We learn that we have to be careful in what we say. There are those who will take our words and use them to justify evil acts. One who speaks like that is as guilty as the one who pulled the trigger.

The priests in the Tabernacle had to be physically perfect. They could not have a blemish. The reason is that they were the spiritual representatives of the people to God and God's representatives to the people.

The theme of the Torah is that without structure then spirituality will fail. We need structure so that our society will attain the spirituality we crave.

The Haftorah for this week comes from Amos where he points out that piety is not enough. We were chosen to build a just society. That it is not a one way street. God gives the land but if we do not build a just society then we will lose the land.

The Torah is clear, the reason for the offerings in the Tabernacle was so that we would create a better society based on God's laws.

Today is Israel Independence Day. The story of the liberation of our land from foreign intruders is nothing less than miraculous. We celebrate the independence and security of the State of Israel.

The reason that Acherei Mot comes before Kedoshim is to teach us that our rituals are what make our good actions possible.

During the month of Iyar we go from the sadness of loss to the happiness of success. We mourn the soldiers who fell in defending our people and land to a celebration of our independence in that land.

Creating life is holy if done properly. There is a problem in Israel in that the sperm of a fallen soldier can be used in invitro fertilization so that the memory of the soldier can live on. This is a major issue with Jewish legal ramifications.

We don't realize the damage we do when we gossip about others. We should strive to talk about issues and philosophical ideas, not gossip.