In this week's parsha, Bamidbar, we focus on roles that are assigned to us as opposed to those we can choose. God determines:

Learning to accept the will of God can be challenging. It is, however, an important skill. Being able to navigate the balance between roles that we are assigned and roles that we choose is helpful in general. We realize that not everything is always about what we want- there are times we need to focus on what is good for the community, and/or what God wants.

In this week's parsha, Bechukotai, we learn several important lessons:

You too can consider whether you can improve your personal conduct, how you speak, and whether there are certain mitzvot that you realize help make you a better person!

In this week's parsha, Behar, we learn about reset buttons that God devised. God believes in giving people second chances. This is why He designed:

-Shemitah, which is a time when people release others from the monetary debts they owe.

-Yovel, which is a time when people release others from their service, and slaves go free.

-Yovel, which is a time when ancestral properties return to their original owner.

In this way, God devised a society which was fair and just. No Hebrew would ever be locked into their fate- always born landless, impoverished, or as a slave. People had the chance to start over, and begin again. There's much we can learn from this in our own society!

In this week's parsha, Kedoshim, we learn about how to be holy. But what does it mean to be holy, or kadosh?

Not what you might think! Being holy has to do with how we live our everyday lives. God wants to make sure that we can come close to Him by being as similar to Him as possible. He teaches us what we need to do and what qualities we need to acquire in order to be holy. Some examples of ways we need to act in order to be kadosh include:

Many of these laws connect to character traits we should strive to acquire, such as generosity, kindness, empathy and honesty.

In this week's parsha, Acharei Mot, we learn about boundaries and limits. For example:

In this week's parsha, Metzora, we delve deep into symbolism and hidden meanings. Among other things, we learn:

This week's parsha, Tazria, continues to focus on the laws of tumah and tahara, spiritual impurity and purity. Among other lessons, we learn about:

In this week's parsha, Shemini, we focus on relationships. These include:

This is a parsha that focuses on joy and sadness, celebration and loss. Sometimes both of these emotions can take place on the same day- as they do here, with the loss of Nadav and Avihu. We spend time learning about why Nadav and Avihu died, and what we can learn from this episode.

May God's presence rest on the work of your hands!

In this week's parsha, Tzav, we focus on a variety of laws pertaining to the Kohanim and the Mishkan. Some were only practiced when we had a Mishkan or Beit Hamikdash, but others persist until today! These laws include:

We end this parsha with a sense of excitement, waiting for the 8th day of the Miluim to arrive- inauguration day/ dedication day for the Mishkan to be used for real!