A Meal Fit for a King | Parshat Shemini Shmini (שְּׁמִינִי) — Hebrew for “eighth,” the third word, and the first distinctive word, in the parashah) is the 26th weekly Torah portion (פָּרָשָׁה, parashah) in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and...

According to the emphasis which we find in this week’s reading, it appears that the correct way to attaining greater sanctity is through personal expiation, following a way of distinction and separation, and not...

Shemini | Haftorah Portion From II Samuel 6:1-19 We will examine Shemini | which is the Haftorah portion for this parsha. Rod Bryant discusses the critical error that King David made in is excitement...

In this lecture “The Eighth Day | Shemini” we discuss the concepts from (Likkutei Sichos, Vol. III, p. 973ff) The number eight shares a connection to the Era of the Redemption, as our Sages...

It is fascinating to note that the ultimate connection of this reading to the last day of Passover began to emerge only in recent generations, in light of the teachings of the Baal Shem...

This week brings us back to Leviticus, with its laws on sacrificial worship – burnt offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings. Again, as we read the weekly portion, we try to experience something of...

Three flames were commanded to be kept burning on the altar, as Maimonides explains: Three arrays of fire are to be made atop the altar each day: the first is a large fire on...

This derasha ties the vision of Dry Bones to Passover, so that it was chosen as the haftarah for the intervening Sabbath of the festival. The homilist created an exegetical connection between the prophetic...

Reuven Dovid Bryant discussed this week’s Torah Portion of Pekudei about how Moshe gives an account of the precious metals that when into the holy furniture of the Tabernacle. There is a connection to...

The portion of Pekudei is the last portion in the book of Exodus, and it concludes the building of the sanctuary. The Torah details the dimensions of the Tabernacle and its vessels with...