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March 16, 2024 – 11:20 pm | Comments Off on Purim: A Nation United42 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 tagged with: forgiveness

When G-d Begs Forgiveness

October 11, 2023 – 10:54 pm | Comments Off on When G-d Begs Forgiveness479 views
G-d Begs Forgiveness

This week we read that sometimes even G-d begs forgiveness. The story of Genesis tells us that when G-d first created the luminaries, He made the sun and the moon equal in stature—two equal rulers. How did the moon become so small and dependant on the sun for light?
The Talmud …

Emor: The Shame Culture

May 7, 2022 – 11:11 pm | Comments Off on Emor: The Shame Culture1,200 views
shame-innerstream.ca

A shame culture is one in which the individual is pressured to conform to the collective. Deviation from cultural norms is punishable by public shaming and ostracism. In a shame culture, people carefully groom their public personas—the image acceptable to the majority. A shame culture operates under the assumption that …

Acharei Mot: Yom Kippur

April 29, 2019 – 9:37 am | Comments Off on Acharei Mot: Yom Kippur1,892 views
yom-kippur-innerstream.ca

Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish calendar year. It is unusual to discuss Yom Kippur shortly after Passover, but it comes up this week because the Torah portion of the week describes the Yom Kippur service that was performed by the High Priest in the Holy of …

Vayechi: A Cast of Brothers

December 15, 2018 – 9:16 pm | Comments Off on Vayechi: A Cast of Brothers1,653 views
brothers-innerstream.ca

Joseph and his brothers had a rocky relationship. Over the years there had been some pretty bad times. They resented him and thought he maligned them to their father. For his part, Joseph didn’t help matters when he shared his grandiose dreams that cast him in the role of king …

Re’e: The Missing Festival

August 4, 2018 – 11:47 pm | Comments Off on Re’e: The Missing Festival2,227 views
festival-innerstream.ca

The festival of Sukkot falls on the fifteenth of Tishrei, two weeks into the new Jewish year. Accordingly, the Torah tells us, in Exodus 34:22, to celebrate Sukkot at the turn of the year. However, there is a discrepancy. Eleven chapters earlier, Exodus 23:16 told us to celebrate Sukkot at …

Tzav: Smoking Hot

March 17, 2018 – 11:31 pm | Comments Off on Tzav: Smoking Hot2,089 views
smoking-hot-innerstream.ca

Smoke and FireThe temperature in the Temple was smoking hot. One can only imagine that the summer months in Jerusalem were hot enough as it was. Add to that the myriads of people that filled the temple on a given day, and the many fires atop the altar, and you …

Rubashkin: Time to Forgive

December 26, 2017 – 11:03 pm | Comments Off on Rubashkin: Time to Forgive8,056 views
Rubashkin-innerstream.ca

The old conversation has reared its head again. When Shalom Mordechai Rubashkin was first charged with employing illegal and underage workers and with operating an unsafe work environment, I argued that we must give a fellow Jew the benefit of the doubt and assume innocence until proven guilty. When the …

Vayikra: The Power to Please

March 10, 2013 – 5:35 am | Comments Off on Vayikra: The Power to Please2,689 views
the power to please - innerstream

The Sin Offering
The sacrificial offerings in the Temple secured atonement for the inadvertent sins of their bearers. This prompts a question: To bring such offerings is a Divine commandment, how does fulfilling one commandment atone for transgressing another? If your student failed to do his homework but was respectful during …