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October 20, 2009 – 8:50 pm | Comments Off on Noach: Mr. Perfect2,672 views

Noah or Abraham
We have a friend, who is committed to perceiving everything in life as absolutely perfect. He is a virtual Mr. perfect. He once shared with us that he wakes up every morning and exclaims “perfect, perfect, perfect.” I thought this a wonderful, if bizarre, way to start the …

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Articles in Tazria

Giving Is The Secret To Happiness

April 7, 2024 – 8:06 am | Comments Off on Giving Is The Secret To Happiness404 views
giving

Giving is the secret to happiness. People who think they can be happy from taking or even receiving quickly learn how wrong they are. Do you think Vladimir Putin will be happier if he takes Ukraine? Well, ask him if taking the Crimea made him happy. If he were happy …

Tazria: When Will Mashiach Come

March 27, 2022 – 12:09 am | Comments Off on Tazria: When Will Mashiach Come1,194 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 Moment1,266 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 You1,765 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 Thou2,769 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 Behavior2,777 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: Vulnerability2,494 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 Me3,580 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, …