The upcoming holiday of Lag B'Omer commemorates the end of a plague that struck the students of Rabbi Akiva. It is said they were struck by plague because of their bitterness and pettiness against one another. This stands in stark contrast to Rabbi Akiva who taught that love of your fellow human is core to what it means to be a Jew. I Am a Man Who Will Fight for Your Honor by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.

"The Golden Rule".. perhaps the most commonly quoted commandment from the whole of Torah: 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself'. When it comes to this principle, due to certain subconscious tendencies, we often lie to ourselves in order to preserve the created version of who we think we really are. But in noticing these obstacles we can truly live out the 'Golden Rule'. I Am a Man Who Will Fight for Your Honor by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.

This week's torah portion Tazria-Metzora discusses the skin malady called 'tzara'at'. Once the sick individual completes their 7-day quarantine, the Cohen then comes to inspect the skin to ensure they have indeed healed completely. Why are the cohanim the ones that check for healing? Where are the doctors? The reason is that the Cohanim are always witnesses to healing of various types. Now that we no longer have cohanim serving the Temple in Jerusalem, who are the new witnesses to healing? Eastminster by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.

This week's torah portion of Shemini (8th Day) tells the story of a new chapter for the Israelites and its priestly system. New beginnings are rarely ever 'entirely' new. Eastminster by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.

The Counting of the Omer is a 49 day journey from our Exodus out of Egypt towards receiving the Torah at Mt Sinai. How much Torah we receive depends entirely on how much we free ourselves during these days.

Eastminster by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.

In the Talmud, Rabbi Perida is asked how he achieved so many blessings and longevity in life. He responds that he never ate his meal until the portions that are designated for the priests to eat are set aside. In short, he understood that to be a healthy person, to have healthy and sustainable communities we must prioritise those that serve the community.

Brethren, Arise by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license

Genesis asks us "what does it mean to be a human being". Exodus asks "what does it mean to be a Jew". But Leviticus gives us answers. It is the book of action. During this time of coronavirus, the priority must be immediate action, even if we are filled with uncertainty.

Social distancing and Self Isolation during the time of COVID-19 (coronavirus) is going to be as tough and long as a marathon. At the end of a marathon you run through the tape at the finish line. In this week's torah portion at the end of building of the tabernacle, a special ritual takes place. What will be our formal ritual at the end of this crisis?

In this parsha of Ki Tisa, Moses descends from Mt Sinai after having been in contact with God. His face shined such a radiant light that he needed to wear a veil. What does Moses' revealing and concealing of the light of inspiration teach us about holding on to the glory of yesterday at the expense of moving forward tomorrow.

In this week's torah portion of Tetzaveh we learn of the special outfits that the high priests and regular priests would wear when they served in the mishkan- the tabernacle. This is the same outfit the Jews are buried in after the ritual of tahara.