lesions called tzaraat had to be quarantined until the lesions cleared, at which time, he would bring an offering in the Temple. The offering included (among other things) a cedar stick and a hyssop.
Seeking symbolism in these components, our …

Tazria: Holier Than Thou

March 30, 2019 – 11:39 pm | Comments Off on Tazria: Holier Than Thou2,496 views
holier-than-thou-innerstream.ca

Tazria: Holier Than Thou
Holier than thou is an expression that connotes false piety. It describes those who pass themselves off as holy when they aren’t. For example, those who give generous donations when others are looking, but nothing at all when no one takes notice. Or those who make sure …

Tazria Mezora: Judging from Past Behavior

April 15, 2018 – 12:09 am | Comments Off on Tazria Mezora: Judging from Past Behavior2,567 views
past-behavior-innerstream.org

Past behavior is often a harbinger of the future, but to judge fairly we must consider the very latest episode of the past behavior. I was once at a wedding, where the groom’s elderly venerated teacher danced with vigor and joy, and his many students, their eyes sparkling with admiration …

Tazria: Vulnerability

April 25, 2017 – 10:25 am | Comments Off on Tazria: Vulnerability2,271 views
vulnerability-innerstream.ca

Vulnerability; the Hallmark of Growth
Growth is only possible if you subject yourself to vulnerability. If we never leave our comfort zone, we will never discover new experiences or new facets of ourselves. But vulnerability is uncomfortable. It takes courage to embrace it. If we want to grow, we must be …

Tazria: Fix Me Don’t Break Me

April 3, 2016 – 2:30 pm | Comments Off on Tazria: Fix Me Don’t Break Me3,334 views
the crybaby generation - innerstream

A Typical Exchange
With more than twenty years in the rabbinate I have seen my share of painful human interactions and have become an observer of human nature. I find that two thigs often happen when people berate each other. First, the berator comes on too strong to be heard. Second, …

Tazria: Reconciliation

March 23, 2014 – 5:37 am | Comments Off on Tazria: Reconciliation6,815 views
reconciliation - innerstream

Reversing the Order
The Torah mandates that after giving birth, mothers bring two offerings[1] in the following order. “She shall take two turtle doves or two young doves: one as a burnt offering and one as a sin offering.”[2] The burnt offering first, then the sin offering.

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