Ari’s Team

Living holiness in this world.

You would think the first thing the Torah talks about in Bamidbar would be unity — all the laws between man, everything that keeps society in line. Instead, it separates the nation into tribes, numbers every individual, and assigns distinct roles. Why?

Are you keeping the law, or just afraid of getting caught?

You would think a Parsha about Mount Sinai would talk about spiritual things, yet instead it starts discussing laws related to the land of Israel.

Holiness and subjective vs. objective morality.

There is a strange law at the heart of Parshat Tazria: a woman who gives birth — who has just done something miraculous and happy — is declared ritually impure and kept away from the Temple. What did she do wrong? Perhaps nothing. Perhaps that's exactly the point.

Nadav and Avihu wanted to serve God, but not in the way God wanted.

The sacrifice is never the main point. Giving thanks is. But if so, then why do we rush through it?