Ari's Posts

What is the lesson of Pinchas? What did he actually do — and why was he given the brit shalom, the covenant of peace, for an act of killing? And what does that teach us about the definition of peace today, when we give away the Temple Mount, sign treaties with terrorists, and call it moral?

Why is this Parsha named after an antisemite? Why did God have a donkey talk to Bilaam? Am K'Lavi Yakum... why did Bilaam switch from a lioness to a lion?

When it comes to following God's laws, is it really about me — about my own understanding? And if morality is just "the way I was brought up," what is it actually based on? Why does the red heifer's law make one person pure and another impure? What is God really teaching us through a law we're not meant to understand?

If Korach was one of the wisest men alive, why did he challenge Moshe Rabbeinu — and what does his punishment teach us about wealth, happiness, and what we truly own?

Why was the sin of the spies worse than the Golden Calf? Why did ten leaders see fear and obstacles, while Yehoshua and Calev saw faith and destiny? And how often do we let fear and “technical details” stand in the way of the mission Hashem gives us?

The menorah gives light — but who is it giving light to? It's not giving light to the Jewish people in the Mikdash, and God does not need light. So why is He commanding us to light this menorah that seems to be useless for everyone? And why does it have to be built from one piece of gold — when every other vessel in the Mikdash was assembled from parts?

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?

Why do schoolchildren start off with learning Parshat VAYIKRa first? What are these sacrifices about?

We really gave God a run for His money when He was trying to get us out of Egypt, and Moshe Rabbeinu certainly felt it as well.