Purim and Pesah are both festivals of redemption, serving as bookends in the final and first months of the Hebrew year. But Purim is by far the lesser holiday. True, the Jews of Persia escaped from Haman’s genocidal threat, but they then remained in a vulnerable position, and in the final chapters of the Megillah they…
Category: 4 Numbers במדבר
Sacred BBQ: Shmini/Parah 5774
Spring has arrived, and with it the smell of sacred BBQ. I don’t mean that literally, especially with so many vegetarians in our community, but the confluence of Parshat Shmini and Shabbat Parah means that there is a great deal of attention paid to the selection, slaughter, sacrifice and eating of animals. Chapter 11 of…
Filling the Void: Korah 5773/2013
To Fill the Void (למלא את החלל) is a new Israeli film written and directed by Rama Burshtein, a Haredi woman who had previously made films only for internal consumption by other Haredi women. This film has earned critical acclaim, and I found it to be mesmerizing. There is a great deal to discuss, but I want…
Rabbi Danny Nevins 